WWE Raw Report
Date: 12/12/11 from Norfolk, VA.
The Big News: Kane returned in a mask.
Show Analysis:
The show started with Hornswoggle and Booker T presenting the “Tell me I did not just see that” award. Booker T said a leprechaun winning a battle royal and being granted the ability to speak by Sana Claus says a lot about WWE in 2011. Yes, it does. As did this show. Jim Ross dancing won the award over Santino finishing second in the Royal Rumble, a plant throwing a drink at R. Truth and Miz dressing up as Rock.
When Ross won, Michael Cole went into the ring to complain. Booker T called Cole a loser and said Ross would win a rap off against Cole. Cole did an obnoxious rap. Ross didn’t really rap at all, hesitating and insulting Cole. The fans said Ross won. Booker then encouraged Ross to do a spin-a-roonie. It was about what you’d expect. This segment was death. And unfortunately there were still 2 hours and 40 minutes to desecrate the corpse.
Ted DiBiase and Mick Foley presented the holy shit move of the year. Foley speculated they were together because DiBiase spends extravagantly and Foley is cheap. DiBiase responded basically that it’s because as a minister he’s holy and Foley is shit. That got a good chuckle out of me. Big Show and Mark Henry breaking the ring with a superplex won over Sheamus putting Sin Cara through a ladder, Orton giving Christian an RKO on steps and Evan Bourne hitting a shooting star press off a ladder. Big Show came out to accept the award. He intimated Mark Henry wasn’t there because Henry is scared. Show said the Slammy would go well with the title.
Big Show beat Wade Barrett via DQ. Prior to the match, Barrett said that Big Show’s award was premature given what Barrett will do to Orton at TLC. However, he noted that won’t be unexpected like the award. Finally, Barrett warned Show that if Show leaves TLC with the title, Barrett will be coming for Show next. The match didn’t go long. Barrett set up a table to put Show through but Show woke up and broke the table with his fists. Barrett then just attacked him with a chair for the DQ. Show punched it away and Barrett left.
This was a terrible finish. Why not book one of these guys against someone you don’t have plans for and let him win? It’s more satisfying for the fans, it actually gets someone over, and it helps build the pay-per-view.
Road Dogg came out to present the next award. It was nice to see him back but I was surprised just how little reaction he receives. It speaks to how much of their last boom period is left. CM Punk won the pipe bomb of the year award over a bunch of lame comedy like Truth acting like a goof, Booker T babbling and Santino being tackled by “secret security.” They cut back to the arena with nobody in the crowd reacting as the announcers were practically convulsing with fake laughter.
CM Punk came out with a mannequin in a Dynamic Dudes t-shirt. He had a video tribute for John Laurinaitis with old footage of the Dynamic Dudes, Johnny Ace working out and sporting a mullet and even serving as a flag bearer. Punk laughed at Laurinaitis and left.
The awards continued with Lita returning to present the Divalicious award. Kelly Kelly won over Natalya, Kharma and Beth Phoenix. Beth and Natalya came out to try to take the award but Kelly was able to recover it.
Santino and the Bellas presented the OMG award. HHH won for giving Undertaker a tombstone over Rock giving Cena the Rock Bottom, the Raw walkout and CM Punk taking the WWE title. HHH came out and said the OMG moment was Undertaker being carried from the ring. HHH said nine months later Undertaker is no more. HHH said the streak came to an end at WrestleMania. Surprisingly, that didn’t get any boos. The crowd didn’t really know how to react. HHH said Kevin Nash should have finished the job and Sunday might will make right. HHH vowed to end Nash.
David Otunga and Tony Atlas came out for the “trending star of the year.” Basically, they begged people to mention these people on Twitter and said the first to trend would be the winner. Atlas kept laughing as Otunga spoke.
Dolph Ziggler beat Cody Rhodes, Daniel Bryan and Zack Ryder. The match was chaotic early but developed into an exciting, fast paced bout. The announcers, unfortunately, spent the whole match talking about trending. They did back to back superplex spots. Ryder hit the Rough Ryder on Ziggler. Rhodes gave Ryder the roll of the dice. Bryan put Rhodes in the LeBell lock but Ziggler looked to put Bryan in the sleeper. Bryan escaped but Ziggler then gave him the zig zag for the win. They then announced that Ryder won the trending star award. Ziggler gave him the zig zag and took the Slammy. They treated trending on Twitter as much more important than matches.
