tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5110063375998463712024-03-13T05:18:03.273-07:00Ringside Shadows: Archived Wrestling Opinions and Columnsdrqshadowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14114632623890865250noreply@blogger.comBlogger335125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-511006337599846371.post-56826410309034637192005-05-23T11:02:00.000-07:002007-10-02T09:58:15.069-07:00WWE RAW Review: 05/23/05I was hoping WWE would perform some sort of minor miracle this week, delivering an outstanding episode for my final RAW Review contribution, but some dreams are meant to be left unfulfilled. RAW's been on a skid all month long, it would seem, with the Gold Rush tournament actually losing momentum after the surprise elimination of Triple H in the first round and the staggeringly stupid Viscera face turn / push. With a World Title match already booked and a rematch of last week's disappointing Benjamin / Jericho vs. Hassan / Daivari tag match in the cards, as well, this week's episode looked to be an improvement. At least on paper, that is.<br /> <br />The airing opened up with an otherworldly heel promo from the newly-united tandem of Edge and Lita, where the two lovebirds took the time to tell us how envious we were of them as individuals, not to mention the copious amounts of sex they've been having together. The addition of Lita has really helped to round Edge out, at least momentarily, and to fill in some of the gaps in his character, but on her own the former queen of extreme is just dreadful as a heel on the stick. I have trouble buying anything she says, because she's never varying the tone of her voice or her own emotions... whether she's announcing to the world that she's pregnant and about to marry the love of her life or spitting out insult after insult at her scorned lover just after siding with another man, her words are always delivered with a dry, cocky monotone. Half of her lines and reactions to the crowd's chants felt like they were carefully scripted days in advance, rather than something she came up with on the spur of the moment, but that could've had more to do with their delivery than anything else. Her heel character is basically the same as her face character, she just wears darker clothes and makes out with a bad guy now. And, while that's something I've been preaching about for years now, (the constant altering of a character from top to bottom upon a change of allegiance) Lita just wasn't that interesting to begin with.<br /><br />This whole thing just felt like one big, long insider barb at Matt Hardy, though, as Lita was careful to rarely mention Kane by name as her previous beau, and to leave the jabs and insults open for the audience to fill in on their own. That anonymity made me squirm a bit on one or two occasions, though, so I suppose it's mission accomplished on that front. I guess WWE's botched dozens of ready-made feuds that were dropped in their laps in the past, why not try to make a run of it this time? <br /><br />I got a laugh out of Bischoff making such bizarre requests of his backstage intern between matches. "Hey, I've got a great idea... what I need is for you to miraculously produce a wreath made of barbed wire with the ECW logo printed on it. My segment's in little under an hour, so you're going to have to work fast." And the dude responds like it's no big hassle. Where, exactly, does one go to procure a barbed wire wreath at 9:15 on a Monday night? I think Home Depot is usually sold out by then.<br /> <br />Hassan and Daivari were next in line, challenging Shelton Benjamin in what became a handicap match due to Chris Jericho's late arrival. This was actually an improvement from last week's straight-up tag match, but that's not to say it was really all that good. Chris Jericho carried the load for the team last week, and in a side-by-side comparison I'd say Benjamin put in twice the effort with his showing this week. Daivari looked both confused and awkward in the ring, botching more than one spot, but Shelton was quick to cover for him and then march right into the next sequence as though nothing had happened. Seriously, Khosrow has some decent offensive maneuvers and good speed, but if he's messing up a simple irish whip or arm drag, I've got to question his game. Hassan's beginning to develop into a solid load-carrier for the team, though, especially so opposite somebody like Jericho or Benjamin, so maybe all his little buddy needs is some extra development time between the ropes. This wasn't great, but it accomplished everything it needed to without killing anyone's momentum. I like Hassan and Daivari in the tag division. <br /><br />Damn, Jericho was <em>stylin'</em> upon his arrival in Green Bay. This "rockstar sellout" thing they seem to be doing with him is a decidedly different flavor than his usual heel act, so I'm interested in seeing where he goes with it. He's needed a big character shift for years now.<br /> <br />I was surprised to see the Richards / Masters feud blown off so quickly and so decisively. "The Masterpiece" has obviously been working on his moveset during the months this Masterlock Challenge thing has eaten up, as he displayed much more of a personality during his match against Richards than he had upon his debut not all that long ago. He's focusing more on a heavy-hitting big man style than before, with those nice back-to-back-to-back backbreakers (damn, that sounds like the name of an MC from the early 90s or something) and he actually had the crowd interested for the first minute, minute and a half of his match, but had lost them again by the time it wrapped up. This quickie could turn out to be a godsend for him, as Richards seemed to have built some momentum coming in and Masters simply crushed him here, surprising the live crowd. <br /> <br />Grenier vs. Jericho followed that, and was just terrible in every sense of the word. Grenier was all over the place, falling against his own momentum more than once and testing out new moves in bizarre places, (was there really a call for a human fucking torture rack in the middle of this match?!?) and Jericho wasn't at his finest, either. If they're serious about moving forward with this split of La Resistance, Grenier needs to either head back to OVW for another year or receive his walking papers. This guy's been on RAW for more than two years and still looks like he's trying to figure out the very basics of working a match by himself. The ability to sing in French shouldn't be your sole claim to fame on a wrestling program, and this kid hasn't progressed in the slightest since his debut.<br /> <br />Eric Bischoff was in the ring when we returned from the commercial (With his beautiful ECW wreath in place! The intern came through!) and wasted little time, diving headfirst into a diatribe about his hatred for the defunct promotion and his determination to obliterate their chances once again. And, as if the screenshot hyping this segment weren't strange enough, (Eric Bischoff standing next to a casket with the letters "ECW" printed on it, as the Undertaker's old theme music played... just think about seeing something like that on television five years ago) out stamped Vince McMahon and Paul Heyman to completely send my "holy shit" meter off the charts. The three heads of the biggest wrestling promotions of the '90s, all standing in the same ring together, chatting about the good ol' days on live TV. I never, ever thought I'd see that.<br /><br />As with any Heyman promo where he's given something to dig his teeth into and really cut loose with, this was just phenomenal stuff. McMahon and Bischoff didn't even need to say anything once Paulie had a mic in his hands; their visible bewilderment was more than enough. I was just waiting for Bischoff's complete disdain for everything ECW to pay off with a wild, open-palmed slap in the face courtesy of Paul Heyman, especially when he wouldn't even look the guy in the face halfway through the segment, but I guess they're saving that for the PPV. The "mad scientist," as JR put it, can still captivate me like no other. <br /> <br />Unfortunately, the Benoit / Tajiri "ECW Plug Match" that followed didn't get much of a chance to use the momentum that the previous segment had established. I loved most of the big spots here, especially the insane amount of mist that coated the Wolverine's body and that sick transition from a standard crossface into one utilizing the singapore cane, but there wasn't enough time to space them out adequately to maximize their impact. This would've been an outstanding match, given another ten minutes, but as it was it felt extremely rushed and spotty.<br /> <br />The sick one-two punch of that Kane interview, followed by the Viscera / Maria / Lilian / Coach affair, was just brutal. No two ways about it, I've gotta paraphrase Matt Spence here; watching that stretch of RAW was "like being kicked repeatedly in the groin by a mule." Kane looks to be doubling up on the shitty feuds this year, if this promo was any indication. Hey, WWE writers! Come over here for a second and let me explain something for you. I'm not tuning in to watch a psychologically scarred, half-chrome-domed, deranged individual in red spandex go through every emotion in the dictionary, seated backstage in a forbodingly-lit locker room all his own. I'm here to watch some wrestling and, if necessary, some backstage skits to heighten my enjoyment of the eventual matches. Imagine if PRIDE tried to stick Cro Cop or Emelianenko into a setting like that. Somehow, I don't think the buyrates would go up. <br /><br />The Viscera song and dance once again managed to drag some serious laughter out of me, in a bizarre "why am I still laughing at this" kind of way. I think I probably could have made it through the segment without a smile until JR came out of left field, shouting "King, he's dancing and eating at the SAME TIME" in a deadpan. Still, my amusement with just how unbelievably bad these things are has been anchored by the knowledge that they'll continue long past the point where they've stopped being funny. <br /> <br />The World Title match was nothing special, with Batista running out of things to do a couple of minutes in and Edge slowing the pace while in control a bit more than I'd have liked. It wasn't particularly bad, really, and it's nice to see new faces in the main event, but these guys didn't bring their A-Games and the match suffered. Near the end, just before the ref bump, outside interference and foreign objects, (the holy trinity of poor booking, if you will...) both guys seemed to catch a second wind and turn it up a bit, but by then it was a case of too little, too late. Flair holding his own against the two guys who had his number last week, not to mention the number one contender for the World Title, was a little odd, as was the way Edge was pinned cleanly in the center of the ring when the match finally concluded. Post-match, the ring emptied, Batista and Flair had a little pow wow, and Hunter returned from the unemployment line to swing a sledgehammer around like a man possessed. Oh yeah, and Flair turned heel again, demobilizing the Champ with a low blow while Trips had him distracted. After all the times you've seen him do it, how do you stand there in the ring with Ric Flair, completely oblivious to the fact that he's right at crotch level and only a wild muscle spasm away from literally busting your balls? C'mon, Dave, you were in Evolution for nearly two years... you've seen the guy work. You know better than that.<br /> <br />Wow, this feud sure feels fresher now that they took those three weeks off from one another. I thought the point was for Hunter to let RAW fail in his absence, then come crawling back to him so he could return triumphantly and carry it on his back once again, but apparently I got the wrong message. After seeing identical situations with Orton and Goldberg in the last year and a half alone, I'm having trouble getting excited for this same old "Hunter mad, Hunter smash with sledgehammer" business this time. <br /> <br />This week's RAW continued the trend of slow, steady improvement from last week, and while there are lots of areas in need of improvement, the general feel of the program is getting better once again. If they could just cut out those ridiculous segments with Viscera and Kane, release Sylvain Grenier's worthless ass and give Paul Heyman a forum to voice his concerns on a semi-weekly basis, this show could be outta sight. As is, it's just a step below average. <br /> <br />I guess it's only fitting that my last RAW writeup should end with an untouchable Hunter standing tall as the program fades to black. Thanks for the memories, guys, and take good care of yourselves.<br /><br /><center>On a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is poor and 10 is amazing...<br /><b><u>Overall Score:</u> 4.6</b></center>drqshadowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14114632623890865250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-511006337599846371.post-86885795123079195732005-05-16T11:10:00.000-07:002007-09-03T12:07:45.390-07:00WWE RAW Review: 05/16/05After last week's heavy emphasis on vignettes, promos, backstage interactions and in-ring time-killers left little time for actual wrestling, (Viscera spent more time chewing on nachos and hitting on Lilian than was granted to half the night's matches) I can't say I was optimistic about RAW's direction heading into this week. None of the storylines were clicking for me, I wasn't all that thrilled about the names and faces being pushed, and I was losing hope for the once-glimmering Monday night product in the ring. Let's see what this week's episode had in mind as a suitable follow-up...<br /><br />Incredibly, we kicked things off proper with a match, pitting Chris Jericho and Shelton Benjamin against their common enemies; Hassan and Daivari. Even more incredibly, the match actually got some time. Daivari and Jericho seemed to be carrying the brunt of the load for their teams this week, but weren't impressing me together. Khosrow is still hesitant between the ropes, which led to a few minor missteps, and Jericho seems to be wallowing in the pits of disinterest this month, because his usual effort just hasn't been there. The finish was convincing, if nothing else, but I don't think I can overstate how sick I am of seeing the heels win through cowardly, underhanded means every week while JR (or Michael Cole, depending on the program) screams "NO! My god, no! Not this way! Not this way!" Is a match on RAW really something worth getting that worked up over? Maybe if wins and losses were directly tied to a wrestler's progress up the ladder in the hunt for a title shot...<br /><br />Not a bad showing, really, but nothing head-turning. It made for a decent opener at best, with Jericho showing signs of some much-needed character development after the fact. Strange how he was all up in arms about giving everything up for just one more chance at the title before his first round match in the Gold Rush tournament, and now he's telling Shelton Benjamin backstage about how he's got other pots on the stove and the title doesn't mean what it used to in his eyes. I'd be excited about a potential Y2J heel turn in the works if they could keep their story straight.<br /><br />The whole series of events that led the camera from Benoit to Tajiri to Regal to Coach to Bischoff to Flair to Batista were extremely well-done last night, and while it did play out a little more theatrically than you'd expect, it wasn't exactly ninja cameramen and "private secrets" between two wrestlers and the million fans watching around the world. Everybody was soundly in-character and believable, from Benoit getting excited at the prospect of a unique match later in the night to Coach sprinting full-speed to Eric Bischoff's office so he could squeal on the superstars to Flair's fury over Bischoff's decision to Batista's attempts to make nice with the Nature Boy. It's really coincidental that everybody ran into each other at precisely the right moment, but I can learn to ignore that. And hey, they found the pre-WrestleMania Batista character whose loss I'd been lamenting over the last few weeks! Instead of cracking cheesy jokes, sucking up to the audience and wearing weird white uniforms, he was chilling out backstage, mocking his own inability to cut loose with a proper "WHOOO" and standing up for what he believes in out in the arena (which, interestingly enough, also coincides with the kicking of some serious ass.) Fun segment that furthered about half a dozen storylines in a single pass.<br /><br />Moments later, Flair and Christian finally met in the squared circle, the end result of an outstanding mini-feud over the last month, and hit a few rough patches but came out OK in the end. Christian initially looked out of place out there with the living legend, but made up for it by selling his backhands as though they were razor blades and attempting to steal a page from the Nature Boy's book with a dirty finish. This felt more like a filler match thrown onto the card on a whim than the blowoff to a series of shared anxieties backstage, which is a shame, but at least it was kept competitive. Once you saw the two of them in the ring together, the difference in stature and confidence was daunting.<br /><br />After the match, the heels attempted a beatdown on ol' Naitch, only to be taken to school by the World Heavyweight Champion, Batista. I really enjoyed this, and if you had a set of ears pointed at the television at the time, you'd agree that the live crowd did as well. This is precisely how they should be using the big man; short on words, but heavy on impact. He obliterated Tomko and Christian with power moves, involved the crowd with a few short, Goldbergian bursts of energy and excitement, and left the viewers at home with a few things to contemplate as far as his relationship with Ric Flair. I wish more face turns were handled this logically; Batista never quit respecting and admiring Flair for his contributions, both to the sport and to his own career, regardless of the fact that they had almost instantaneously become enemies when "the Animal" chose to challenge Triple H at WrestleMania. Now it's doing a great job of furthering the blur between heel and face in Flair's status, with Hunter momentarily out of the picture. Yeah, I got all of that without the champ even uttering a word on the subject. It's called subtlety, and it's refreshing to see in action for once. Gimme more, bookermen!