Wow is Raw getting it. I’m staring to wonder what I was watching because I really liked the show. It had kind of big show feeling last night. There were a few cameos and the King of WWE again delivered and the show for me just had a good feel to it. Now of course there were some segments that I didn’t like, but all in all this show rocked, but as I said just reading the feedback around the net and from many of you, I really must be in the minority. I want to get rid of the things that didn’t work for me and then end on a positive note.
First, I haven’t stopped laughing since most of the fan’s sending feedback on the net are doing what they do best, ripping into Triple H. Now I intend to talk about the main event and all it’s problems, but the anti Hunter stuff is how he was able to take out the entire ECW roster. Now I have no problem with the complaints, but I don’t remember reading even one about John Cena taking out 14 of the guys from the Raw roster when he was forced to team with then Champion Randy Orton. Oh I remember it well, it took Orton forever to start eliminating the guys, but as soon as Cena was in there he was picking them off one by one. But see Cena isn’t Hunter, and what Vince had Cena doing a few months ago didn’t seem to make many of the fans even blink. Okay so let me get into the main event now. Of course it was crap, as soon as Regal booked it you knew that Mr. Kennedy…..Kennedy and Hunter would make these guys look weak, and that’s just how they looked.
You know how many fans watch ECW or even get ECW? And with WWE hyping their big 1-year anniversary show you would think Vince would have come up with a better way to showcase ECW talent than by throwing them out there against Raw’s champion and Kennedy. I knew this would be a bad idea and I was right. Okay so Hunter took them out at the end one by one, but ECW did win, it might not have been a great victory but they won. And really Hunter using chair shots to get them was I guess the thing to do because he IS the WWE champion. It wouldn’t have looked too good for the third rate brand to not only take out Kennedy but Hunter too. And speaking of Kennedy, I wasn’t happy about Chavo pinning him for the win. I agree that ECW had to win, however I would have preferred Kennedy go out because of some kind of interference. I didn’t like it being a clean win. This was as atrocious as the Cena/Orton main event against the Raw group. However the only thing that made that good was that Cena and Orton really worked well together. We didn’t get to see the same thing with Kennedy and Triple H. So yes the match certainly didn’t make ECW look amazing and I really wish we had gotten a much better main event. Also, I had a problem watching some of the guys work so well together. Like Mike Knox and Tommy Dreamer. These two have been going at it on ECW but last night they teamed up to take Hunter out. See that kind of seemed weird to me. I did like Kane going after Chavo and Bam Neely that’s what this should have been.
It could have started out like a team effort, but then immediately things should have fallen apart with the ECW guys. So this main event left me blah.
What else didn’t I like? Oh that’s an easy one. I loved the show going dark at the even end last week. I didn’t even mind Regal turning the lights out when Raw started to punish the Toronto crowd, BUT when he did it again during CM Punk’s and Randy Orton’s match well then my anger started to build. Listen I don’t want this pattern of watching a match and having to wonder if the lights are going to go out to continue. I’m hoping that last night was the end of all of this, because I think we all watch Raw for the wrestling, at least I know I do. Sure mic work is cool and non-wrestling segments can be a blast, but they need to stop this garbage with abruptly ending top matches. Plus last week was a shocker, but last night it was already becoming old. So other than the main event and the electricity going off the rest of the show was a lot of fun to watch. Okay maybe I should just add that the women’s lumberjack match with Mickie vs. Beth Phoenix. It wasn’t as good as I was hoping it would be. No, it wasn’t miserable and it didn’t hurt the show, but it seemed sloppy, it just didn’t click. Now on to all the things that made me smile and yes, made me laugh.