Christian showed up on crutches and in a neck brace to present the game changer of the year award. Christian said he should win a courageous moment award for showing up and should also be wrestler of the year. He blamed the fans. Rock feuding with Cena won over Vince being relieved of his duties, Edge retiring and Punk taking the title.
Cena came out to accept. He teased Rock was going to come out or show up on the screen but of course Rock didn’t. Cena said he hoped this jab would fuel Rock’s commitment. He said the real game changing moment will come at WrestleMania. He said WWE Universe repeatedly. Cena said they will change the game forever at Mania.
Miz and Alberto Del Rio beat CM Punk and Randy Orton. During this match, Michael Cole talked about how Jim Ross tweeted the rap he was supposed to deliver earlier in the show and ridiculed Ross for failing to deliver it. Given that segment was presented like it was an impromptu challenge, it was beating your audience over the head with the fact that you’re a scripted show. Again, the announcers spent basically the whole match talking about Twitter and burying Ross rather than selling their title program. The crowd was dead.
The heels worked over Punk. As Punk was going for the tag, Wade Barrett pulled Orton off the apron. Miz gave Punk the skull crushing finale for the win. Orton went after Barrett through the crowd, allowing Miz and Del Rio to double team Punk with a ladder. Miz said a pipe bomb would explode in Punk’s face at the PPV.
Goldust and Vickie Guerrero came out to present the A-lister of the year award. Snooki won over Muppets, Cee-Lo Green and Hugh Jackman. They showed Snooki on the screen accepting the award. Backstage, Mark Henry said he will retain the title against Big Show. He added that John Cena embarrassed him and Cena should be more concerned about Henry than Mania.
Sheamus and Jinder Mahal didn’t have a match. They acted like there would be a match but Sheamus just gave him a Brogue kick and left. Why not just pin the guy? Is having a wrestling match with a clean finish so objectionable?
Rey Mysterio came back to present the Wrestler of the Year award. They said WWE Universe over and over and over again. CM Punk won over Randy Orton, Alberto Del Rio, Mark Henry and John Cena. For some reason, they filmed behind the podium so you could clearly see CM Punk in the award before they played the drumroll and Mysterio paused to build drama. John Laurinaitis accepted the award, saying Punk wasn’t in condition to do so.
John Cena and Mark Henry battled to a no contest. Henry worked over Cena for a while with a bear hug. He hit the world’s strongest slam. Then pyro went off, Kane’s music hit and he came to the ring. Henry bailed and Kane gave Cena the choke slam. Kane was wearing a mask and he took off that mask to reveal another mask like his old one. This was yet another bad finish.
It doesn’t make much sense that Kane would return from Mark Henry injuring him to attack John Cena. But okay, let’s accept Cena’s the guy he wants to hurt. Why wait until Cena’s about to lose a match to do that?
Final Thoughts:
I never like the Slammies because they emphasize the things I don’t like about WWE and de-emphasize the things I do like about wrestling. There was award after award, focusing mostly on goofy comedy, with little wrestling and awful finishes that made matches seem completely insignificant. Add in obnoxious Michael Cole, incessant references to Twitter and WWE beating you over the head with their alternate vocabulary and the whole thing was just insufferable.
But at this point, I honestly feel like it’s almost unfair to complain. They’re so diametrically opposed to what I like and what they used to be by now that maybe people like me would be better off just dumping them permanently rather than sticking around as they continue to massacre what remains of a once great form of entertainment.
And on that dire note, want to make mention that I’m now on Twitter! You can follow me at @toddmartinmma. I will talk about wrestling plenty as well so I’d love to hear from people on there. Hope everyone has a good week.
The Big News: Kane returned in a mask.
Show Analysis:
The show started with Hornswoggle and Booker T presenting the “Tell me I did not just see that” award. Booker T said a leprechaun winning a battle royal and being granted the ability to speak by Sana Claus says a lot about WWE in 2011. Yes, it does. As did this show. Jim Ross dancing won the award over Santino finishing second in the Royal Rumble, a plant throwing a drink at R. Truth and Miz dressing up as Rock.