<br /><br />I like that they're carrying over Stevie Richards' involvement with "the Masterpiece," when I'm almost positive he wasn't meant to be more than just the first victim in the rookie's path prior to their initial meeting. It's become a ready-made rivalry, and it's nice to see that taken advantage of for a change, but at the end of the day this is still Chris Masters we're talking about. All of the sound storytelling in the world couldn't make this kid worthwhile in the ring right now.<br /><br />The Benoit / Tajiri match was a decent way to build interest in the ECW PPV just around the corner, although I'm worried by the garbage cans and parking signs they stuck at ringside. Sure, there was an awful lot of garbage brawling in ECW's day, but that was usually anchored by some outstanding wrestling and some really quality storytelling in the end. Benoit, in particular, wasn't the kind of guy you'd see swinging cookie sheets, lighting things on fire and throwing opponents into barbed wire... he'd look to end the match quickly and decisively, but he'd go about doing so with a firm grasp of what makes a great match connect with the fans. What they showed us last night, in the three minutes or so that we got, was a series of unrelated spots, along with the tease of a huge, death-defying payoff that I seriously doubt they'll even come close to matching at the show itself. They're right in building this as something that the bigwigs don't want you to see, but they're giving the wrong impression by implying that ECW was all tables, highspots and "HOLY SHIT" moments.<br /><br />And then, for no particular reason, there was a lingerie pillow fight. Nice, guys. Nice. It cracked me up to see JR and King calling this as though it were a legitimate competition, though. How long do you think we've got until they surprise us all with a "Lingerie Pillow Fight" World Title?<br /><br />After that unforgettable technical classic, Viscera stamped a mean path down to the ring, intent on continuing his wooing of ring announcer Lilian Garcia. This was straight-up hallucinogenic. It got to the point where I was just howling in simultaneous pain and laughter from the pure bizarreness of it all. Seriously. A six hundred pound black man in an inhumanly large brown suit, with albino contacts, bleached blond hair, terrible dental hygiene and an unyielding appetite, reclining on a bed, surrounded by feathers, in the center of a wrestling ring, being cheered on by thousands of paying spectators as he croons to selections from Barry White's greatest hits and cracks the thinnest of sexual innuendoes to a woman one quarter his size. Holy crap, that was one of the most excruciating, mind wrenching, unbearably funny things I think I've ever seen. If this weren't a serious storyline on RAW, I'd send it directly to the comedy goldmine. But, sadly, it will continue.<br /><br />The tag team titles were up for grabs, as Rosey and the Hurricane defended their gold against the combined powers of Simon Dean and Maven in a disappointing little clash that, I guess, was meant to let the crowd down a bit after the wild success of Viscera's love ballad, in time for the main event. If you were told to close your eyes and envision the kind of match that Simon Dean and Maven would put on with the Hurricane and Rosey with about five minutes to kill before the main event, this is almost exactly the kind of match you'd imagine. Very by-the-books stuff, with Stacey weakly shaking up the status quo by appearing at ringside. Why are these guys still wearing capes and cowls?<br /><br />Out of nowhere, Randy Orton popped his head in the ring to let us all know he was still alive and to prompt the inevitable McMahon rebuttal by bringing up the draft lottery. Orton was strikingly smaller than at WrestleMania here which, as he was quick to tell us, was due to his shoulder surgery and subsequent time off from the gym. He didn't seem to have lost a step on the mic, which is relieving, and set about tearing into the crowd without remorse until Vince's music hit. The genetic jackhammer informed us that the draft would be taking place over the course of a full month of WWE programming, which sounds like a bad idea to me. Dragging out what was successful as a one-night attention grabber last year seems like it'll kill a lot of the appeal and result in some disappointed potential airing-by-airing viewers. I guess it's a little early to say, though, so I'll refrain from making any sort of final judgment until I see how they actually wind up handling it. It was nice to see both Orton and McMahon, who have been making themselves rare on TV since the big event, and they delivered a nice bit of verbal sparring together.<br /><br />Finally, the last round of the Gold Rush tournament came and went, as Edge met Kane in a "which way will they decide to turn Lita on her 'husband'" match. That's right, a stipulation so special it needed two completely different sets of quotation marks. As I mentioned in last week's RRC, Kane hasn't been all that impressive over the last... well, the last year and a half... and this match didn't do anything to break him from that trend. Edge is a great talent when he's in there with somebody who knows how to show off his strengths and cover for his weaknesses, but he's not the first guy I'd choose if my task was involving Kane in an important, main event match with big-time ramifications. This was slow and plodding, with two spots that could've really helped to improve the televised match taking place during a commercial and glazed over in a rapid-fire instant replay orgy. The Lita turn was painfully obvious last week, and had begun to gather flies and vermin by the time the match actually took place at the end of this week's show. Of the two available choices, the right man went home with the win and the girl, I guess, so thank god for small miracles, but on the whole this was a disappointment.<br /><br />A bizarre about-face for RAW this week, with matches that failed to deliver and were largely uninspiring, and backstage segments that were above and beyond my expectations. Well, aside from that whole Viscera / Lilian Garcia thing. Which was just.... yeah. A below-average broadcast once again, although there was some improvement from last week.<br /><br /><center>On a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is poor and 10 is amazing...<br /><b><u>Overall Score:</u> 3.9</b></center>drqshadowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14114632623890865250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-511006337599846371.post-66191718096171796092005-05-09T11:15:00.000-07:002007-09-03T11:16:21.992-07:00WWE RAW Review: 05/09/05This week's RAW opened up with a Triple H promo (good god, how many times do you think I've said that in the on-and-off six years I've been reviewing the show?) and surprised me by cutting right to the chase, bitching about his loss last week and claiming the whole idea of a tournament was bogus. I really liked the way Hunter included the front row ticketholders in this segment, teasing that he'd go off the deep end and start throwing punches, and allowing the camera to showcase just how much joy the fans had taken in his submission loss at the hands of Chris Benoit and Batista last week. This is something I've noticed him toying with in his promos over the last month or so, taking personal exception to the chants of the crowd, and I'd love to see more of it. Not only does it motivate people to head out to the arenas and see the shows, (and, conceivably, spring for ringside seats) but their excitement about being on-camera and their emotional responses make Hunter look like that much more of a hated individual and encourage chants from the rest of the stadium. A short, succinct, powerful and ultimately successful promo from the Game, eventually interrupted by World Champ Batista in a blindingly white suit.<br /><br />"The Animal" really is a completely different creature than he was a month ago. While still a member of Evolution he was subtle, well-spoken, nicely dressed and explosively powerful. Now he's like a rock star. He's blatantly cracking jokes, pandering to the audience, standing up for himself without hesitation and wearing... stuff like that white suit. I'm not saying that I dislike his current character, because it's nice to see a confident, dominating face at the top of the heap for a change, but it's a pretty wild shift in direction all the same. Hunter's decision to walk off of RAW at the end of this segment made sense, given the amount of taunting he's taken in the last month alone and his legendary on-screen ego. It fits nicely into the conclusion of the Gold Rush tournament, too, as it's tough to buy a fresh face in the World Title scene with Hunter busy elsewhere on the card. His face has been that completely ingrained into the RAW title scene since the brand split.<br /><br />Jericho and Daivari didn't fare too poorly together, and I'd bet they could've pushed out something worthwhile if given a little bit more time. Problem is, Y2J's been on such a bad streak of losses lately, he needed the convincing win here just to regain some of this last year's worth of lost momentum. Putting on a competitive match with somebody as far down the ladder as Daivari at this point would do more damage to Jericho than good to Khosrow. Daivari has the tools to become a solid worker in the ring, but still seems hesitant and uneasy in big situations. Then again, I can't say I wouldn't be equally nervous if my first matches in a WWE ring came against Hulk Hogan, Shawn Michaels and Chris Jericho, respectively. Nice to see Jericho worked in the legendary finish from his match with Juventud Guerrera way back in his WCW heyday, sitting down on an attempted top rope hurricanrana and cinching in the Liontamer, although it didn't look nearly as fluid and impressive this time around.<br /><br />I like the idea of a La Resistance split, since Conway could use a singles push and a break from Grenier, while Sylvain himself could do with some dark matches against the Benoits, HBKs and Flairs of RAW while he tries to gain his bearings in the ring. If it worked for Randy Orton and Batista, it could work just as easily for him. It's a tough call at this point, though, since the bookers seem to have suddenly remembered the tag division and no other team on the active roster has their kind of credentials. Personally, I'd have rather seen Conway sent to the high profile singles slot on Smackdown during last year's draft, and Dupree left to tag with Dupree, his original partner. Conway was primed to explode at this point last year, and I can only imagine where he'd be right now if he'd been sent to feud with John Cena on Thursday nights instead of Rene.<br /><br />I don't think I can find a better example of why Grenier needs some tutelage between the ropes than that match with Viscera. Grenier knows how to take a bump or two, but when it comes to keeping the audience interested and staying competitive without reverting to restholds, he's lost. To his credit, I don't think I've ever seen anyone put on a good match with Viscera, Benoit included, but I'd also never seen Viscera buttfuck anybody in the middle of a match, either, so I guess nothing's impossible. This match was nearly as long as Jericho's crushing of Daivari earlier in the card, and a little more than half as long as Conway's match with Shelton Benjamin later on the card, if that tells you anything about how serious they are about La Rez as singles. Post-match, Vis showed a little personality and (gasp) charisma(!), stealing a plant's nachos and hitting on Lilian Garcia. It's mildly entertaining, sure, but my conscience just keeps screaming about how I'm just gonna have to watch him wrestle again in the end.<br /><br />What, exactly, is his gimmick supposed to be right now, anyway? Where does the vinyl trashbag suit, bleached mohawk, albino contacts and black lipstick meet up with the gyrations, midring "activities" and pickup lines?<br /><br />Benoit vs. Kane was disappointing, and not just because of the finish. Kane's been unmotivated in the ring for months now, with no sign of letting up, and his performance here reeked of it. There was no pace or reasoning to this match, nobody felt comfortable taking control for any extended amount of time until the Crippler hit the rolling germans near the end of the match. It was just a lengthy string of punches, transitional moves, reversals, punches and big moves, like watching two boxers take turns throwing jabs, one after the other, for four minutes. Benoit was mildly selling the after effects of the storyline concussion he portrayed beautifully last week, but it was overly subtle and didn't factor into the finish of the match, and the final series didn't make any sense to me. Even if Benoit did feel responsible for knocking Lita off of her feet on the floor there, (which he shouldn't have, since he never made contact with her and Kane's lack of coordination is what made her hit the ground) what good it would have done to yank her arm until she was vertical again? When he broke Sabu's neck, did he roll out to the floor and start tugging at his opponent's wrist in a senseless effort to pull him back to his feet? A big let-down, both in terms of booking and performance, and nowhere near their Title match on PPV about a year ago.<br /><br />Flair vs. Tomko was shorter than the Viscera match a few segments before, and utterly useless. Maybe if Christian had done something of consequence before being banned from ringside, I'd have seen this as a good momentum-builder for the fun little Flair / Christian feud they've had simmering for a couple of weeks. This was like joining a twenty minute match in progress, as Flair locked in the figure four at something like fifteen seconds and Tomko seemed ready to tap at just under half a minute. It's sad that they had to protect both guys by keeping the overall length so short here.<br /><br />The whole segment with Stacey Keibler, "Droolin' Todd" Grisham, Simon Dean, Maven and the tag champs was straight out of the heyday of the Circus Era WWF. I almost expected Doink the Clown (post Matt Boone) to come out to the ring and spray people down with his lapel flower. This was seriously some of the worst cheap heat generation I've seen in years, with clean-cut, cookie cutter faces and heels going through the motions without remorse. Good thing all of the match times were cut in half so we could have time to squeeze this in, right alongside the John Cena music video!<br /><br />Unlike Benoit and Kane, Conway and Benjamin were really starting to get into a groove out there last night, right up until the finish landed like a boulder from an airplane, killing the match at under three minutes. Honestly, what the fuck is the deal tonight? Was there some sort of ruling that came down without my knowledge, limiting accumulative match time for a two hour wrestling program to under half an hour? I'd love to see a rematch between these two, and I've got a feeling I will, sooner or later, but I can't compliment anybody on a match this short.<br /><br />Finally, Shawn Michaels and Edge hit the ring for the second semifinal "Gold Rush" match, and I was almost sure HBK had blown out his knee on the entryway when trying to rise from his knees. In retrospect, it's evident that his wardrobe was caught in the ramp, which is why he threw his vest off so quickly, but I was sure he was favoring his left leg right up until the moment he hit the kip up without incident. Continuing the trend established by the preceding matches, this was rushed and unstructured, trying to tell a thirty minute story with a ten minute match, but the finish was outstanding and effective, so in a few weeks that's all you'll remember anyway. They were both trying, but it just wasn't happenin' here.<br /><br />I don't know how I didn't realize it last week, but when this week's show started and they displayed the brackets, followed by that bizarre Kane / Lita segment backstage, I knew they were going with Kane vs. Edge in the finals and that Lita would be jumping sides. Kind of an underwhelming conclusion to a story they've been developing for nearly a year and a half now, but what can I say? It isn't often they get a hot gimmick dropped into their laps like this, so they may as well run with it if they want Edge to get the kind of heat he'll need to be a main eventer.<br /><br />An almost universally poor episode of RAW. Matches were brutally short, almost to the point that I'd rather not have had them at all, they're burying Grenier and Conway before the body of La Resistance is even cold, the tournament matches didn't deliver, and there was an excess of filler throughout the broadcast. I can't endorse this.<br /><br /><center>On a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is poor and 10 is amazing...<br /><b><u>Overall Score:</u> 3</b></center>drqshadowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14114632623890865250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-511006337599846371.post-47723680098852056632005-05-02T11:17:00.000-07:002007-09-03T11:18:35.917-07:00WWE RAW Review: 05/02/05I like the idea of a tournament to crown a new number one contender, especially considering it's a device that just about every other professional sport in the world today uses to decide their yearly championships. It's a nice system, in that there's always the chance for a surprise upset or two, and not everything is a foregone conclusion. There's a reason to watch each tier of competition, really. Can you imagine watching the NFL for four months when none of the games counted as much more than weekly exhibitions, as the champion and number one contender were arbitrarily decided beforehand? Of course, there's no Intercontinental Title or Tag Team Title in the National Football League (although there are divisional titles) but the ultimate goal is the same.<br /><br />I'm still not sure how much I like Batista's new, more audience-friendly personality. His sudden tendency to crack jokes and break into a goofy smile in various backstage segments causes him to come off as an uncomfortable and uneasy champion, which isn't quite the image I'd imagine they want for him right now. He doesn't seem like the same killer that ran wild through the main event in the early months of 2005, but neither did Chris Benoit at this point last year. The little bit of intimidation he threw at Bischoff last night was particularly strange, since Bischoff had been handling such pressures and attempts at intimidation impressively since losing his hair to Eugene at Taboo Tuesday. He was standing up to Triple H's blunt threats later in the show, and had even been doing so when the Game was World Champion himself, but all of a sudden he's backing down from Batista? Strange...