I thought it was very appropriate to have Vince McMahon come out and address what William Regal did last week. And even though I knew Vince would support Regal’s decision to end the show, it was still the right thing to bring out Vince to show Regal that the King can do just about anything he wants to, because Vince is right there with him. Also I was very happy again when Mr. Kennedy…Kennedy came out to confront Regal about giving him a match to see who really is the KOTR. Mr. Kennedy is coming back; right now I like his character very much. I also thought it was again perfect for Hunter to also come out and give it to Regal for disrespecting him by ending his match last week. All three in this segment delivered very well. Now I can’t tell you how nice it was to see Trish Stratus even if it was only for a few seconds and even though she didn’t say a word. This was a very pleasant surprise. I see that Trevor Murdoch’s singing is far from over and I got a kick out of watching the reactions from the make up lady and Trish’s. And Ron Simmons also returned last night some. I liked this short segment, maybe because my girl Trish was in it.
I don’t know if you will agree with me but I am finding that Randy Orton is really coming off as a solid performer in and out of the ring since he lost the title. There’s just something about the way he’s handing his mic work and I also happened to have loved his match with CM Punk. It’s just too bad the match ended because Regal decided that he wasn’t being respected. I was also glad when Orton after the match was gunning for Regal for turning the lights off. Yeah I’m very into the way Orton is coming off, I really feel that’s this guy is doing all he can to make his character well worth watching. Okay I mentioned that we have Mike Adamle here on our local channel doing the sports and he has for years and years. And for years and years he’s never been much at all, in fact I never understood the demand for him. But I have to tell you last night I was laughing the entire time he and Lawler were calling the Paul Burchill/Katie Lea match against John Cutler. First I couldn’t stop laughing watching poor JR just sitting there while Adamle took this spot. Adamle was showing just how little he knows about wrestling and it came off so damn funny. Lawler reacted perfectly and the creative team handled Adamle just the way most fans see him, as a complete buffoon. Hey Mike Adamle definitely played this out well and forget the match I was to busy listening and laughing at Adamle, Lawler and JR.
Okay logic would have it that if Shawn Michaels is genuinely injured why is he still showing up. Wouldn’t you think he would be home nursing his injured knee back to health? And why would William Regal allow someone so injured to wrestle in a match with Jericho? But logic and wrestling don’t always go; so let me say that again I love the whole Jericho doubting the “injured” HBK storyline. And I liked their tag team match against the Miz and John Morrison. Jericho and Shawn Michaels and one of the best segments of the night. And WWE announced last night that Michaels vs. Jericho will take place at Judgment Day. See if HBK was hurt why would he be at the pay per view at all, but what the hell, it’s all good with me. Now another very good part of last night’s show was Carlito’s Cabana with Rowdy Roddy Piper as his guest. Listen Piper was totally ON last night. He had one good line after another, but the best was his line about Santino being picked up for a DUI. Piper was a riot and I thought it was cool bringing Cody Rhodes out. I think this guy in the ring has so much potential and maybe the more mic work he gets the more he’ll show the fans he’s got that down too. Cryme Tyme along with Santino also took part in this one, and the Cabana was a big hit with me.
I have to hand it to JBL, he gave one hell of a promo last night in his limo and as he walked to the ring to face D.H. Smith. The guy was flawless last night on the mic. I guess I forget just how good JBL is when it comes to promos. The match of course was a squash but the mic work was what made JBL shine. And now we also know that John Cena vs. JBL will take place at Judgment Day. And finally yes, I didn’t care for the main event, but what I did like was when the lights went out for the third time on the show and when the lights went back on there was Randy Orton standing behind Hunter. Orton hit Triple H with the RKO. So see after this, I realized that Regal and Orton were aligned and that’s why Regal went to black during Orton’s match with Punk. And for that reason I can live with the blackouts, but I still hope we are done with them.
So I liked the show very much. With all the things that didn’t work last night, so much more did. Now I’ll be off next weekend, since it’s Mother’s Day I expect my husband and son to make it a full weekend celebration. Ah if only. If I can I will do a Smackdown column on Saturday, if not I’ll be back next week with thoughts about the last Raw before Judgment Day.
Email lindarobin3@yahoo.com
 |
 |
 |
||
 |
 |
 |