When Ross won, Michael Cole went into the ring to complain. Booker T called Cole a loser and said Ross would win a rap off against Cole. Cole did an obnoxious rap. Ross didn’t really rap at all, hesitating and insulting Cole. The fans said Ross won. Booker then encouraged Ross to do a spin-a-roonie. It was about what you’d expect. This segment was death. And unfortunately there were still 2 hours and 40 minutes to desecrate the corpse.
Ted DiBiase and Mick Foley presented the holy shit move of the year. Foley speculated they were together because DiBiase spends extravagantly and Foley is cheap. DiBiase responded basically that it’s because as a minister he’s holy and Foley is shit. That got a good chuckle out of me. Big Show and Mark Henry breaking the ring with a superplex won over Sheamus putting Sin Cara through a ladder, Orton giving Christian an RKO on steps and Evan Bourne hitting a shooting star press off a ladder. Big Show came out to accept the award. He intimated Mark Henry wasn’t there because Henry is scared. Show said the Slammy would go well with the title.
Big Show beat Wade Barrett via DQ. Prior to the match, Barrett said that Big Show’s award was premature given what Barrett will do to Orton at TLC. However, he noted that won’t be unexpected like the award. Finally, Barrett warned Show that if Show leaves TLC with the title, Barrett will be coming for Show next. The match didn’t go long. Barrett set up a table to put Show through but Show woke up and broke the table with his fists. Barrett then just attacked him with a chair for the DQ. Show punched it away and Barrett left.
This was a terrible finish. Why not book one of these guys against someone you don’t have plans for and let him win? It’s more satisfying for the fans, it actually gets someone over, and it helps build the pay-per-view.
Road Dogg came out to present the next award. It was nice to see him back but I was surprised just how little reaction he receives. It speaks to how much of their last boom period is left. CM Punk won the pipe bomb of the year award over a bunch of lame comedy like Truth acting like a goof, Booker T babbling and Santino being tackled by “secret security.” They cut back to the arena with nobody in the crowd reacting as the announcers were practically convulsing with fake laughter.
CM Punk came out with a mannequin in a Dynamic Dudes t-shirt. He had a video tribute for John Laurinaitis with old footage of the Dynamic Dudes, Johnny Ace working out and sporting a mullet and even serving as a flag bearer. Punk laughed at Laurinaitis and left.
The awards continued with Lita returning to present the Divalicious award. Kelly Kelly won over Natalya, Kharma and Beth Phoenix. Beth and Natalya came out to try to take the award but Kelly was able to recover it.
Santino and the Bellas presented the OMG award. HHH won for giving Undertaker a tombstone over Rock giving Cena the Rock Bottom, the Raw walkout and CM Punk taking the WWE title. HHH came out and said the OMG moment was Undertaker being carried from the ring. HHH said nine months later Undertaker is no more. HHH said the streak came to an end at WrestleMania. Surprisingly, that didn’t get any boos. The crowd didn’t really know how to react. HHH said Kevin Nash should have finished the job and Sunday might will make right. HHH vowed to end Nash.
David Otunga and Tony Atlas came out for the “trending star of the year.” Basically, they begged people to mention these people on Twitter and said the first to trend would be the winner. Atlas kept laughing as Otunga spoke.
Dolph Ziggler beat Cody Rhodes, Daniel Bryan and Zack Ryder. The match was chaotic early but developed into an exciting, fast paced bout. The announcers, unfortunately, spent the whole match talking about trending. They did back to back superplex spots. Ryder hit the Rough Ryder on Ziggler. Rhodes gave Ryder the roll of the dice. Bryan put Rhodes in the LeBell lock but Ziggler looked to put Bryan in the sleeper. Bryan escaped but Ziggler then gave him the zig zag for the win. They then announced that Ryder won the trending star award. Ziggler gave him the zig zag and took the Slammy. They treated trending on Twitter as much more important than matches.
Christian showed up on crutches and in a neck brace to present the game changer of the year award. Christian said he should win a courageous moment award for showing up and should also be wrestler of the year. He blamed the fans. Rock feuding with Cena won over Vince being relieved of his duties, Edge retiring and Punk taking the title.