<br /><br />It's tough to figure out where they're going with Christian right now. One minute, they're giving him the big opportunities to establish himself on the stick (where he's succeeding beyond all expectations) and it seems like a sure thing he'll be going to Smackdown to emerge as a fresh challenger to John Cena's WWE Title, but the next he's being crushed like an afterthought by Kane or Batista and tossed aside. This wasn't the match Christian needed to be fighting, and honestly I'm surprised they didn't put him in there with Triple H, to take advantage of the mild rub he got from Evolution last week, while the opportunity is still there. Both guys have had much better matches in the past, and I'm all set to climb aboard the "repackage Kane's boring ass" bandwagon.<br /><br />Interesting new direction with the Hassan / Daivari storyline, as I'd always imagined it was Daivari pulling the strings behind the scenes, taking advantage of Muhammad's blind commitment to their cause, and not the other way around. I don't think they'll be moving forward with the full breakup for a while still, because the tandem still has a lot of potential together, but this provided some much-needed fresh direction to their partnership. If they play their cards right, (and avoid that infamous "flying carpet" finisher) Daivari could come out of this as a huge star, undoing all the stereotypical reinforcement the gimmick's done to American Arabs thus far.<br /><br />I can feel my brain cells imploding right now, as I struggle with the question of how, exactly, Viscera is now supposed to be a face. Seriously, my eyes are starting to roll back into my head. He agreed to attack Kane, a face, (whose own turn is another issue entirely) because he wanted to "git wit" Trish, and when he failed to hold up his end of the bargain and Trish, in turn, refused to sleep with him, he beat the shit out of her and moved on to harass other ladies. I can't really blame the audience for reacting the way they have, because this is a largely chauvinistic demographic we're talking about, but I'm sure the writers had a pretty good idea of what they were doing here. This ain't Stone Cold Steve Austin's anti-hero badass we're talking about glorifying, it's a five hundred pound, talentless wanna-be rapist who doesn't respond well to hearing the word "no." With that said, Simon Dean's crazy bump near the end of the match did a pretty decent job of getting him over with the live crowd on its own.<br /><br />You've gotta know I loved that Shelton Benjamin / Shawn Michaels match, and not just because of the actual work contained therein. This was a great surprise that I hadn't even considered when Benjamin got into the ring, and should go down in history as one of the few times Shawn Michaels has gone out of his way to really put a younger talent over in almost every possible meaning of the word. Although he did eventually wind up winning the match itself, it wasn't before he'd done everything in his power to establish Benjamin as a true World Title contender and a genuine force to be reckoned with in the very near future. He wasn't wrestling Shelton Benjamin, the guy who beat Triple H a few years ago and isn't nearly on his level just yet, he was wrestling a peer, and equal. I'm at a loss for words in describing just how solid this match really was, from the slow-paced opening moments that flawlessly set the stage for the wild five minutes of near-falls at the climax, to the insanely cool "everything you can do I can do better" double kip-up at the halfway point, to the incredible bits of body language that easily conveyed the feelings of frustration both guys were feeling after hitting almost everything in their arsenal and still failing to gain a three count. Shelton was as on here as he's ever been, timing everything precisely and pulling out a few of the insanely athletic new spots he's becoming known for, and Shawn was in rare form himself. There were some interesting parallels between these two that I was surprised JR and the King didn't mention on commentary (like Benjamin's previous association with HBK's recent nemesis, Kurt Angle, and both men's history with Chris Jericho) but I'd forgotten all about that a few minutes into the contest. And after that intense series of near-falls near the end, I thought there was no way they were going to be able to convincingly wrap it up... and holy shit, how wrong I was. That final spot was probably the most convincing finish I've ever seen, and it looked like the live crowd was in almost complete agreement. Seconds after Shawn had landed the pinfall, the cameras panned the audience and almost everyone was sharing the same open-mouthed, hands-on-the-head expression of pure shock and awe. It's great to see that a few guys still understand that, by getting your opponent over throughout the match as a major league competitor, you're also getting yourself over when you eventually score the decisive pinfall. These guys will meet again, and it'll be another classic.<br /><br />After that instant-classic of a first round tournament match, I don't think I'd be alone in pitying the Hurricane, Rosey and La Resistance for having to follow it up. You could zap Ric Flair and Ricky Steamboat through time from the late '80s and I don't think they'd have an easy time of capturing that audience's attention after that kind of a match, and the sorry state of the current tag team scene wasn't helping matters. I don't know about the Superheroes as champs quite yet, and this match didn't do much to convince me of the merit of that idea.<br /><br />Chris Jericho and Edge met up in the third first-round tournament matchup of the night, and while they've had much better matches together in the past, I hardly think they deserved the loud "boring" chant that sprung up near the finish. I guess you can't spoil a crowd with a brilliant semi-main event at the one hour mark without suffering some of the consequences a little bit later on. Jericho looked confused at times out there, nearly getting himself counted out on one occasion and having trouble mounting much of an intelligent attack, but he was kept strong in the end by refusing to go down quietly. The briefcase shot that led to the end felt a bit hackneyed and unnecessary, and the end result here (combined with the backstage "I'd give it all up for one more chance to be champion" promo that preceded it) garnered some sympathy heat that's gonna make it hard to turn Jericho full heel any time soon.<br /><br />Are they planning to, you know, innovate during these Masterlock™ Challenges at any point in the near future? And when I say I'm looking for innovation, I'm not really talking about changing up the prize he's offering to the live audience. Why would you call somebody up and push them so strongly if you're so completely embarrassed by their abilities in the ring that you've gotta protect them with incessant segments like these? The aim is to convince the fans to pay for his matches at some point, isn't it?<br /><br />The main event of Benoit vs. Hunter wasn't the best they've ever had in terms of ringwork, but it worked well within the context of the story itself. I wondered if they were going to mention Benoit's KO from the previous night, and would've honestly been a bit disappointed if the match had gone down as if Backlash had never happened, and the Crippler's handicap changed the dynamic of this fight completely. Hunter's disgusted facial expression when Benoit's music hit told volumes, and Benoit's desire to grab an immediate advantage right away worked brilliantly in tandem with his eventual injury. He knew his head wasn't at 100% coming in, so rather than working the kind of slow, physically grueling match he's defeated Hunter with in the past, he moved in for the kill almost immediately, fearful that he'd never be able to regain control if his injury flared up. And, when the inevitable happened and Hunter took advantage of the handicap, the open-eyed, glazed-over expression Benoit fixed the camera with was seriously freaking me out. It's like he was looking into my soul, thinking it over, and then german suplexing it. Which, aside from totally scaring the hell out of me, also did a pretty good job of quickly establishing the basic story of the match. Benoit was too gutsy for his own good here, insanely deciding to hit the diving headbutt after suffering through a pronounced head injury the entire match, and looked like he really had no idea where he was from time to time. That made Batista's eventual run-in, which effectively saved his ass, a lot easier to swallow.<br /><br />Honestly, the only way this tournament could've remained fresh was for a major upset to go down in the first round, and with Shawn Michaels, Edge and Kane already victorious, the duty fell to Hunter. And, even though it was Batista's interference who swung the momentum back into his favor, Benoit put the match away on his own (Trips wasn't quite close enough to grab the ropes when the champ pulled them away, so while it was a cool visual, that action didn't directly impact the outcome of the match) when Hunter realized he was in trouble now that the sides were evened. It was surprising at the time to see the clean submission, but in retrospect it was the right call and greatly improved my interest in the outcome of this "Gold Rush" tourney.<br /><br />After last week's lame showing, it was great to see a return to form for RAW this week, featuring an outstanding Michaels / Benjamin match, the most recent in a series of superb Benoit / Triple H matches and some really solid storytelling elsewhere. This wasn't perfect, but it was a lot closer than the episode that aired seven days prior.<br /><br /><center>On a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is poor and 10 is amazing...<br /><b><u>Overall Score:</u> 8.1</b></center>drqshadowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14114632623890865250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-511006337599846371.post-17488823698927785242005-04-25T11:19:00.000-07:002007-09-03T11:20:17.079-07:00WWE RAW Review: 04/25/05We're live from the UK this week, which seems a little odd, since it hasn't really been all that long since WWE made their last swing across western Europe. I guess ticket sales are still down in the US, so they're taking the opportunity to visit (and, in this case, revisit) certain parts of the world that didn't get all that much TLC when the product was hot. What is this, two European trips, an Australian trip and a Japanese trip all within about six months of each other? Regardless... live from England this week, as the dual Union Jacks can surely attest, in front of a nearly riotous crowd. That's a good initial sign.<br /><br />Batista opened things up for us on the microphone this week, and seemed to be a completely different person than I'd ever seen before. It's not that his speech was noticeably better than usual, (or worse, for that matter) but his mannerisms, expressions and straight-up attitude were like those of another person entirely. He seemed to have misplaced his dry, intelligent sense of humor and personality this week, coming off instead as this weird, aloof, slightly uncomfortable individual in search of a cheap pop. Very odd to see this guy, who only recently stood up to the biggest name in the fed without flinching, all of a sudden going out of his way to come across as likeable and cool.<br /><br />It wasn't long before good ol' JR was out there with him, followed shortly by Triple H, who was still fuming over his loss to the Oklahoman announcer on last week's program. The storyline they were trying to run here wasn't all that bad, although I have trouble believing anybody would get as theatrically angry about a fluke pinfall as Trips was last night, but Batista just wouldn't drop that bizarre new character direction. It's tough to take this segment seriously, to say nothing of the individuals participating, when the World Champ isn't taking it seriously himself. Batista got over as the big guy who carefully chooses his words, who actually says something when he speaks, and now he's moving away from all of that at full speed.<br /><br />Trish and Viscera then treated us to the first of many "live updates" from their dinner date at an undisclosed location, and good lord did they bring the ugly. These two have absolutely zero chemistry together, which caused the comedic moments to come off as painfully unfunny, and the dramatic moments to slowly steamroll their way to their point without bothering the audience with any of that "emotional involvement" nonsense. Any segment involving food and an outside location is like the kiss of death to your average WWE storyline. Remember two years ago, when Shane and Kane casually discussed their plans to dismember one another over a formal-attire meal at a fancy restaurant? How about Mark Henry's date with Chyna? What about Booker T and Steve Austin's little run-in at a Supermarket, or Book's meeting of the minds with Goldust at the local Seven-Eleven? I guess Trish and Viscera are keeping good company after all.<br /><br />To summarize each of last night's dinner segments in one fell swoop; ten accumulative minutes of my life I'll never get back again. Just horrible, which (I guess) means it's everything I expected of them.<br /><br />Chris Jericho and Sylvain Grenier kicked things off in the ring for us this week, in a match that I don't think either will be putting at the top of their "best of" lists any time soon. Grenier had a little more snap in his work this week, but the good things I've got to say about him just about end right there. Y2J wasn't much better off this week, as he appeared to be suffering from one of his infamous bouts with "mailitinesis" (wow... that actually looks like a real medical term. And here I was trying to be all inventive in my accusations that he mailed it in this week.) and visibly slowed things down on more than one occasion. Really short, almost surprisingly so as Grenier tapped to the Walls almost before Jericho had them applied, and I can't say I'm unhappy about that. Post-match, Shelton Benjamin saved his upcoming opponent from certain doom at the hands of the evil Canadians and the two exchanged harsh words / physicalities. The British crowd was enthusiastically pro-Jericho, to the point that they turned on Benjamin almost immediately for fighting back when the former Undisputed Champ went after him. These two have been extremely hit-and-miss throughout this short feud, and last night they hit. Jericho's beginning to show some frustrations in the ring and on the stick.<br /><br />Backstage, Christian makes his first appearance of the night and just knocks the ball out of the park, tearing Ric Flair and Triple H (conspicuously absent) a new verbal asshole and standing on his own two legs for probably the first time in his career. This was exactly the kind of promo Christian needed to cut to avoid looking like he was totally out of his league opposite Batista, and seemed to have caught everyone (Flair included) totally off-guard. The Nature Boy didn't even need to lift a finger to help this one along, it did wonderfully on its own. You knew those comments about Hunter were gonna come back to haunt him later in the night, (as, I'm sure, did he... which is why he was relying on Tomko, his "problem solver," as his backup) but that didn't make it any less entertaining at the time.<br /><br />I would've thought they'd drag out Tomko's assassination and Christian's subsequent about-face a little longer into the night, but that's me nitpicking again. Using Kane to obliterate the problem solver and to send Christian scurrying to the back, straight up to Evolution's door, was a great little device that suited the one-night-only main eventer's character perfectly. Hunter and Flair played their roles here, but there's no denying Christian and Batista were the focus.<br /><br />Moments later, Chris Masters was strolling down to the ring and slaughtering the momentum the previous backstage segments had built. Should I really put together an original paragraph about this guy's gimmick every time he comes down to the ring, selects a "muscular wrestler fan" from the crowd and shakes him around for a few seconds? I think not... there was nothing to distinguish this week's "masterlock challenge" from last week's, aside from the accent of the plant.<br /><br />Shawn Michaels and "the immortal" Hulk Hogan were in the building... or, rather, backstage after last week's RAW... to cut a promo hyping their upcoming battle with Muhammad Hassan and Daivari. I actually enjoyed their interactions with Coach and Mean Gene (and Gene honestly put Coachman in his place, filling the role of the backstage interviewer as only he can) but one thing really bugged me about both this week's segment and last week's, storyline-wise. What I don't understand is why Michaels has no qualms about trusting the Hulkster in this tag match. Take a look at his track record as it pertains to huge tag teams and their eventual dissolution. He teamed with Paul Orndorff, and "Mr. Wonderful" turned on him, leading to a series of legendary singles matches in the mid 80s. OK, that wasn't Hogan's fault, right? No harm, no foul. Then he teamed with and eventually befriended Andre the Giant. Something inside of Andre snapped, as he aligned himself with Bobby Heenan and made a move on Hogan's title. They fought for over a year. Again, not Hogan's fault, right? A couple of years later, Hogan's teaming with then-champion / "good friend" Randy Savage. The Hulkster abandons his partner in the middle of a match to carry an injured Miss Elizabeth to the back, and never returns. Savage is understandably pissed, and Hogan inflames the situation by making kissy faces at the Macho Man's wife. They embark on a heated rivalry, which culminates in Hogan recapturing the belt from Savage. He's a little bit at fault there. Not one year later, Hogan's teaming with the Ultimate Warrior when again disaster strikes. Hogan and the Warrior come to blows and collide. Noticing a trend? Years later, Hogan had jumped to WCW, befriended Sting and Lex Luger, and mended fences with Randy Savage. He blatantly turns on them in their hour of need, aligning with Scott Hall and Kevin Nash to form the original nWo. Yeah, who was at fault in that situation? And what wound up happening to the nWo? Hall and Nash broke away from Hogan to form their own unit. Years later, they reunited in WWE and didn't last two months before Hall and Nash had parted ways with the Hulkster.