Read on for my thoughts on last night's Raw.
I wish Cena could be this good all the time. That was a damned solid segment that did a good job setting the stage for Summerslam as a very serious, historical, and important match.
Del Rio vs. Sheamus was fine. I expect nothing less from two guys that talented. I liked the ring psychology involved.
I couldn't care much less about Booker and Teddy. If Booker goes back to wrestling and Teddy becomes a manager, then I'll be interested. But for now? They're ex-authority figures in a company that already has a lot of authority figures (and former authority figures). On another note, I think I'd like it if Maddox and Vickie reinstated the brand split by signing stars to appear exclusively on each show. More people could get pushes.
Christian vs. Titus was impressive. Granted, Christian can have a good match with just about anyone. I'd still keep PTP as a team, as I don't think either man has improved THAT much since the NXT: Redemption days. I enjoy both men's work, but there are seemingly a lot of performers already "lost in the shuffle" and I wouldn't want to add them to the mix.
Ryback is still pretty cool to me. He's been weakened, but he's still got something as a character.
OMG THERE BERRYING THE SHIELD. Relax, guys, this didn't hurt them that much. It just makes their opponents look like they have a chance to win (even if they don't).
I enjoyed the Bryan/Cena segment. Could magic be in the air at Summerslam? I hope Cena sontinues to treat this seriously.
I think Ziggler vs. Young could have been really good if it got enough time and they treated Young as in Ziggler's league. That electric chair spot was INSANE.
I get that they didn't want to "give away" Ziggler vs. Langston (and maybe keep Langston strong), but it feels like Ziggler's always running from a fight or something.
WWE wants "Total Divas" to be a success obviously. I like Eva more than Jo-Jo already.
I liked the McMahons/Maddox segment for once since it kind of, sort of put Bryan over.
These Wyatt Family videos are pretty creepy. I'm enjoying the gimmick, and hope everyone involved is getting praise for their work. I hope one day we get to see The Ascension on the main roster as well.
I wish Rhodes vs. Fandango got more time or a promo ahead of time or something but maybe we'll get something of a Round 2 on Smackdown. The segment got over what it needed to, so no complaints there. Rhodes vs. Sandow will be an important barometer of where both performers are. Obviously both have potential. Are they ready for the next level?
The Heyman/Punk segment was AMAZING and here's why: they sold both Punk and Lesnar as serious badasses. Punk's not joking around about Heyman and Lesnar and treating the match like any other match: he's out for blood. This is one reason why older fans flock to Punk more so than Cena.
Hopefully RVD vs. Del Rio on Smackdown is a set up for them facing off at Summerslam. It's something of a shame that RVD is presented better than the World Champion. Imagine what it would do for Del Rio to successfully retain against RVD at Summerslam.
I liked RVD vs. Barrett. I kind of wish that Barrett would have looked better in defeat, though. I guess not everyone can look strong all the time.
Ah, Zeb Colter. What's great about his gimmick is that I don't think it's unbelievable at all. There are people around here in NC who he'd get along with great.
Swagger vs. Bryan was pretty good. It looks like they're out to get Bryan super-over tonight.
Bryan vs. Cesaro was a wrestling clinic. Damn. That was truly something to watch.
I wonder if this means anything for Riley going forward? I think he could make for a fine character if they want to fully move him on from being a wrestler. Riley's a fine wrestler (maybe he'd be better with a partner?), but I don't think they "need" him wrestling.
Bryan vs. Ryback was INSANE. Bryan's truly a machine to be able to wrestle for that long at that kind of pace. I hope they don't wear him out. It looks like we're moving towards a future of awesome wrestling at any rate. And yes, there are more solid athletes down in NXT!
Very, very good final segment. They've got a big opportunity to "make" Daniel Bryan with this angle and I hope they take it. Those are both big matches for next week, and I hope people tune in.
More wrestling coming up.
Man, that Cesaro/Bryan match was fantastic. I've been a fan of Cesaro for a while now and it's a bit of a shame that he's been downgraded a bit since his U.S. Title reign. He's got the size, intensity, hateability, and ability to be a star in the company and I'm glad he was able to showcase all of that in twilight hours of Raw.