Cena came out to accept. He teased Rock was going to come out or show up on the screen but of course Rock didn’t. Cena said he hoped this jab would fuel Rock’s commitment. He said the real game changing moment will come at WrestleMania. He said WWE Universe repeatedly. Cena said they will change the game forever at Mania.
Miz and Alberto Del Rio beat CM Punk and Randy Orton. During this match, Michael Cole talked about how Jim Ross tweeted the rap he was supposed to deliver earlier in the show and ridiculed Ross for failing to deliver it. Given that segment was presented like it was an impromptu challenge, it was beating your audience over the head with the fact that you’re a scripted show. Again, the announcers spent basically the whole match talking about Twitter and burying Ross rather than selling their title program. The crowd was dead.
The heels worked over Punk. As Punk was going for the tag, Wade Barrett pulled Orton off the apron. Miz gave Punk the skull crushing finale for the win. Orton went after Barrett through the crowd, allowing Miz and Del Rio to double team Punk with a ladder. Miz said a pipe bomb would explode in Punk’s face at the PPV.
Goldust and Vickie Guerrero came out to present the A-lister of the year award. Snooki won over Muppets, Cee-Lo Green and Hugh Jackman. They showed Snooki on the screen accepting the award. Backstage, Mark Henry said he will retain the title against Big Show. He added that John Cena embarrassed him and Cena should be more concerned about Henry than Mania.
Sheamus and Jinder Mahal didn’t have a match. They acted like there would be a match but Sheamus just gave him a Brogue kick and left. Why not just pin the guy? Is having a wrestling match with a clean finish so objectionable?
Rey Mysterio came back to present the Wrestler of the Year award. They said WWE Universe over and over and over again. CM Punk won over Randy Orton, Alberto Del Rio, Mark Henry and John Cena. For some reason, they filmed behind the podium so you could clearly see CM Punk in the award before they played the drumroll and Mysterio paused to build drama. John Laurinaitis accepted the award, saying Punk wasn’t in condition to do so.
John Cena and Mark Henry battled to a no contest. Henry worked over Cena for a while with a bear hug. He hit the world’s strongest slam. Then pyro went off, Kane’s music hit and he came to the ring. Henry bailed and Kane gave Cena the choke slam. Kane was wearing a mask and he took off that mask to reveal another mask like his old one. This was yet another bad finish.
It doesn’t make much sense that Kane would return from Mark Henry injuring him to attack John Cena. But okay, let’s accept Cena’s the guy he wants to hurt. Why wait until Cena’s about to lose a match to do that?
Final Thoughts:
I never like the Slammies because they emphasize the things I don’t like about WWE and de-emphasize the things I do like about wrestling. There was award after award, focusing mostly on goofy comedy, with little wrestling and awful finishes that made matches seem completely insignificant. Add in obnoxious Michael Cole, incessant references to Twitter and WWE beating you over the head with their alternate vocabulary and the whole thing was just insufferable.
But at this point, I honestly feel like it’s almost unfair to complain. They’re so diametrically opposed to what I like and what they used to be by now that maybe people like me would be better off just dumping them permanently rather than sticking around as they continue to massacre what remains of a once great form of entertainment.
And on that dire note, want to make mention that I’m now on Twitter! You can follow me at @toddmartinmma. I will talk about wrestling plenty as well so I’d love to hear from people on there. Hope everyone has a good week.
posted by Todd Martin at 9:21 PM
13 Comments:
"They’re so diametrically opposed to what I like and what they used to be by now that maybe people like me would be better off just dumping them permanently rather than sticking around as they continue to massacre what remains of a once great form of entertainment."
Are you talking about just the Slammies or WWE wrestling altogether?
Your second paragraph in your Final Thoughts this week makes the most sense of anything I have ever read on your blog. And thats not to say you havent come up with good ideas over the years or anything, but as far as where your at as a "fan" and where WWE is at as a product, the second paragraph you wrote made the most sense to me.
The WWE of today and for the past few years is quite obviously not what you and some other old school fans are able to enjoy.