<br /><br />My point is this; considering Hogan's insanely poor track record with tag team partners, why would Michaels have the first reason in the world to trust him this Sunday night? Sure, there's the thrill of rubbing elbows with a living legend, but is it worth the consequences?<br /><br />Regal and Tajiri joined us, accompanied by the RAW Slut Brigade and their UK chapter, the Star Slut Corps, in an effort to push sales of Regal's autobiography. I found it humorous that he's credited as "William" Regal on the cover, since he spent the better part of his career as "Steven," but here I'm nitpicking again. Then again, looking back, it's truly amazing how much of a European icon Regal seems to have become since hitting it big in WWE, compared to the relative nobody he was in WCW. Maybe embracing the recent first name is the way to go after all. The tag champs converse for a few minutes, and invite us to watch them dance with a dozen beautiful women in the middle of the ring. The live crowd's dead silence told the story. "So... what do you want us to do again...?"<br /><br />Fortunately, Hassan and Daivari were here to save the day for us, challenging the champs to a non-title match and evacuating the lumpy, gyrating ladies from the ring. Nobody looked all that impressive in this tag, although Hassan is slowly becoming more comfortable in the ring with a broad range of opponents. The finish was extremely telling, as the American Muslims tore into the hometown hero and Hogan was nowhere to be found. They're really doing their best to smother Regal's popularity on that side of the pond by jobbing him in two straight high-profile TV matches like this.<br /><br />Edge and Val Venis were up next, and if you ever had any questions about Val's chances as a single in this federation, they were pretty much answered here. The crowd basically ignored him, never bit on his nearfalls, and didn't even bother to make a noise when he climbed the ropes for his splash and the false finish. The actual work was about as good as you can get for three minutes of airtime, but taking the characters' current situations into consideration, you can't blame the audience for refusing to give a shit. Post-match, Chris Benoit saves the porn legend from a crossface, hits the Germans and removes "Mr. Money in the Bank" from the ring. I'm thrilled about their match this Sunday night, but I truthfully forgot it was "Last Man Standing" rules until JR mentioned it. Think they might have wanted to do something to reinforce the necessity of that gimmick here? Nahh....<br /><br />Finally, main event time as Christian's intro takes second stage to those of Triple H (did his introduction come before Coach's, even?) and the current World Champion, Batista. The match was almost exactly what Christian didn't need, basically treating him as a non-threat and killing his better chances at using this opportunity to break through, either on RAW or on Smackdown, and had a lot more to do with Hunter being at ringside than Christian using his mind to overcome Batista's strength. It's what I was expecting going in, so I'm not all that bent out of shape about it, but considering the killer promo he'd cut earlier in the broadcast I'd hoped Christian might get a chance to build some traction for himself here. As it were, Hunter wrapped the show up for him, hitting the Pedigree from out of nowhere and putting Batista down for the count. The big man did a great job of selling it, too, straining to lift his head before collapsing in a bruised heap, and I'd say this short angle promoting the strength of the maneuver was very successful.<br /><br />So that makes two substandard episodes in a row, boys and girls. Despite a superb backstage promo from Christian and a solid closing minute or two, this was below average in almost every aspect. Hogan and Trish were obviously not on the continent, the Divas got a nice juicy segment to kill, Chris Masters continued his pathetic "I'm stronger than the modern fan" gimmick and Christian's efforts were for nothing in the end. I miss the RAWs of a year ago already. I really do.<br /><br /><center>On a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is poor and 10 is amazing...<br /><b><u>Overall Score:</u> 3.1</b></center>drqshadowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14114632623890865250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-511006337599846371.post-65519908512223196112005-04-18T11:20:00.000-07:002007-09-03T11:24:08.018-07:00WWE RAW Review: 04/18/05I just finished a somewhat heated discussion with the alpha female upstairs, who seems to have taken offense to the note Autumn and I stuck on their door asking them to quit throwing their shit off the balcony and onto our porch. She started off all apologetic, and when I mentioned it wasn't the first time we'd had this problem with them, just the first time we'd brought it up, she went immediately into the defensive and then lashed out. No, surely, I don't know how I could have made the assumption that those were YOUR empty beer cans in our bushes, when the rest of the twelve pack is empty, rolling around on your balcony, a strong breeze away from joining their brothers and sisters in the brush. So, uh, yeah. I'm in a perfect mood to review the shitfest that was last night's airing of RAW, live from the pro wrestling mecca of Madison Square Garden! I'm as pissed about the ignorance of my neighbors as I am at the ignorance of the WWE bookers! Hooray! Exclamation mark!<br /><br />Chris Benoit and Edge got the ball rolling this week, immediately boosting my anticipation and casually reminding me of the great set of matches Benoit had put on with Edge and Christian over the last couple of weeks. The crowd felt a little blown out from the preceding Smackdown taping, but it didn't take long for Edge and the Wolverine to grab their attention and start them buzzing once again here. Unfortunately, once they did reawaken the slumbering NYC audience, it was just about time to roll out of the ring and brawl backstage to a no-decision. I guess I can understand the idea that this match shouldn't be going to a definitive conclusion with their showdown at Backlash just around the corner, but surely there were better options than this. It was particularly confusing that the ref decided to throw his arms up in the air and call for help, rather than just letting them settle their differences backstage, since we've seen dozens upon dozens of similar predicaments end that way in the past, both on RAW and on PPV without help arriving to pull the combatants apart. Benoit's arm was noticeably less of an issue here, which is disappointing, because it had become such a great centerpiece during his last two matches, but I guess they don't need the additional drama for a match that's already shaping up to be pretty dramatic, based off of the gimmick alone. A hot start and a quick let-down.<br /><br />The Lita / Trish segment would've bombed entirely if not for the insane smarktitude of the New York audience and their brutal anti-Lita chants that constantly had me craning my neck (a totally effective subliminal technique) to try to figure out what exactly they were saying. The Natural Born Killers vibe I thought I was picking up with Lita and Kane last week was completely missing here, with Lita shifting back over into her trite "smug, badass chick" face act and Kane filling the role of the big, dumb big monster who gives chase to every fleeing female within eyeshot. Neither one of these girls knew what to do when the crowd took control of the segment, much like Bill Goldberg and Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania XX, and were understandably nervous about the situation. They handled it as best they could, trudging forward with the original plan and looking really stupid in the process, as Trish tried to insinuate they were booing her and Lita's big statements were met with dead silence or boos.<br /><br />And then Kane came out, prompting Lita to take Trish down (but not out) with her crutch and the women's champ to lead what has to have been the slowest high-speed pursuit since OJ and his white bronco. And! And! As if the segment hadn't already shot straight to hell, Viscera then arrived to kick off what looks to be a fresh feud for Kane. I guess the big red machine's fourth annual "WHY THE FUCK AM I WATCHING THIS" feud is upon us already. I mean... Kane vs. Viscera?! Are you serious? Is the promotion's ultimate goal still to entertain the fans?<br /><br />But the glory wasn't finished just yet! We, the lucky home viewers, were then whisked away backstage to witness Viscera putting the moves on an obviously uninterested Trish. Wow. Just... wow. This went on for what felt like an eternity, nearly turned Trish face just from the sympathy of it all, and was really, really awkward. In a bad way. As if there's a good kind of awkward.<br /><br />The tag title match was on next, in a futile attempt to rescue a show that was already several minutes into a full tailspin, and didn't manage to accomplish much. Tajiri and Regal didn't look comfortable with the fresh recruits, the storyline that led to their introduction was tacked on at the last possible moment and the new team's gimmick's been done to death. Nothing totally off-putting here, really, but nothing worth getting worked up over and certainly not anything that was going to single-handedly turn the show around. The Heartthrobs have a little more personality than we'll usually get out of somebody right out of the minors, but they've got nothing to set them apart in the ring. They're like a weird mesh of Too Much, (Brian Christopher and Scott Taylor's homophobic pre-gangsta gimmick) II Cool and Three Count (I swear, I didn't pick three teams with numbers in the first half of their names on purpose), without the same capabilities in the ring. Even Three Count's much-maligned original leader, Evan Karagias, had a better in-ring game than these two.<br /><br />Hassan vs. Michaels was a paint-by-the-numbers affair and that isn't enough to get me excited about their upcoming tag team match for America. Muhammad's moveset is slowly expanding, which is nice to see, but this is something that should've been there before his big debut, not something that should be just now arriving, several months in. Of course, this one couldn't possibly have ended cleanly, so Daivari causes the DQ for little or no reason and the beatdown commences as the entire crowd simultaneously stands and looks at the entryway, expecting Hogan's imminent arrival. Sure enough, after what must've been deemed as appropriate dramatic tension, "Real American" finally blared across the speakers and the red and yellow goblin was there in living color. Funny, you'd think a guy who's concerned about his future tag team partner's health might be in a little bit of a hurry to get to the ring and stop his lynching, but not Hogan. Not only did he move at a Nash-esque pace on his way to the ring, but he actually took the time to pose and cup his ear, soaking up every last bit of adulation before turning his attention to the ring.<br /><br />I'm sorry, I just couldn't get into this whole schpeel again. About two years ago, in the build to Hogan's match with Vince at WrestleMania XIX, (I believe) Hogan showed up on Smackdown and got a standing ovation that seemed to go on forever. Despite my own opinion about Hogan as a man, I thought it was a legitimately cool, memorable moment seeing as how it was the big man's last run with the company. I bought into the retro appeal of it, the genuine adoration the audience had for him, the tears that were welling up in his eyes. I loved the moment. Guess what... it's twenty six months later, and he's back for his latest farewell tour. Remember the build to his match at WrestleMania VIII? I do. I was there in person, and I distinctly remember the promos building up to it, where Hogan flat out said "this may very well be my last match." Vince even thanked the Hulkster on behalf of himself, his family and the fans as a whole. That was thirteen years ago, and they must've realized what a big appeal "one more match" had, even then. I've bought that old line time after time after time, and this time I'm just not feeling anything any more. I don't care if it really is Hogan's last run, I've said so many goodbyes to the man over the years that I'm pretty much deadened to the idea of a world without Hulkamania. Sure, it was cool seeing HBK completely flip out in the ring, to see these two company-supporting legends in the ring together for the first time, but it wasn't anything I'd deem to be worthy of the five solid minutes of posing and celebrating that followed. Did these two just win individual World Titles? Did they cure cancer? Did they save the world? So why were we treated to such an elaborate celebration?<br /><br />Straight up, I'm through buying into this shit. Hogan can come and go as he pleases for all I care, he's killed the importance of his own farewell tour by hanging on well beyond the point of no return. Why would I be interested in watching a match that features a man who needs a weightlifting belt to keep his gut in check, a bionic knee to keep from completely collapsing in the entryway and a bandana to mask his leathery, wrinkled, bald scalp?<br /><br />Chris Masters jumped the shark in his opening vignette. I think that's some kind of record. He hadn't even debuted yet and already his best days were behind him. I got nothing out of the clicheed "Masterlock Challenge" last night, and I still think the character sucks, the finisher sucks and the angle sucks. Why should I be pulling any punches?<br /><br />Not even Chris Jericho and Shelton Benjamin could get it together last night, as Jericho belted out a super-corny rendition of "Shelton Benjamin is a Little Bitch" that initially drew a smile but eventually overstayed its welcome and made the whole segment feel like a bad joke. Even Benjamin was grinning like a gimp while Y2J was trying to insult him, which speaks volumes about how silly the idea was to begin with. The first half of their interaction in the Highlight Reel last week was very forced and uncomfortable, while the second half did a complete about-face and came across as really interesting and compelling. This week's segment was entirely forced and uncomfortable. It feels like they're letting two friends work together and they're both too timid to really cut loose on each other.<br /><br />I was surprised to see Vince out there, strutting to the ring no less, although I did notice the long cut-away the cameras pulled when he got to the ring steps. It was almost long enough to make me think something had gone wrong again and he'd be cutting his promo from the floor. Christian and Tomko fared remarkably well opposite McMahon, who's seemed to make a habit out of imposing himself on rising midcarders over the last few years, and Tyson even pulled out some great comedic timing, frantically covering up Christian's mouth after Vince threatened to make him "Captain Unemployed." This was harmless fun, and probably the only wholly entertaining segment of the evening.<br /><br />And, to cap things off, here comes that anticipated singles match between JR and Triple H. Hey, remember how I harped on a few paragraphs back about hating the Hogan return because we've seen it half a dozen times before? I'd make that same comparison to JR in the ring, except seeing the Oklahoman in the squared circle has NEVER been entertaining. The prospect of JR in action has always been a groan-inducing proposition, but up until this point we'd always been given some sort of last-minute reprieve or the beating has been kept short. This week, for whatever reason, we were 'treated' to an elongated beating, a blade job that I vocally predicted a full minute before it actually happened, the in-ring heroics of Jerry Lawler and a Batista run-in that could serve as a beautiful illustration of the term "anticlimactic" in any number of dictionaries. I don't even know where to begin.<br /><br />Jim Ross should never be an active competitor in the ring. That much should be obvious. You'd think that, after a career comprised entirely of one-sided beatings, he'd manage to figure out how to fall down, bleed and grimace convincingly. Nope. Likewise, in the last three years, Jerry Lawler has gone over Al Snow, Raven and Val Venis, just to name a few, but when he went out to the ring to defend his buddy, Triple H tossed him out as an afterthought. I'm not bent out of shape about the King being treated as an over-the-hill old fart so much as I am pissed that Hunter's the only one on the show who's been able to handle him as such.<br /><br />I'm going to quit before I get much more long winded... just rest assured that I'm about as disappointed in this week's RAW as I've ever been. At least the Katie Vick episode had a few matches worth watching before the infamous corpse-screwing. This episode didn't have even that mild luxury. Easily one of the most lackluster programs I've ever witnessed, which is made twice as sick when you realize they wasted one of the hottest crowds in the country in the holy land of Madison Square Garden. This should've been special, and it was a self-indulgent, mindless pile of steaming bullshit.<br /><br /><center>On a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is poor and 10 is amazing...<br /><b><u>Overall Score:</u> 1.4</b></center>drqshadowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14114632623890865250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-511006337599846371.post-64912446735695407912005-04-11T11:24:00.000-07:002007-09-03T11:26:59.384-07:00WWE RAW Review: 04/11/05I didn't know Molly was released until I read John's writeup, checked WWE to make sure he wasn't making a joke (oh, cruel JC$, how you mock me) and then posted an intelligent response of "fuck me directly in my ass" on the thread that had already sprung up about it on the forums. So if I'm a little more bitter than usual this week, forgive me. Chances are, I won't be... but you never know what's gonna happen at this point of a writeup.