ReplyDeleteI understand that the company is making Bryan work hard to grow in the company, but what do you make of all of the heat he has been getting? He has consistently put in great matches time and time again and the "weaknesses" people see/saw in him (size and charisma) have been proven incorrect by him. I see him as a guy who could carry the torch in the company, so my guess at why McMahon has been running him down is due to making him earn his worth? My problem with that is that he's seemingly already done that. What do you think?
I'm also impressed by RVD. The man is going on 43 years old and he's put in insanely fantastic matches since his return (and this is when he had 14 staples put in his head the night prior). The only knock I could see on him that the "higher-ups" may devalue him for is his age and lack of out-of-ring charisma and may make it one of the main reasons he may not get a title reign. My argument with that is RVD hasn't really gotten a chance to shine in interviews, bits, or promos yet. I understand he wasn't the best in out-of-ring segments in his time previously, but given a chance, he was still entertaining. What do you make of it?
Cesaro's also doing solid stuff in NXT. I think HHH knows how talented he is. Supposedly Cesaro's not even hitting his stride yet (as I've been told his work pre-WWE was even better).
ReplyDeleteI have two theories: 1. There's more of a story if Bryan has to overcome those "weaknesses" and prove his doubters, including Vince, wrong. So it's even bigger when he does become a Champion/star. 2. USA Network loves to have the McMahons and power struggles, so that's what WWE puts out. A former WWE writer said as much in a recent interview. This is just the latest chapter of the McMahon Family Drama.
I don't necessarily think that WWE would punish RVD for his age given the shape he's in. If anything, it will be his attitude. Let's just say that he thinks really highly of himself, isn't always motivated, and has pretty much said that he's just in WWE for the money. Also he's working on a part-time, short-term deal. I think it might just be for a year, and I'm almost certain that he won't be on the road every week.
As for his personality, he has kind of butted heads with Creative over promos in the past. I don't know if they'll give him more freedom this time or not.
There's also the "conspiracy theory" that WWE doesn't like to push people too hard if they're not "WWE guys" and made their name elsewhere (ECW in RVD's case). I don't necessarily agree. Big Show and Chris Jericho did pretty well for themselves.
All in all, I'll be surprised if he holds either the WWE or World Title unless it's something of a short reign. They should be focused on the full-time, long-term guys.
By the way, you will find some humor in this. Look at the look on Young's face before they trick Barrett. Just a shame they don't receive more of a push.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.wwe.com/videos/wade-barrett-and-the-prime-time-players-are-ready-for-action-wwe-app-exclusive-j-26135376
I liked that - they played off of the really serious Barrett well. PTP has grown a lot since NXT Season 5, both in the ring and outside of it. It's crazy on paper that they ended up a team after their feud, but they blend together well and can kind of "teach" each other.
ReplyDeleteAs for a push, I don't see them getting much further as heels, since they have to compete with The Shield, Colter's Militia, and the Wyatt Family on that front. I'm very entertained by them and they're a solid act, but they've got some stiff opposition. One downside to the brand split being over is seemingly fewer opportunities for teams.
Yeah, with all of the heel tag teams in the company today, I agree it would be hard for them to stand out and also receive a push as a heel tag team.
ReplyDeleteI do think an option is for them to turn face, though. This would: 1) Help them stand out a bit from all of the heel tag teams and 2) Help the crowd get behind them a bit more (which I think could be easy with their gimmick and personality). It's all up to the WWE if and when this happens, but if they think logically, it's definitely a decent option. The heel tag team to face tag team ratio in the company is ridiculously uneven now that Team Hell No has disbanded and Kofi and Truth are no longer tagging, which is another reason it's logical.
What are your thoughts on how logical that notion is and if it indeed happens?
It's possible that Kofi could end up back in the tag ranks when he returns, but that doesn't make a huge difference. If they keep 3MB as heels, then sure, I think PTP turning face would be fine and they could probably do pretty well with it. They're very entertaining in their current roles. I even think that in the right circumstances that they could become Tag Team Champions as faces. That would be down the line, though.
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