With all the entertainment options available in the world today, the last thing I am going to do is watch a 2 or 3 Hour TV show that I hate and makes me angry every single week for years at a time, and then make a 20 paragraph blog talking about how bad it is and how much I dislike it. Just doesnt make sense. Guys that have actually worked behind the scenes in WWE couldnt get the product to change, so fans complaining is a waste of time.
What you want as a fan, is not what WWE is serving up.
Why not take a long vacation from watching Raw or something? Maybe you will find a new appreciation for it and not be so critical about the show and be so concerned with 5 star finishes, and booking, and build to ppvs and all this other stuff that bugs you.
WWE is fun, light hearted entertainment. It always has been and always will be. Its not to be taken so seriously, or treated as a sport. Just light hearted entertainment is all it is.
Hopefully UFC and MMA can fill the void for some of you guys who hate WWE now. Legit sport, serious business, real tough guys, all that kind of stuff.
Do you watch Smackdown at all? Perhaps that would be more enjoyable for you then watching Raw every Monday. Or maybe you just hate the entire WWE Product.
I watched as a fan tonight, like Ive been watching for decades now. Not once did I get angry over Twitter or Trending references, or bad finishes, or get angry because I dont think they did a good job building up a PPV. LOL, what the hell would be the point of that?
I just kicked back and enjoyed the show. I got a laugh out of JR's ridiculous fat ass making a fool of himself. Watched a really great PPV quality Four Way match with 4 of the most talented guys on the WWE Roster, a hilarious Johnny Ace video package presented by CM Punk, continued anticipation to Rock vs Cena at Mania, a great tag match with 4 of the top guys of the company, and a fun main event with Cena and Mark Henry with Kane returning.
Thats all. Just enjoying it as a fan. Just like I will when I watch the Tribute to the Troops show tomorrow and Smackdown on Friday. Im not gonna be there over analyzing the shows looking for expertise story telling, and immaculate booking and finishes. What the hell would be the point of that?
Mr. Anonymous Guy, you do realize it's Todd's ( and Dave's and Bryan's )job to cover these things, yes? It's how they make money. So, when they are critical of things like WWE, which is at this juncture clearly a dead shark just floating in the water, it's not because, as you say they 'can't just relax and enjoy it', it's because something that is their livelihood ( okay, this applies much more to Dave and Bryan, as I think Todd's main gig is MMA )is rotting at it's core. I can't fathom how anyone can look at this tedious horseshit week after week and pretend it's anything but low-rent, joyless and covered in flop sweat. It is not entertaining in any way. I pretty much don't watch anymore, and just read Todd's report, or listen to Bryan and Vinny, because of all of the things that these guys are talking about. This stuff is awful, and with so many options in the world, it's become extremely easy to ignore wrestling. Which is too bad because I grew up with the stuff, but unfortunately it has not grown up with me.
This show was dreadful. Is it possible that I'm finding Punk as a character as equally smug and cretinous as I do Cena? If this is the company letting him have his own head, then they've made a big mistake because he's a witless ham. I have to say, though, that the idea of a Cena/Kane feud fills my heart with joy, but that's just due to my being a real mark for a high level of workrate. I look forward to their series of iron man matches, and the tremendous mic work that will precede that.
Or not. Perhaps I just need to relax and enjoy it.
Trolls are cute. I like their bright hair extending up from their little heads.
That's all this dude is.
So they start with one more cheap shot at JR. He gets a Slammy as what amounts to a reward for being a good sport. Bully for him! Now, let's end the heel act for Michael Cole yesterday, ok, so we can all get on with our lives?
The video tribute to Johnny Ace was pretty funny, including the tennis racquet shot from Jim Cornette. Why Ace refuses to even acknowledge his own career as a wrestler, I don't know. He has to appreciate, deep down, this gesture.
That said, the sooner they put him in the ring with Punk, the better. Of course, it's more likely we'll see Lauranitis/Nash vs. Punk/HHH, but who knows anymore. Uncreative ignores all the obvious ideas that are there in front of them because of the blindfolds McMahon has them wear.
Miz & Del Rio's post-match on Punk just told me they're not winning on Sunday. Same goes for Dolph Ziggler, who will soon kiss that US title good-bye. He's had it too long, IMPO, and needs to lose it and Vickie. If I was booking, he'd have been stripped of the title long ago.