<br /><br />Of course, I can't make any promises about the opening match, seeing as how it involved Molly directly and served to end her four and a half year run with WWE flat on her back, jobbing to Christy Hemme of all people. Boy, am I thrilled about the prospect of another one of her running wild on the women's division by the time we reach 2006. I guess the dream was already over for the women's division when Jazz and Gail Kim hit the bricks last year, but the nails are pretty well completely buried into the casket now. Rushed match, with Molly and Trish covering for Christy's limitations whenever she was in there and Victoria continuing her year-long cold streak.<br /><br />I liked the ongoing segments with Kane chasing Trish throughout the building as the night went on, and although I could've gone without the "cackling villains in love" segment between he and Lita that spelled it all out for us, I really don't mind the direction they're going with the angle from here. Lita and Kane really do seem to make a good faux Natural Born Killers kind of on-screen couple, and while that might be kind of strange to see at the moment, it could be something noteworthy if and when they're turned heel. Both characters have been painfully stale over the last few years, and any kind of mutual development like this is good to see.<br /><br />Hunter's promo almost put me to sleep this week, (no, really... I faded in and out a couple times while he spoke) and marked a return to the same old "cocky (former) champ holding the keys to the kingdom" style I was hoping to god he'd abandoned with last week's unusually-fiery speech. God damn was this a boring promo... he really didn't make a single point to differentiate this message from those he'd been delivering for the last three months. If there's nothing new to say, why are you wasting my time?<br /><br />That, of course, led to the on-the-spot handicap match, pitting Triple H against Rosey and the Hurricane, which was precisely what you'd expect upon reading the names of the participants. Hurricane looked a bit more motivated than usual tonight, and was bouncing around the ring like mad for Trips' offense, but I was having trouble buying their chances from the very get-go and nothing really happened to sway me from that way of thinking as the match progressed. I can't believe Helms worked "It's clobberin' time" into a serious wrestling promo. It sounded as hokey and retarded on-air as it looks on the page.<br /><br />Cool to see the brief coverage of Benoit congratulating Batista backstage while the announcers hyped the rest of the night's action. These are the kind of shots I'd like to see more of, little interactions and conversations that you could believe two guys would have backstage at a wrestling show, that you could imagine a cameraman might be interested in filming. Give me something like this to set up every random backstage beat-down or storyline advancement, or to fill the screen while Lawler and JR are rambling on about something, and I'll be a much happier camper. Keeps the talent from seeming totally isolated from one another backstage.<br /><br />Chris Masters still hasn't impressed me. Actually, between he and the jobber he was obliterating last night, I was twice as impressed with the jobber and his willingness to kill himself to make Masters' work look good. The jabroni put in twice the effort of the WWE-backed "star of the future" with the million dollar body and the fourteen cent moveset. If I had any confidence in the writers' abilities to take advantage of the one positive possibility inherent with an angle like this proposed Masterlock Challenge, I might find myself getting a little bit excited. As is, I remember their mishandling of the white boy challenge a little bit too clearly. How long until Goldberg makes a guest spot and blows a couple months' worth of build for a quick pop? Or Batista, maybe.<br /><br />Besides, Kurt Angle's doing something very similar over on Smackdown with his gold medal challenge. Let's try to limit the rehashed gimmicks from the past to one at a time, please.<br /><br />Michaels vs. Daivari was a nice little swerve that caught me off-guard, not to mention most of the live crowd considering the complete stunned silence that filled the place after the ref counted three. This was pretty much exactly the kind of match they needed to work, with Daivari catching HBK off guard with his speed and some high flying, then allowing his mild success to go to his head. When he tried to take advantage of his momentum by throwing some punches, Michaels (the visibly bigger man) absorbed them and quickly recaptured the driver's seat. I don't think this could've gone much longer without getting monotonous, and it revived my interest in the issue between Michaels and Hassan, so mission accomplished.<br /><br />The Highlight Reel was in trouble early, with both guys coming off as extremely lame and forced on the stick, but once the gears finally started turning and they began hurling insults, it caught fire. Jericho's misdirected anger over the direction of his career and Benjamin's overabundance of confidence and willingness to defend his title on a regular basis could prove to be an interesting dynamic, and I loved the pull-apart that ended this first little run-in. This is the kind of thing Jericho should be using the Highlight Reel for more regularly. When Bischoff won't book him in a match he wants, just call the guy out in the ring, throw a few barbs and wait for him to request the match personally.<br /><br />I'm glad the premise of a Hogan / Michaels tag team is a one night only kind of affair, because I can see that schtick getting old REALLY fast. Personally, I thought Michaels was going to pick Sergeant Slaughter when he started in on all the hyperbole about being a super-patriotic patriot of patriotic patriotism, but quickly wised up when it got to be obvious. It'll be interesting, I guess, to say the least... part of me wishes this was 1997 pre-born-again Shawn Michaels and not the one that's out there every week in 2005, though, just so I could see the fireworks.<br /><br />Christian and Benoit surpassed even my expectations out there in what was effectively the night's true main event, which is saying something because I'm really high on both of these guys right now. It truly says something about the quality of the guys in the midcard right now that Benoit was able to work two different matches with with two different guys that told roughly the same story, but in the end were almost completely different. It would've been super easy to recycle a few spots from last week's match between Benoit and Edge, slip in a couple of transitions and replace the finish, but neither Benoit nor Christian opted for that route. Another exceptional show-saving match from the workhorses of the roster.<br /><br />Batista fell flat on the stick again to close the show, and although he regained most of the lost heat by foiling Hunter's attempted pedigree and removing him from the ring, the whole experience was subsequently tripped up by Hunter's oddball request for a match with Jim Ross. I was just waiting for Maven to pop up on the Titan Tron to announce "Yeah... JRKO!!!" or Benoit to translate it as "Just Rhyno," so the bizarro-world experience could be complete, but it never happened. Seriously, why wouldn't Ross just burst out laughing after a proclamation like that, considering his contract presumably doesn't read "professional wrestler" and Hunter isn't the man in charge of such decisions? This can only end in tears.<br /><br />Not a good showing this week at all, despite a concentrated effort from Benoit and Christian, with Edge providing some rare entertaining celebrity commentary. I liked where the HBK / Hassan thing was going until they mentioned the name "Hogan," and Jericho / Benjamin looks like it could be interesting, but that's pretty much it for the positives this week. Two quick squash matches, a poor women's tag, a few bad promos and an uninspiring bookend mean this was several marks below average.<br /><br /><center>On a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is poor and 10 is amazing...<br /><b><u>Overall Score:</u> 3.6</b></center>drqshadowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14114632623890865250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-511006337599846371.post-42659926281352205272005-04-04T11:27:00.000-07:002007-09-03T11:28:16.109-07:00WWE RAW Review: 04/04/05The RAW immediately following WrestleMania has almost grown a legacy all its own over the years. Usually there's a leftover surprise from 'Mania that they'll save for the next night, such as last year's announcement of the draft lottery. Goldberg and Sean Waltman both made a tremendous impact by debuting the night after WrestleMania. The episode is also used as a sort of indicator of which feuds really blew off the previous night and which were only getting warmed up. So it was interesting to see Hunter out there in the opening segment, telling us all about how he'd be challenging for the title at the next available opportunity.<br /><br />Trips has had better promos, but he's had plenty worse. It was nice to see some genuine emotion coming out of his mouth for a change, rather than the usual mock anger or quasi-fright I'd been accustomed to. This week his attitude was so refreshingly different that I actually had to blink a couple times to make sure Hunter was the one speaking and they hadn't accidentally spliced in a promo from backstage. Of course, the dialogue was nothing new, but I'll take what I can get. This didn't feel like it went any longer than it needed to, but I'm a little confused about why they'd opt for this instead of a Batista celebration or something. Even an appearance here to rebut Hunter's comments and chase him off to the back would've sufficed. Weird logic to let Hunter go unchecked like that.<br /><br />Fortunately, the RAW midcard was ready, willing and able to get the show back on the right track almost immediately in an unbelievable three-way dance for the Intercontinental Title. This was pretty much the definition of a hot opener, as Benjamin, Jericho and Christian came with something to prove and pulled out all the inventive spots they didn't have time for the previous night and then some. About halfway through this one, I caught myself staring with my mouth agape, shut it, and then caught myself doing it again a few minutes later. These guys just clicked together, worked in unique ways to punish the limbs they'd each injured in the ladder match at 'Mania and never seemed to slow down for a breath. I like that Benjamin went over in the end, too, on a spot that was both original and convincing. Even the replays couldn't kill the impact of that move, Jericho seemed to go nose-first right into the mat. One of the best three-ways I've seen since last year's Backlash main event. Just outstanding stuff, between three guys who only needed something to do with themselves.<br /><br />The post-Undertaker promo from Randy Orton wasn't all that convincing, and felt really awkward and strangely apologetic. Orton had no passion or desire behind his words out there, unlike his promos the previous two weeks, and seemed like he was moping more than anything else. His transition from "I lost to the Undertaker last night" to "I want to fight Batista" was far from seamless, although it would make sense for him to try to overcompensate for his failure by immediately challenging the next best thing. It shouldn't have been a difficult thing to say, but Orton had trouble with it all the same. What may have been a tough thing to get across was why he's suddenly opposed to Batista's break from Evolution now that it's actually come to pass. Remember his passionate speech just after the Survivor Series, where he was basically begging and pleading with "The Animal" to drop the zeroes and get with the heroes.<br /><br />The women's title segment was actually pretty well done, for a change. I haven't been all that crazy about Trish's heel run for the last six months or so, as she's basically regressed into a prissy valley girl heel that I don't find even remotely interesting, but she was ON last night. Challenging Christy to a rematch just so she could land a couple extra cheap shots and rub her nose in the WrestleMania match was a beautiful bit of storytelling, and taking advantage of Lita's natural reaction was the icing on the cake.<br /><br />I thought the Hassan / Michaels segment ran a little long, especially considering we saw these guys together in singles action just last week. HBK wasn't in any kind of a groove on the stick and Hassan just covered the same ground he always does, so despite the beating and Shawn's nice "dead body" selling after the fact, this wasn't anything memorable.<br /><br />Keeping the show's pace at hot-n-cold, Chris Benoit and Edge went out there to get things moving again with their simply outstanding singles match. Just a simple story, Edge working over Benoit's injured arm ruthlessly from start to finish, that these two pros managed to stretch over a fifteen minute match without repeating themselves or dragging their feet. This was exactly the kind of match that the Wolverine excels at playing the face in, the kind of fights that would get him instant appreciation and wholehearted support back in WCW, when he had less than no mic time to establish a bond with the audience. If you get the chance to check this one out again, take a listen to the support he got from the crowd upon his introduction and then compare it to the noise that same audience produced when he finally got the pinfall. He may not be the best at establishing himself vocally, but he's the best in the world at shaping a crowd's reaction with his body language and Edge was no slouch in this one, either. I loved the little hints Benoit kept throwing in that his arm was far less than 100%, like the variety of single-armed offense he introduced and the way Edge broke the formerly unbreakable crossface, because it relied heavily on that same previously-injured arm. Both of these guys came out of this one smelling like roses, Benoit for fighting through tremendous adversity and emerging victorious and Edge for getting the last laugh. Great, great upper midcard match between a former champion and a future one.<br /><br />The Simon Dean / Maven / Austin segment wasn't anything I hadn't already seen before. Dean's done this exact same cheap heat setup each of the four or five times they've gone to the trouble of setting his little booth up in the ring, and every bit of his interaction with Austin was lifted straight out of the "must be physically provoked" chapter from Austin's co-GM story. I don't think Dean and Maven were really threatening to crack the main event any time soon, but with Stone Cold little more than a utility player at this point, I don't know what this was supposed to accomplish. I mean, one night earlier you've got Hogan out there no-selling chairshots and group beatings from Hassan and Daivari (which was so special it needed to be REPLAYED the next night) and now Austin's out there flattening both Maven and Simon Dean with absolutely no retaliation. Take a look around... they're drawing a pretty significant line between the stars of yesterday and the potential stars of tomorrow. It's like they aren't even in the same league. The waters get even muddier when you think about how Hassan and Daivari managed to oblierate Shawn Michaels earlier in the episode WITHOUT the aid of a chair. Sure, Michaels was selling the injuries he sustained during his match with Kurt Angle at the time, but Hogan's close to sixty years old and wearing a knee brace the size of a Mini Cooper.<br /><br />Finally, in the last segment of the show, the new World Champ made his appearance, to surprisingly little fanfare. The poor guy didn't even get any pyro to celebrate his arrival before jumping right into a sincerely underwhelming singles match with former Evolution stable-mate Randy Orton. Just like in his promo earlier in the night, Orton looked severely unenthusiastic and uninspired in the ring. He laid down for the new champ within minutes, which caught me by surprise, injury or no, because this guy's a former champion himself. Not even David Arquette lost a match in that short an amount of time. Weird match that neither guy looked comfortable working, and didn't exactly get the big man's run at the top off on the best foot.<br /><br />All in all, a strange night with a definite up and down rhythm permeating each segment. You'd get a great match or promo like the three way dance or the Benoit / Edge warzone, then it would be immediately followed up by something similarly deflating like the Orton promo or a senseless Austin beatdown. Fortunately, the matches got a lot more time than the promos and were almost universally outstanding. Good show, but not great.<br /><br /><center>On a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is poor and 10 is amazing...<br /><b><u>Overall Score:</u> 7.2</b></center>drqshadowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14114632623890865250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-511006337599846371.post-81203657225566424492005-04-02T06:54:00.000-08:002007-09-16T06:55:39.794-07:00The World's Greatest WWE Wrestlemania 21 PreviewAwwwww yeah, it's WrestleMania time again. Pro wrestling's last true holy grail in North America, now that NWA / WCW institutions like Starrcade and the Great American Bash are dead and gone (or, in the latter's case, nothing more than a name slapped onto a run-of-the-mill WWE PPV). In a sport that has always seemed to place more of an emphasis on the current flavor of the month than on its own history, it's remarkable to see a show like 'Mania still hanging around, twenty one years after its premiere. More than that, it's amazing to see it handled with such care and reverence every single year. It's a clicé to call this the Super Bowl of pro wrestling, but that's really the only thing even remotely comparable. And really, if you think about it, even the Super Bowl isn't an entirely appropriate comparison. It's like a weird blend of the regular season with the championship game. Or maybe it's more like three Super Bowl games and half a dozen playoff games all rolled into one. NFL Championship games have, in the past, been less than exhilarating experiences, and the same can be said for WWE Championship matches. What sets WrestleMania apart is the number of fail-safes in its arsenal. Even if the main event sucks balls, (like, say, Sid vs the Undertaker at WrestleMania XIII) it's got a whole roster of tremendously motivated athletes backing it up in the undercard (like Bret Hart vs. Steve Austin at that same event). All the Super Bowl's got is a bunch of commercials, a trendy halftime show and the possibility for a streaker or a wardrobe malfunction or something.<br /><br />Unfortunately, this year's event just hasn't captured my attention as well as in years past. Most of that is due to this year's 'Mania serving as a sort of transitional event, with names challenging for the federation's dual titles that haven't quite established themselves as well as the challengers in years past. Batista and John Cena, hot properties as they may be, just don't feel like the same caliber of athletes as Michaels, Benoit, Angle, Lesnar, Booker, Hunter, Rocky, Foley, the Big Show and Austin were. They don't feel as established, as ready... they just seem to be guys who were in the right place at the right time, Batista much moreso than Cena. Likewise, excepting the top non-title matches, the undercard seems underdeveloped and thrown together. Matches like the Guerrero / Mysterio face-off and the Ladder match will certainly deliver the goods in the ring, but lack the emotional tie I'm used to sharing with the card of a WrestleMania. I'm not saying this year's event is going to be on the same level as WM IX, but I'm also not expecting anything like a WM X7, and I'm taking it for granted that no main event, WrestleMania or not, will be able to match the way they ended the show last year.<br /><br /><u><strong>Eddy Guerrero vs. Rey Mysterio</strong></u><br /><br />A nice nod to the shared history between these two, the similar paths their careers have taken (Mexico and Japan, then ECW, then WCW and finally WWE) and the historic matches they put on back in WCW. Unfortunately, that's not being pushed as the real motivation behind the match in front of the cameras, so much as it is behind them... but I can honestly live with what they're giving us over the air, too. Chavo's been great as the devil on Eddie's shoulder recently, whispering into his ear and trying to convince him to return to his old ways while Mysterio, who will forever be a sympathetic face due to his size, remains oblivious. This story's actually been building for some time, if you'll remember the string of losses Eddie suffered, both in singles and in tag action, to Rey for the better part of two months before they teamed up and won the tag team titles<br />as a tandem.<br /><br />Any excuse for Guerrero and Mysterio to cut loose together is a good one, and with the added motivation of the year's biggest card hanging over their heads, along with the potential for a prolonged feud not long after, I can't even begin to imagine what these two are capable of this Sunday. These are two undisputed legends of the ring, who have proven on several occasions in the past that their styles work magnificently together, as well as two of the more prominent faces on all of Smackdown. With Chavo thrown in to play the heel alongside Eddie's tweener and Rey's face, this could be something to really look forward to as the spring develops. I'm thinking a high profile loss is just what Guerrero needs to throw his world (and his ego) into turmoil right now.<br /><strong>Winner: Rey Mysterio</strong><br /><br /><u><strong>The Big Show vs. Akebono</strong></u><br /><em>Sumo Wrestling Match</em><br /><br />I'm not too crazy about this one. Typically, if you take a worked sport and a legitimate sport and try to amalgamate them into some sort of new beast, the results are extremely ugly. Ali / Inoki should have taught promoters that. Brawl For All should've taught Vince McMahon that personally. But yet he's trying again this year, pitting the Big Show up against sumo wrestling legend Akebono in a sumo match on the big stage. This can end in one of three ways; a) Both guys shock the world and put on a genuinely entertaining, if worked, sumo match that shockingly doesn't involve the illegal use of Japanese salts. b) They work a legit sumo match, Big Show is completely outclassed, his knee blows out and he misses a year of action. c) They perform a worked shoot, Big Show loses the match, turns heel and goes on the warpath. Whichever path they take, Akebono's the winner. File this in the same category as the Mr. T / Roddy Piper boxing match and the Butterbean / Bart Gunn toughman fight.<br /><strong>Winner: Akebono</strong><br /><br /><u><strong>Trish Stratus vs. Christy Hemme</strong></u><br /><em>Women's Title Match</em><br /><br />Hey, do you guys read the RRC? You do? Oh, that's right, what am I thinking? The RAW Review is the Oratory Award Winner for "Best TV Review," of course you read it every week. You read it religiously. So in your dedication to the RRC, you've probably already read my opinion of this match. Buuut... in fairness to the sad sacks that steer away from the green pastures of our television review team, I'll just go ahead and recap really quickly. Surprise, I'm not interested in the least. It was one thing when WWE was sending the active champion into the Playboy mansion and then elongating her reign to bump the issue's sales. It's something else entirely when they're picking and choosing the challengers for the year's biggest show based entirely on their willingness to disrobe for the infamous mag. Granted, there isn't much of a women's division left after the roster cuts pretty much obliterated it this past year, but I've gotta imagine they can do better than Christy in the challenger's slot. Or is there some unwritten rule I'm not aware of that says no two women can appear in consecutive WrestleMania Women's Title matches? With luck, this will be short and the bookers will resist the urge to hotshot the belt onto Christy's waist. But I'm not expecting any miracles.<br /><strong>Winner: Trish Stratus</strong><br /><br /><u><strong>Chris Jericho vs. Chris Benoit vs. Shelton Benjamin vs. Edge vs. Christian vs. Kane</strong></u><br /><em>First Annual Money in the Bank Ladder Match</em><br /><br />Probably the toughest match on the card to predict, not to mention the one with the most potential. With the exception of Kane, who regressed in 2004 (both in the ring and in character) more than at any other point in his career, every one of these guys are coming off a phenomenal 52 weeks with no signs of slowing down if the stipulation is to be believed. Likewise, any one of these athletes could conceivably win the match without killing the credibility of the others. RAW's upper midcard has been that rock solid and competitive of late, with a balance of talent so well-managed that I'd even say it's on par with the women's division of late 2003. In that long-ago day and age, any one competitor could potentially win the World Title on any given night without shaking up the status quo one bit. The matches were that competitive, the athletes that well matched. Of course, we all know what became of that great division in the end, as overbooking and a swift de-emphasis took the wind out of the ladies' sales going into last year's WrestleMania and roster cuts all but smothered all hopes of resuscitation. But I'm not here to be pessimistic. At least not in this match writeup.<br /><br />Edge and Christian are the obvious favorites, due to their experience and unparalleled success in similar situations, while Kane must also be considered a probability thanks to his huge size advantage and his perception as one of the two unstoppable monsters of RAW. Shelton Benjamin has the credibility of the Intercontinental Title on his side, while Chris Benoit just went toe-to-toe with the World Champion on RAW. Chris Jericho's the longshot, as he's been basically shut out of the main event since dropping the World Title to Triple H at WrestleMania X8, but the match was his idea and he's had some success in gimmick matches in the past as well. These guys have proven their ability to work together, both in one-on-one and various tag team / free-for-all situations, and there's no doubt in my mind this has the potential and the probability to steal the show from the more heavily promoted matches further up the card. I sincerely can't wait to see what kind of a ride they'll take us on. I'm going with Jericho, if just due to the amount of time he's been kept away from the main event, but it wouldn't surprise me to see Edge or Benoit walking away on top either.<br /><strong>Winner: Chris Jericho</strong><br /><br /><u><strong>Stone Cold Steve Austin & Roddy Piper</strong></u><br /><em>Piper's Pit</em><br /><br />It'll be cool to see these guys out there together for the first time, but the novelty is beginning to wear off on each guy's big return(s) to WWE, Austin especially. There's only so many times you can push the same button before the fans start to get sick of it and while it's not quite to that point yet with Austin and Piper, I fear that it's getting close. The best thing they could possibly do here is just let these two legendary mouths verbally spar with one another for a good chunk of time before going into whatever SURPRISE INTERRUPTION they've planned and working from there. Part of me wants to think that it would be too obvious to involve Muhammad Hassan, that he couldn't possibly gain anything by cutting off an interview segment headed by two guys who haven't worked a match in years... but another part of me knows these bookers and their tendency to ignore future ramifications. So long as Piper and Austin haven't miraculously forgotten how to speak english, this should be entertaining at worst. <br /><br /><u><strong>Randy Orton vs. The Undertaker</strong></u><br /><br />There've been bits and pieces of this build that I've really enjoyed and bits and pieces that I've absolutely loathed. I love the dynamic of the aging legend, defending his legacy against the young upstart who's made a name for himself by succeeding in nearly identical situations. I love Orton's "testicular fortitude" in calling out the Undertaker and vocally refusing to be intimidated by his bag of circus-like tricks. And I love the way they've used this match to softly, effectively turn Orton heel again, where his character is much more at home and effective. On the other hand, despite the big talk, Orton's fallen into the same cliched trap that caught each of the Taker's previous "deadman era" WrestleMania opponents. He's dove out of the ring and stared, jaw agape, as the ringposts caught fire and the arena lights went out... immediately going back on his promise to cut through the phenom's mystique and confront the man himself. It hasn't enhanced my anticipation of the match so much as it's killed Orton's momentum going in. If he'd stood tall and laughed off the phony lightning storms and pyrotechnics displays, he would've had the unique ability to claim he's never been intimidated by the old man's song and dance. He would have the mental higher ground to counter the Taker's undeniably impressive 12-0 record. Instead, all he's got is an empty promise, a weak hearted slap and a desperation RKO in his favor.<br /><br />I'm not all that optimistic about this match's chances. Randy's been steadily improving in the ring for literally years now, but he's had a lot of great opponents to help him since he arrived on RAW. The Undertaker isn't going to be doing his ringwork any favors this Sunday, and I'd be really surprised to see him selling the effects of one of Orton's infamously aggressive chinlocks. Make no mistake about it, this is a huge test for the Legend Killer... if the match succeeds and he gives the crowd the impression that he hung with the bigger man from the beginning, it might just be the spark he needs to begin another climb to the top of the card. If it fails, however, if he looks completely out of place in there against the much larger opponent, I'd be surprised if we see him anywhere near the title picture again before WrestleMania 23.<br /><br />This whole situation is ideal for young Randy. It's precisely the kind of win, the kind of notoriety, he needs to get up off his ass and start picking up the pieces of his failed face run. I've picked against the Undertaker at WrestleMania many times in the past, but I've never been quite as certain about doing so as I am this year. Orton needs the kind of rub this match can deliver.<br /><strong>Winner: Randy Orton</strong><br /><br /><u><strong>Kurt Angle vs. Shawn Michaels</strong></u><br /><br />Easily the best build of the show, which shouldn't be much of a surprise to anyone who's seen the work these two have done individually in the past. They've both really brought their "A" game this month, and in so doing have crafted a feud that honestly feels like the epic it's being advertised as. Although I was a bit let down by the methods Kurt Angle employed in his quest to replicate HBK's entire career in four weeks, (I'd have to argue that much more of Michaels' impact came in the ring than the Olympian portrayed) the segments were far from weak and Angle more than made up for the lack of actual matches with some unthinkably good promos. Michaels has been stagnant as a face for well over a year now, but this feud has managed to force out a great deal of the fire that had been missing from his performances recently and I don't think he's about to let go of that quite yet when he gets to the ring this Sunday.<br /><br />Simply put, this is the match I'm most excited about on this year's card, and with good reason. While I mentioned earlier that the six-man ladder match has the potential to surpass this one in terms of ringwork if a few things go right, there's no question involved with this one. It's going to deliver. The only question, really, is how long it'll go and just how good it'll get. With the possibility that this will be Kurt Angle's final match, (although recent rumors have claimed otherwise) I just can't imagine it being anything less than legendary. Both Angle and Michaels are well known for going out of their way to put over their opponents' offense, and I think that, combined with their combined drive to put on an excellent match every time their feet touch the canvas, will be more than enough to launch this one into the stratosphere. I'm going with Angle, if just because his character's spoken with that much more conviction over the preceding five weeks. Michaels has relied on his tried-and-true cocky, legendary, big show performer attitude while Angle has really amped it up over the last month. It's like he's got something to prove, and I'd like to think that's going to give him the advantage here.<br /><strong>Winner: Kurt Angle</strong><br /><br /><strong><u>John Cena vs. JBL</u></strong><br /><em>WWE Championship Match</em><br /><br />There isn't a doubt in my mind that Cena's leaving this show as WWE Champion. Which, really, has been one of JBL's biggest strengths as champion from the very beginning. He's excelled at convincing the viewer that his reign as champion is on its last legs, and then miraculously overcoming all the odds to retain by the skin of his teeth. It's chapter one in the New York Times best seller "How to be a Heel Champion in Three Easy Steps," titled "always convince the audience of your fallibility." He's been a successful champ because he's constantly allowed his challengers to wield the advantage over him, giving fans the impression that, if they bought the upcoming PPV, they'd finally get to see him lose the gold. And it didn't hurt that he plays a great conceded prick that could get on your nerves with just a glance. The fact remains, however, that Cena's been put into a position where a loss at this point would be paralyzing.<br /><br />I don't expect much out of the match, since neither guy is near the top of the roster in terms of ringwork, but I'll give credit where it's due; both have been working their asses off to improve on that weakness. The issue isn't a lack of effort so much as it is the lack of an well-versed ring technician to improvise should something go awry. I don't have a lot of faith in either of these guys were the ring ropes to snap or an errant blow were to knock the wind out of the other guy, and considering the fact that they're competing for the most prestigious belt on the program, that's quite a problem. In the rush to get this next generation up to speed and into the main event, I feel like an important step was missed in allowing the talent time to fully develop in the ring. It's a fact that sometimes great adversity breeds great ingenuity, and there's certainly the possibility that Cena will flower in the main event and silence the critics, but that's quite a gamble for a program that's struggling to compete as it is.<br /><strong>Winner: John Cena</strong><br /><br /><u><strong>Triple H vs. Batista</strong></u><br /><em>World Heavyweight Championship Match</em><br /><br />As much as I enjoyed the tease of this feud just before and after the Royal Rumble, I can't honestly say I haven't been a little let down by its execution. Part of what made Batista so interesting in those weeks before the meltdown of Evolution was the way he defied the traditional big man role's negative stereotypes and embodied the positives. He was explosively powerful in the ring, but surprisingly well spoken backstage. He didn't fall into the same simple-minded traps that others of similar stature encountered in the past. He maintained an opinion of his own, even beside two overbearing personalities like Triple H and Ric Flair, and seemed to say what he felt, rather than what was expected of him. After the outstanding full turn that went down during the main event contract signing, a lot of that was lost. His comments didn't seem as off-the-cuff and witty as they once did, and instead came off a little forced. He was paired in the ring with guys like Gene Snitsky and Kane, who couldn't sell his offense as the spectacular, crippling, life-threatening variety it needed to be. And, while he never backed down from the remaining members of Evolution, he wasn't exactly taking the fight to them at all times, either. His character changed ever so slightly when he powerbombed Triple H through that table, and he lost a lot of traction as a result.<br /><br />I'm a bit more confident in how these two will fare together in the ring than I am with the Smackdown Championship Match, if just because Triple H has had a very strong year in the ring and can fill the void that I'd mentioned in the Cena / JBL match. Hunter knows how to work, whether he's on offense or defense, and aside from Chris Benoit or Shawn Michaels, there isn't another man on the RAW roster that I'd rather have in the ring for a match of this importance. He knows how to pace a match, so Batista doesn't blow all of his high impact offense in the early goings but the fight doesn't drag, and he knows the right places to do the right things. This'll be good... not on the level of last year's main event, but good all the same. As for who's leaving with the belt... well, Batista just doesn't have a lot of options as champion, while Hunter's got a whole crop of hungry midcard talent that matches up with his style exceptionally well. They've done a fine job of building Batista as a believable challenger, but I just can't see Hunter losing this one cleanly.