I don't get the idea of putting a mask on Kane again after all this time. Unmasked, he's won 2 tag titles, a World title, and an ECW title. He's been pretty successful no matter what. The 2001-2 mask, with the wig attached, looks to be back, redesigned for 2011-12. I give them 6-9 months before Kane has his annual face turn.
This show told me who will win and/or lose on Sunday. Then again, Chairman Wackjob will change his mind 200 times between today & Sunday, which means he's using Roddy Piper's old line about changing the questions.
Uh No "Gilman" not a troll. I wouldnt take the time to detail my posts here if I was.
Pampers,
I know Martins review is on the Observer site, and Im sure if his reviews werent so negative that it wouldnt be on the Observer site.
You know come to think of it, its stupid of them guys to be so negative of Wrestling today, because thats how they make there money is from Smart Marks who are interested in Wrestling. Why the hell are people gonna pay for their news and commentary if they hate the product so much. Whats the allure? All Wallowing in Misery together?
I just find that Martins reviews are foolish to be honest. WWE is a scripted, goofy, light hearted, entertainment show. Its not meant to be take so damn seriously. That would be like if I watched Glee or Spongebob and critiqued every aspect of the show I thought was done wrong or made me angry lol. Come on now.
Plus, as far as his reviews go. I dont put much stock into his "expert analysis" or any of these dirt sheet guys. There all fans, or former fans, now just critics. If someone is gonna critique and talk about finishes and all this insider shit, then they should at least have some kind of expertise track record of booking professional wrestling, or at least been involved in some type of decision making in a major company.
Anyone can be a armchair quarterback, but unless they have actually been in the game and been successful at it, then they arent qualified enough.
You say "I grew up with the stuff, but unfortunately it has not grown up with me"
Nor should it have to. Thats what I am trying to explain to Martin and the others who hate WWE so much. Just because YOU grew up watching WWE and now your older and wiser and expect a more mature sophisticated product, doesnt mean WWE is gonna cater to your needs, and they dont.
Thats basically the whole moral of what I am trying to say here. A lot of you guys have all these Nostalgic memories of WWE and other Pro Wrestling, and your expecting it to grow and age with you. Thats why many people grow out of wrestling and turn their nose up at it. And then you have a few thousand leftover fans who arent quite ready to stop watching, yet stick around and bash it. Move on then. Go find another entertainment outlet that fills the need for your now more sophisticated taste.
WWE is smart not to cater to late 20 and 30 somethings, because that audience is very hard to please, extremely critical, and the quickest to turn there back on them when something doesnt suit there needs exactly as they see fit.
I went through a phase where I listened to garbage and negativity being spewed by bitter ex wrestling talents and others, crapping on todays business and talking about old rasslin, and I got sick of wallowing in the misery with them and decided to form my OWN opinion and not let others form one for me.
Anonymous, in a dry hypothetical sense you are right that it does not make sense to continue watching a product that annoys you.
But reality is a little messier.
A lot of people have enjoyed watching pro wrestling for a long time, and it's hard to just give it up. I'm sure if there were some viable competition, a big-time promotion that combined good action with well-written stories, then people would be thrilled to take your advice and never turn on a WWE show again.
But for many people, there are no real alternatives. TNA is even worse than the WWE most of the time. Ring of Honor has some good action and occasionally some decent angles and writing, but they come across very small-time, if you can even get their show at all.
So what a lot of people are stuck with is a product similar to one they used to enjoy, except it's marred by very poor writing. Naturally, people are frustrated that with no real alternatives to watch, the WWE can't be bothered to put together a decent show.
If you enjoy WWE as it is, then great. You don't have to justify it. But I must say I don't agree that because, according to you, it's supposed to be lighthearted fun means it shouldn't be consistent and well-thought-out. There a lot of fun, lighthearted shows that are very well-constructed. To me, it doesn't come across that the WWE is having fun breaking their rules and intentionally making hash out of their storylines. It more comes across as sloppiness.
By many accounts, it is sloppiness, caused by Vince McMahon demanding major rewrites up until the last second. To many people, the end product looks exactly like that, like something carelessly put together in haste. If to you the result feels like intentionally constructed lighthearted entertainment, then that's great for you. I don't think it means the rest of us are wrong for perceiving it as, well, what by most accounts it actually is.
But, Anonymous, you should be proud of me. On October 10, I personally had enough. While I'd like a good WWE show to watch, after sitting through the poorly written follow-up to Triple H losing the vote of confidence, I realized I just wasn't going to get a good WWE show. I haven't watched any WWE programming since. Honestly, I don't miss it at all. My original plan was to tune back in and watch a few weeks before WrestleMania, then watch WrestleMania as I always do. I currently still plan to do that right now, but if things keep going the way they have been, who knows.
This isn't just a fringe that is unhappy with the WWE, by the way. Their ratings have been trending downward for many years, and their pay-per-view rates are in the tank. It's just not a compelling product anymore. WWE would do well to try to improve their core product before they end up effectively getting cancelled.
Todd, I have enjoyed your reviews, and while I'd be disappointed if I couldn't read them every Tuesday to see what I missed (ha!), I'd certainly understand if you had to quit for your mental health. These Raw reviews are starting to have the same tone as your old "WWE 'ECW'" reviews.
My big hope is that the Wrestling Retribution Project turns out to be good, as it was created essentially as a reaction to the poor writing in wrestling today. My only concern is that it will end up being too much like a movie when I really want a fake sport.
Bob I appreciate your response.
I understand what your saying.
All I could recommend to people who used to enjoy WWE and watch it regularly, but no longer enjoy it, is to at least try to not be so harsh on the shows. There are plenty of other things in life to get angry and upset about. WWE Pro Wrestling is not one of them, for me at least.
I also think TNA Impact is complete garbage. I can not watch that show at all. I know the company sucks, and the show sucks, so I dont watch any of it. I check back in every few months and it still sucks.
With WWE being the only major game in town, fans have very few choices:
Either watch the shows, and at least try to enjoy some aspects of it, knowing thats its really the only big game in town.
Dont watch the shows and find something else to fill the void.
Watch the shows and waste time complaining about it.
To all former fans, I say try to watch the shows and see if there is something you can enjoy, and stop going into it with such a negative outlook, and expecting expertise booking and writing on every show. If you cant find anything you like at all about it, then sorry, but it looks like WWE is just not for you anymore.
Oh and Id like to add, Ive seen some bad eras and shows in WWF/E, I dont consider 2011 one of them. I think its been pretty damn good.
What do you all consider to be these great eras of WWE when everything was perfect and made absolute sense?
Ive always just taken the good with the bad. You can find that in any TV show, any movie, and Music Artist, you name it.
There is always something good to be found among the bad stuff.
I think what people are so upset about, Anonymous, is that the show has shown life, resulting from writers actually coming up with something that can be perceived as consistent and connecting to its fanbase, as well as serving the company's needs of raising rating and value, but then that same life just goes kaput in a matter of a show or two.
That storyline with CM Punk against the world, basically, starting with his burial of the WWE (I believe that was back in June or July, though don't quote me on that), to his winning the title and that air of uncertainty - as a fan, I thought it was awesome. It carried an air of being realistic, relating to the fans' wants, and it kept you on your toes.
But then the writers went in a completely different direction, ended up burying CM Punk for a while (I think there was a month straight where he didn't win a match), and things just got so messy.
The same can be said for the storyline with Randy Orton, Mark Henry, and Big Show. I still have no idea why Big Show is still trying to get a title shot when he should have long taken care of his "business" with Mark Henry. Give someone else a shot.
Speaking of "someone else", I feel like the brass behind the scenes do not want to give the young lions a chance at all. Morrison is gone, Truth is being treated like fodder, Ryder gets pushed then gets buried a week later, Ziggler is just Ziggler and not getting nearly the heat he deserves (I actually really like Ziggler, he's come a long way from "Nicky" from Spirit Squad when I had no idea and did not care about who he was), and then so many others who have not even had the chance to show what they've got (The Usos, Tyson Kidd, et. al.).
I won't vouch for others because I have no idea how they think, but me personally, as a fan just like anyone else, I just wish this show had more consistency and gave more chances to the young guys instead of focusing so much on guys who have peaked and are going down, or are already long past their prime (HHH & Kevin Nash? *KEVIN NASH?!?!* Come on...). There are things I enjoy, there are things I do not enjoy, but most of all, I just wish this show was more consistent.