<br /><strong>Winner: Triple H</strong><br /><br /><u><strong>IN CLOSING</strong></u><br /><br />I'm afraid my intro may have been a little harsh on this year's card. It's not a bad lineup by any means, and in the scheme of things I'd rank its potential going in right around the middle of the pack, historically. It's most certainly a better card than WM2, WMIX and WM13, but it can't hold a candle to the potential (and eventual delivery) of WMIII, WMX7 or WMXX. It's right above WMXV and right below WMXIX, going in. A lot of guys are getting the chance of their lifetime at this year's event, and it'll be interesting to see who thrives off of the risk and who falters. <br /><div align="center">until next time, i remain<br>drq</div>drqshadowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14114632623890865250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-511006337599846371.post-76759938221119945582005-03-21T11:28:00.000-08:002007-09-03T11:30:09.844-07:00WWE RAW Review: 03/21/05I really do have next to no time this week, thanks to visiting family from out of town, so don't be surprised if this is the short short version. But hey, it's almost WrestleMania time, and I can't let myself go a week without getting a word or two in, so here we go. The road to WM continues, and I think we just passed a sign saying the next exit is ours. I should be paying attention to this shit.<br /><br />I was glad to see HBK facing off with Rob Conway, rather than the other, far more useless, half of La Resistance. Like John, I'm a big fan of Conway's work, and I've seen him do little more than improve since showing up on Monday nights a few years back. His ringwork has been solid at worst since the first time we caught a glimpse of him, and his character's grown remarkably for somebody with little or no mic time to establish himself. So, ah, yeah. I like Rob Conway and I was excited at the potential of seeing him in there with Shawn Michaels. And, for what it was, it wasn't bad at all. Both guys really busted their humps and set the crowd ablaze right from the get-go. Unfortunately, "what it was" was a pretty lopsided victory for HBK. This match reminded me a lot of a match I saw in person a handful of years ago, a few months after Benoit, Guerrero, Malenko and Saturn had jumped to the WWF, when Eddie Guerrero met Steve Austin in an impromptu singles match that nearly sent me into cardiac arrest when I saw it on the card upon my entrance to the arena. I knew it could've been a real career-making moment for Eddie, and couldn't wait to see how he'd match up with the Rattlesnake, but when the match actually came to pass it was the very definition of a one-sided battle. Austin just crushed him. Obviously, everything turned out for the best... Guerrero wasn't even close to being on the same level as Stone Cold at that time, Austin would go on to solidify Chris Benoit in the main event a year or two later, and Guerrero would be a future World Champion, but at the time I was a little miffed about what I saw as a huge missed opportunity. Like Eddie Guerrero at the time, Rob Conway could've really benefitted from a small rub from the aging superstar on the other side of the ring last night, but it didn't happen because Michaels needs to look strong going into WrestleMania. It wouldn't have made sense to go down any other way, which is unfortunate for the former Tag Team Champion.<br /><br />It's getting close to WrestleMania time, obviously, which means it's the time of year when the post production guys start really REALLY kicking some ass. Those vignettes hyping the careers of Kurt Angle and Randy Orton were jaw-droppingly effective. Seriously great stuff. I'm sure I'll get tired of seeing them once they've aired half a dozen times each during the event itself, but as of this writing I'm totally loving them.<br /><br />But then, just as I'm starting to get psyched up for the big event, they had to go and remind me of one of the multiple reasons I'm kind of dreading this year's event as much as I'm anticipating it. Christy Hemme. In the ring. Competing for the women's title. And flattening Molly Holly along the way. Joy. Anybody who had any sort of doubt as to who would be winning that match after the heel team was introduced as Molly, Maven and Simon needs to pay a little more attention to the record books. These guys must be a combined 1-398 since last year's WrestleMania. I seriously can't remember a match any of them have been on the winning side of, aside from Maven's by-association victory at the 2004 Survivor Series. Maybe one of them won a dark match somewhere or something, I dunno. Regardless, this was a below-average match at best and I really could've lived without it, all things considered. If this was supposed to convince me of Christy's surprising ability in the ring and cause an about-face in my opinion of her upcoming title match at WrestleMania, that mission can be considered a complete and total failure.<br /><br />Triple H then hit the ring to cut his next-to-last pre-WrestleMania promo, which should've been totally intense, venemous, show-selling goodness. Instead? He drags a chair into the ring, delivers one of the most monotonous, boring, uninspired speeches of his main event career and tries to get clever by bringing the Terry Schiavo case into his rant against Batista. Yeah, like I'm not already entirely sick and tired of hearing about that fucking case every moment of the day. Hey, BREAKING NEWS UPDATE! She's still staring off into the distance blankly, the judge is still thinking about what he'd like to have for lunch, and there's still nothing new to report! We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming, but stay tuned for more thrilling updates like the one you've just heard. Remember what I said about the mixed tag a few words ago? I could've lived without it? Apply the same emotion to this segment. If Hunter doesn't have anything important to say, PLEASE don't send him out there to struggle to find a way to integrate the C-SPAN update he just watched into a wrestling promo.<br /><br />Fortunately, some combination of the names Jericho, Benjamin, Benoit, Edge, Christian and Orton were in the ring together not long after, to end the string of ugliness before it got too totally out of hand. The RAW upper-midcard / main event cusp scene is just unreal right now, comparable to both the "Smackdown Six" era John mentioned earlier and the heyday of the WCW midcard. Which is both funny and kind of sad, because Jericho and Benoit were members of that scene a full eight years ago. These guys are carrying RAW on their shoulders at the moment, with a bit of occasional help from the supporting cast, Triple H and Ric Flair, and this match was all the proof you'll ever need of that. I can't think of any combination of these guys that wouldn't work well together, either in singles or tag team action, yet I'm continually amazed by that very same compatibility as they're matched up together week after week. This entire match made sense, every single guy was busting his ass to make it a good one, and the right team went over. I can't ask for much more than that, especially this close to the big event.<br /><br />Ric Flar was then shown backstage, motivating the troops for the upcoming lumberjack match. What amazed me was that Chris Masters was in attendance, all but taking notes on what Flair had to say. It couldn't have been more than three or four weeks ago that he debuted, running into Flair outside of his limo and telling the Nature Boy to "pay attention, you might learn something." What changed between then and now?<br /><br />I liked the Orton promo, actually, obvious as it was, although I'm a little befuddled about their reasoning for the shirt; why list Booker T and Rob Van Dam, and not Chris Benoit, the man he beat to capture his first World Title and a name I'd wager many would place ahead of Book and RVD in the list of all-time legends? Not really something that bothered me, it just caught my attention is all. The segment started slow, with Orton searching in vain for the right words, but took off once he planted one on Stacey and went right back into full heel mode. Even though he only spoke for another minute at the most before hitting the RKO and leaving the ring, the difference in his mannerisms was like night and day. It's like that kiss flipped a switch in his mind and he suddenly realized how to speak with conviction again. Great segment that needed to be done to clear up any misconceptions that may have been lingering after his face-off with Jake Roberts last week.<br /><br />Nice to see Benoit on the giving side of a squash for a change, and to see him returning to the straightforward crossface after a few months of tweaks and variations on the maneuver. Like Matt said, this match needed to happen to help him rebound from the loss to Triple H last week, although I don't think he'd lost all that much steam anyway, and it delivered just the kind of message Benoit should be associated with. He don't fuck around in that ring, and if you piss him off you're just giving him an excuse to hang onto that crossface for an extra couple of seconds.<br /><br />I had a lot of trouble getting into the main event, pitting Batista against Kane in a 'hoss vs. hoss lumberhoss match,' and while it wasn't quite as bad as I'd feared it might be going in, it wasn't good either. Both guys looked a little lost out there on their own, and while the action outside of the ring covered for them for the most part, there were still a few awkward moments that stuck out. They told the story that needed to be told, of Batista overcoming all odds and powerbombing the seven foot monster, which spoke to his strength and credibility more than any odd backstage promo ever could. So, storyline-wise, this was a solid main event. Pity I can't say the same about the actual wrestling.<br /><br />Pretty much a hot-and-cold mix, with every good segment being cancelled out by a bad one. Overall, I thought the direction of the program was a good one, so I'm calling this above-average, but not by much. A real disappointment coming off last week's show.<br /><br /><center>On a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is poor and 10 is amazing...<br /><b><u>Overall Score:</u> 5.6</b></center>drqshadowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14114632623890865250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-511006337599846371.post-14824210368025840542005-03-14T11:30:00.000-08:002007-09-03T11:32:08.796-07:00WWE RAW Review: 03/14/05This week's broadcast opens up with the Highlight Reel already set up in the ring, Y2J himself atop a ladder, and the four-corner pyro welcoming us to "RAW is Jericho." I'm really starting to recognize how good an eye Jericho has for cool, prop-related shots in the weeks building up to a big gimmick match. Whether he's cleaning Shawn Michaels' clock with a chair and standing, iconically, over his crumpled body, (after HBK had single-handedly taken out every other man involved in their upcoming Elimination Chamber match) barking orders, seated, from the top of a cage (while his cronies dismantle their opponents in an upcoming Survivor Series match) or launching an opening tirade at the top of a ladder, (with only a few weeks remaining before his big WrestleMania six-way ladder match) he always seems to know precisely how to remind viewers of his upcoming brawls. He and Randy Orton didn't have much of an exchange here before Chris shocked the live audience (and, I'd presume, most of the viewing audience) by introducing Jake "The Snake" Roberts, the Undertaker's first ever WrestleMania opponent. It was cool to see the snake-man again, especially accompanied by his old entrance music, and while his work on the mic was as venomous as ever, no pun intended, it was tough to get past how bad he really looked. Maybe it wouldn't have been so obvious if they hadn't immediately preceded his appearance with footage from the end of his heyday, but Jake was almost unrecognizable and it was almost painful to watch him moving around. He and Randy had a refreshingly intense verbal sparring session, with Roberts coming off as the crotchety old man who feels he's being disrespected and Orton as the arrogant young punk in need of a spanking, which spoke volumes about Jake's edge in experience on the stick. When the Snake said something, even if the words themselves didn't really hit the mark, the way in which he said it and the furious expression on his face more than made up for the slack. When the Legend Killer took the mic to retort, it was almost a mirror image. He said all the right things, but it was almost as though he were reciting them, they were so wooden and emotionless. I hope the younger Orton was taking notes.<br /><br />Of course, this was all building to the inevitable RKO, which the live crowd spit all over. I complained about Orton's beating of his tweener GM last week, but now that I look back on it, I can see that it was merely the first seeds of his eventual heel turn being planted. I liked that this wasn't a total disrespect to Jake, as he got in probably twice as much offense as any of the other semi-retired legends who have suffered an RKO in the past, while at the same time it didn't kill Orton's momentum. He was caught off-guard by Roberts' sudden strike, almost driven into the mat by that famous DDT, but pulled a reversal out of his ass and flattened the old man at the last possible moment. A really strong opening segment that lent a little more legitimacy to the Undertaker's record at WrestleMania, and should've given Orton something to think about in the days before that contract signing on Smackdown. The Taker beat this guy twelve years ago, when the Snake was still in competitive shape and the deadman was still a rookie. If Jake could catch Orton by surprise today, well out of his prime, what does that say about the legend killer's chances at WrestleMania, where he faces an Undertaker who's still in ring shape?<br /><br />The Christian / Tomko vs. Kane handicap match was about what I expected going in, if not better. I don't see how this puts Christian on any kind of level playing field going in, when every other guy in the ladder match has been built as a serious threat and a near-equal to the other men involved in the "money in the bank" six-way, but I guess we've still got a few weeks left to build him back up. If anything, that's been one of Christian's strengths as a character; he can get completely obliterated for a month running, then come out and have an unbelievable match with somebody like Randy Orton, Chris Jericho or Shelton Benjamin, and wind up just as hot as he was before, if not more so. I thought Tomko had blown Kane's knee out with that ugly running kick, since he slid right into it and Kane seemed to be favoring it for the rest of the match, but by the time he hit the chokeslam it was back to supporting most of his weight again.<br /><br />Gene Snitsky looked like he fell into a mountain of fire-ants last night. Holy god, what a nasty collection of pimples and sores he's got covering his chest, face, shoulders, back, legs and hands. It's like he's a poster boy for signs of steroid abuse. And maybe it was his presence, maybe it was a change of character or maybe it was just a bad night, but Ric Flair was just terrible alongside Snitsky last night. His promos were forced and out of character, his words trailed off with no real meaning behind them, and he kept throwing in that nervous laugh when Batista showed up. It's weird to see the Nature Boy falter like that, but I guess even legends have bad nights here and there.<br /><br />I really enjoyed the match between Edge and Shelton Benjamin, and both guys seem to have been on a real tear lately. I loved the hot opening they gave it, with Edge jump starting the fight, effectively cutting out the whole "feeling out" process that eats up the first five minutes of a match, and Benjamin almost heroically telling the ref to start the match despite his injuries. That's not something I'd like to see every week from this point forward, but it was cool to see a match thrown right into the fire for a change. Edge wound up looking like he had the better gameplan, as he knew Shelton would continue the match in his ongoing quest to prove himself as a deserving IC champion, (which is how they explained away his constant title defenses against, seemingly, every possible challenger on RAW over the last few months) while Benjamin showed a lot of heart and established himself as much more interesting face as a result. I've really enjoyed the way the Intercontinental Champ has been shaking up his moveset recently, allowing for regular reversals of his signature maneuvers (ie; his opponents are learning to duck his spin-kick, and to move out of the way of his Stinger Splash) and making up for them with an equally inventive counter-reversal. It's beginning to lend that much sought-after sense of unpredictability to his matches, and gives some added emphasis to those big moves if and when he does manage to connect with them.<br /><br />This match told a great story at a neck-snapping pace, the two athletes involved worked their asses off, and I loved the finish. Additionally, I think that was the first time I can ever remember a heel winding up on the short end of the "ref's knocked out when you hit your finisher" stick, and I'm always one for a fresh take on something that's so overused. RAW's midcard is absolutely insane at the moment, and these guys are a big part of the reason.