Anonymous said:
"If someone is gonna critique and talk about finishes and all this insider shit, then they should at least have some kind of expertise track record of booking professional wrestling, or at least been involved in some type of decision making in a major company."
The argument that expertise is a pre-requisite for a critic is nonsense. I don't have to know how to cook to have an opinion that a meal tastes like shit.
"The argument that expertise is a pre-requisite for a critic is nonsense. I don't have to know how to cook to have an opinion that a meal tastes like shit."
Having an opinion is one thing.
A fan writing a negative laced, 25 paragraph blog each week, dissecting and over analyzing each segment, like he knows all the answers of what works and how it should be done.......is another thing.
Like I said:
Anyone can be a armchair quarterback, but unless they have actually been in the game and been successful at it, then they arent qualified enough.
Its easy to sit on the couch every week as a FAN, with food crumbs on your lips and critique the show and use your 25 years of watching Pro Wrestling knowledge as a FAN...but unless you have actually been in the trenches and been on the road, traveling around the world with these personalities and have had some past success in a booking/creative role, and even more specifically in WWE....then the critiquing doesnt carry any weight. Just another blurb among the millions of others on the internet who think they know all the answers, and think that by watching Pro Wrestling on TV for many years, qualifies them as some type of booking expert who
"knows how it should be done"
Were not there. We dont know what Vince wants and dont want, or even Steph for that matter. We dont know who they have plans for more so then others, or why certain guys are given better material then others.
Efrain,
It goes back to what I said earlier. Just like with any TV show, music band, sports game, etc, I take the good with the bad. Some times things will sting along great for a while, and sometimes there will be some bumps and holes along the way. You can find that in any year or era in Pro Wrestling history. Theres always good with the bad, and things we wish were done differently.
WWE has to write a ton of TV every single week, non stop, year round, no breaks, no off season. Cant be easy.
No other form of entertainment is like that. Not TV Shows, not Movies, not Musicians, nothing. They usually have months, even years at times to come up with a good story and script. WWE has 6 hours of TV to write every single week, sometimes 9 with a PPV.
Thats one of the many reasons the ratings arent as high as many years ago. Were spoiled as fans. There is a ton of WWE Product on TV, every single week, year round, and many ways to watch it. You dont even have to watch them as they air on TV, people can easily watch them Online, days later or whenever they want. Plus its competing with every other form of entertainment genre and outlet available to us as we enter 2012, not just TV, but everything, gaming, social media, Youtube sites. You name it.
These dirt sheet guys look at ratings from 12-15 years ago and dont even take into consideration that things like Youtube, and Facebook,, Mass Social Media, the rise of UFC, the increase of TV Channels, faster Internet, more entertainment options and MANY other things, were not even around or a factor back then. Unbelievable that they can look at ratings from 1999 or 2000 and compare them today and not see how life and entertainment has changed since then.
Thats why I say, all things considered, WWE still pulling in 4-5 Million viewers every week for Raw is very strong. Hell even TNA Impact rating is pretty strong. With all the other shit to do in life, the fact that, that many people still choose to watch Pro Wrestling says something. Especially when its not "Must See" like a Sport with an Off Season. You know wrestling will always be there the next week.
I want to touch on what Efrain said in re.: Dolph Ziggler. As I said myself, his problem is the moldy albatross he's stuck with for a manager. Vickie Guerrero leeches away all the heat Ziggy's supposed to be having directed to him, and her act is so stale, it makes jello mold look tasty by comparison. I'd say take Cole out of the booth and pair him with Ziggler or Jack Swagger, but guess what? Cole's act has gotten stale, too, so that ain't gonna fly, either.
The bottom line, as I've so often preached, is that Vince needs to step down and away, and let Hunter & Stephanie take over. Hunter, being an old school guy at heart, can take the WWE to a back-to-basics approach. It doesn't have to go all the way to the 70's, mind, but I think if he gets rid of the tired heel finishes (distractions, leverage) that have been done to death and beyond for years, or at least scales them down so that the heels can get over based on ability as well as character, then WWE can move forward into this century, something Vince seems reluctant to do.
Post a Comment
<< Home