<br /><br />The retro kick from the opening segment continued with the reunion of Marty Jannetty and Shawn Michaels as the Rockers, as they faced off against former champs and perennial fall guys La Resistance. It was really cool to see these two working together again, especially considering how long it really had been since the last time they hooked up, and it was obvious just how much fun they were having in there together. Marty looked a lot better than I'd expected, although those dropkicks had seen better days, and it was exciting to see him getting so completely into the moment, allowing the audience's growing enthusiasm affect his work positively. La Resistance worked well together again, with Conway clearly carrying the brunt of the load for his team, but wound up looking largely ineffective, since they spent most of the match on their backs. HBK and Jannetty looked like it had only been a couple of weeks since the last time they'd teamed up, as they slid right back into a few fluid double team maneuvers and tossed in that retro exit from the ring as a cherry on top. Not the best match I've ever seen, but you can't top the historical significance or the atmosphere that surrounded it. It was a little sad, though, when they both botched their simultaneous kip-ups.<br /><br />The real story, though, is how huge Jannetty's match with Kurt Angle will now be this Thursday night. Previously, it came off as a little lame... the Olympic Champ calls out somebody from years and YEARS in HBK's past, toys with him and finishes him off. Whoopdeedoo. Now that Michaels and Marty have kissed and made up, it's likely to be that much more personal and intense when Kurt tears him to pieces this week on Smackdown. Great stuff... this feud is quickly becoming one of my favorites on either brand, and I'm extremely relieved they didn't kill the whole thing here by going the obvious route and turning Marty on Shawn.<br /><br />I can't tell you how tight that Benoit / Triple H match really was. Between the constant flashbacks to last year (simultaneously reinforcing Benoit's chances and referencing a spot near the end of the match) and the big-show atmosphere both guys brought with them, this seemed almost destined to succeed even before the opening bell rang. If you can watch that opening staredown and tell me there's no money left in an ongoing feud between these two, you're missing some nerve endings or something. Hey, JR even made up for some continuity problems earlier in their rivalry, amending his previous statement that Hunter had never beaten Benoit and admitting that he merely hadn't beaten him "since Benoit returned to RAW." That's a little more historically accurate, while not taking away the weight of the statement itself. Hunter hadn't beaten Chris Benoit in years, and considering the Game's stranglehold on RAW during that time, that's still a pretty impressive fact.<br /><br />The match was just a beauty from two masters, really. I loved the nods to previous encounters, like Benoit's reversing the pedigree multiple times (once into the crossface, in an exact repeat of the method he used to win the World Title) and the Game's eventual low-blow that led to the finish. I loved the strict characters both men stuck to, Benoit as the confident aggressor (I was in awe as he tried to lock in the crossface three or four times within the first five minutes) and Hunter as the spooked, backpedaling underdog. Most of all, I loved the time and free reign they were given to work the match with little outside interference, no ref bumps and nothing that felt overbooked. I've been constantly screaming for the writers to let the wrestlers do their jobs in the ring, and that's precisely what happened here. Benoit came out looking just as strong as ever, like a guy who could take the belt from Hunter any day of the week if given the opportunity, and Hunter finally managed to emerge one step ahead of the Crippler after a lengthy string of high-profile losses. This has the potential to become one of the all-time great rivalries, and the bookers aren't doing anything to ruin that possibility. Great, GREAT free TV match. I really can't gush enough about it.<br /><br />It felt a little awkward to move from that to the "real" main event of Batista vs. Gene Snitsky, especially when Hunter came out to interfere only a few minutes after the bell had rung. You'd imagine the champ would be exhausted after a trial-by-fire the likes of which Benoit had put him through, but here he was, distributing chairs and attempting to intimidate Batista from the ringside area. I suppose the phrase "perception is reality" might be appropriate, as it's totally possible that Hunter would be putting on a tough face to convince his 'Mania opponent that he wasn't feeling a thing after a tough match with Benoit. But then I'd be reading too much into things. Throwing a slower-paced match like Batista / Snitsky into the main event slot after three super-hot matches had built the crowd into a frenzy was a tough spot for everyone involved, but I think they did as well as could be expected. I'm noticing the crowd support for Batista dissipating, which can't be a good thing as the build to WrestleMania goes into high gear, but I guess that goes hand in hand with his opponents of late. Somebody like Gene Snitsky isn't going to cover for his weaknesses nearly as well as somebody smaller like Rob Conway, and it doesn't look like they've learned any kind of lesson since they're booking him with Kane next week. A misstep of a main event in what was otherwise a phenomenally written and performed show.<br /><br />What can I say? A great, mild retro theme that didn't get to be obnoxious or forced, two outstanding matches, one superb promo, a bucketful of build to the big WM21 and a reunion we never thought we'd get to see. The segments building to the women's title match, an off night for Ric Flair and the bizarre placement of the Batista / Snitsky match are the only things holding this episode down from perfection. I'm a little relieved to see RAW is finally getting serious about exciting me for WrestleMania.<br /><br /><center>On a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is poor and 10 is amazing...<br /><b><u>Overall Score:</u> 9.1</b></center>drqshadowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14114632623890865250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-511006337599846371.post-48459722338785053662005-03-07T11:32:00.000-08:002007-09-03T11:34:14.313-07:00WWE RAW Review: 03/07/05I've only got time for a quickie this week, with company coming in from out of state this evening, so let's get down to it.<br /><br />Great opening promo from Kurt Angle that's given me more motivation to watch Smackdown this week than I've had since the build to last year's Royal Rumble, when Chris Benoit and John Cena were having their way with then-GM Paul Heyman. I'm intrigued with the prospect of Kurt Angle working (and winning) two full Royal Rumbles, an Iron Man Match, a Ladder Match, two Hell in a Cell matches and two Elimination Chamber matches within that four week span... or whatever it is he really does have in mind. Michaels' end of the promo was lagging a bit, but Angle's mere vocal presence on RAW was exciting enough to make the whole segment successful. And to think I wasn't all that excited about this match when I first caught wind of it...<br /><br />I was immediately afraid that the opening Triple H squash was a sign of things to come, and that we had another week of meaningless three minute filler matches to look forward to, but fortunately enough that wasn't the case. Regardless, his match with Rosey did about as much for me as his match with the Hurricane last week. Which is to say his match with Rosey did absolutely nothing for me. I fear they're reintroducing Hunter's affinity for sledgehammers, not as a clever nod to history and a means to reintroducing some solid continuity to the program, but because his new T-Shirt features the famed foreign object prominently and that they're hoping its reintroduction on-air will move a few more units.<br /><br />I like the idea of the WrestleMania ladder match leading to a future World Title shot at any point in the future, and I really like the five participants that were in the room at the time of that announcement. Any one of those guys could win and give me something worth looking forward to as 2005 barrels on, and honestly even a main event featuring Kane wouldn't be such a bad idea. Honestly, a shot at the belt might give him the motivation he's been lacking and give him an excuse to return to form in the ring, since he's been on quite a downward slope over the last few years. Assuming, uh... yeah, assuming Batista doesn't win the World Title. Shit.<br /><br />Unfortunately, even if the promise of a title shot WOULD give Kane that kind of an excuse, he hasn't won the match yet and his rumble with Christian last night stunk to high heaven. Remember when this guy was one of the more exciting legitimate heavyweights on the roster, when he'd shock and amaze by climbing to the top rope and flying through the air like a man half his size? Yeah, I don't know what happened to that guy... the Kane they've got on the air right now seems to be perfectly happy working the exact same match, night in and night out.<br /><br />Fortunately, Edge and Chris Jericho got more than three minutes to tell their story, and the result was one of Jericho's best efforts of the year thus far and one of Edge's most psychologically-sound fights. I loved that, rather than merely going into autopilot and working a plain free TV match, these two went out there and worked a style that was significantly different to what they've been doing recently. Edge's work has been pretty solid over the last few months, but Y2J's stuff has been quickly sinking into monotony, so it was nice to see him rattle things up by abandoning his current interpretation of Bret Hart's "five moves of doom" (climbing enzuigiri / high knee in the ropes / springboard dropkick / running bulldog / walls of jericho) and working an entire fight focused on his opponent's arm. I'm not sure why he went for the walls near the end of the match, because if there's one area of the body that's NOT affected by that particular finisher it's the arm, but I guess I should be happy with what I got. I like that Edge is constantly working with three or four credible finishers at the moment, and the finish worked for me, ref bump or no. A nice, solid match to wake the crowd up and build some interest in the WrestleMania six-way.<br /><br />I've gotta say, though, that regardless of whether this business with Lita is legit or a clever work, Edge is one of the smartest guys on RAW to have involved himself in it, especially at this point in his career. His heel run's at its climax, he JUST blew off his huge feud with Shawn Michaels, he doesn't seem to have anyone in particular lined up over the next couple of months and he's in danger of losing some of the momentum he'd built with the audience. Now that word's "leaked out" about his relationship with Lita, the crowd doesn't want to stop giving him shit about it. I wouldn't be surprised if he rode this notereity right into a permanent main event slot.<br /><br />Randy Orton followed that welcome change of pace up by marching out to the ring, refusing to beat around the bush even a little bit, and straight-up challenging the Undertaker to a match at WrestleMania. This really wasn't the best environment for the young Orton, with the audience hot from both a great match and a loud bit of razzing at the expense of Edge, and when they tore into his hackneyed face act his expression showed immediate panic. He still managed to stumble through the rest of his challenge and the interaction with Eric Bischoff that followed, but I don't see what the RKO of the GM was supposed to accomplish. Bischoff's been slowly turning into a well-rounded general manager over the last six months, maintaining a tough attitude whether he's threatening faces or heels, and I wouldn't really say he's a heel on this show any more. He's been earning the audience's respect since the winter through hard work and tough on-air decisions. So, naturally, Orton hit him with his finisher for no particular reason. He took the warm congratulations of a guy probably twice his age, manipulated his words, threatened him, and then attacked him from behind when he grew sick of the games and had turned to leave the ring. So, uh... who's confused about why people aren't biting on his "big time face turn"?<br /><br />Fortunately, Chris Benoit and Shelton Benjamin came in to sweep up that mess and turn the whole show around with an explosively entertaining match. It was just thrilling to see these guys out there with somebody who can keep up with that kind of a pace from bell to bell, and I can't wait to see how that interaction plays out in the WrestleMania ladder match. This is about as good an example of two guys at the top of their field letting it all hang out in a match with little or no storyline aside from their motivation to look strong going into the year's biggest show. I can't gush enough about it. Just a great match-up that I'd love to see expanded in future singles matches somewhere down the line.<br /><br />Before I could get too excited about the prospects of a future series between Benoit and Benjamin, however, Christy Hemme and Trish Stratus came out to ruin my night. I think my feelings about Christy's active involvement in the women's division are pretty well known (here's a hint; I feel the same way about Stacey or Torrie... keep them out of the fucking RING) and this whole feud is just killing Trish, as well. While her character was beginning to show its limitations before Christy came onto the scene, it's gone beyond the point of no return since. I don't care for her "valley girl" heel act at all any more, and imagine how her credibility will look if and when she actually drops the belt at 'Mania. They might as well have a buried alive match April 3rd, because this division is dead meat.<br /><br />Finally, Batista met Ric Flair in one of the tamer main events we've seen in the last year. Somebody must've put a big sign in the back that said "REMEMBER TO USE PSYCHOLOGY" this week, because both Flair and Jericho were working twice as hard to isolate and destroy their chosen body part. Jericho was lucky to have Edge on the other side of the ring, who knew how to sell the injury and work it into the story of the match itself, but Flair wasn't quite as fortunate. He hit Batista with some offense that looked absolutely devastating, especially the spot where he fell into the big man's knee in the ropes and kept the brunt of his weight on it for nearly half a minute, but "the Animal" shook it off in almost Goldbergian fashion. I'm not sure if that was the limits of his ability in the ring shining through or upper management's unwillingness to make him look weak, but all it did was make Flair look like an ineffective retard (no, even <strong>moreso</strong> than before) and Batista look like a third grader's superhero.<br /><br />And I'm with John, the "thumbs down" expression is getting old really fast. Batista looks like the kid who made a really funny joke once that made everybody laugh, and now he won't quit telling it because he thinks it made him popular. It was witty and impressive one time, and now it's redundant and silly. Find something else to latch onto, please.<br /><br />I liked this week's show. The matches were vastly improved over last week's episode, a couple of interesting strides were made toward WrestleMania (it's about time) and Kurt Angle delivered a killer opening promo to get the show off on the right foot. On the other hand, I don't like the way they're restricting Batista's growth, (considering the audience basically dictated his slot in the 'Mania main event, why are they trying to force feed him to us now?) they're still digging a hole for Randy Orton, and this thing between Trish and Christy is absurdly stupid. I'm giving this a better mark than last week, but these grades should be much, much higher going into what's usually the most anticipated event of the year.<br /><br /><center>On a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is poor and 10 is amazing...<br /><b><u>Overall Score:</u> 6.3</b></center>drqshadowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14114632623890865250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-511006337599846371.post-33714022007527189422005-02-28T11:34:00.000-08:002007-09-03T11:37:24.982-07:00WWE RAW Review: 02/28/05Surprise! It's time to open the show up with a Triple H promo! Honestly, I hate on the guy a lot and I've seen more opening promos out of him than I'd ever care to see from anybody anywhere, but he's generally the most reliable promo man on RAW, (with guys like Jericho, Christian and Michaels running hot and cold at times) and he really does make a pretty decent default opener. He knows when and where to throw in the emotion, he covers all the points that need to be covered logically, he can kill time when necessary, (and, occasionally, when unnecessary) and he does it all with incredible consistency. Last night's promo didn't get me wobbly at the knees and totally, single-handedly, sell me on his upcoming match with Batista, but it hit all the points in a reasonable amount of time and was, overall, pretty solid. It's getting to be near the end of the road for this generic storyline, however, where he's faced by a challenger who "finally breaks through Hunter's intimidation and exposes him for the coward he really is," because they've done that with almost every PPV challenger since Scott Steiner at the 2003 Royal Rumble. Each of Hunter's last three WrestleMania opponents (Benoit, Michaels and Booker) rode that very same wave, and now Batista's already on his way out to sea on it as well.<br /><br />Should I comment on Trips' title defense against Hurricane Helms? Nah, I don't think I could say anything that I haven't already said before.<br /><br />I can't let the wild Benoit fanboyism blind me to the fact that his match with Muhammad Hassan was extremely, extremely sloppy... and while a lot of that blame should lie at the feet of his young opponent, it's really Benoit's job as the seasoned veteran to cover up for those mistakes and turn them into afterthoughts at best. Last night he didn't do it with Hassan, and four or five weeks ago he didn't do it (alongside Chris Jericho) with La Resistance. Two matches that really could've been quite good, but hit a bump somewhere and exploded spectacularly. It's a shame, too, because like that match against La Resistance, this one started off better than I'd expected. Benoit played the grizzled veteran, absorbing offense and grabbing a significant early advantage before losing his focus and falling for the ageless "manager on the ring apron" trick. Both guys were doing some great selling when they were on defense, but once Hassan semi-blew a backbreaker midway through the match it went downhill in a hurry.<br /><br />Somebody check me into the crazy house, because I really enjoyed the way the Benjamin / Snitsky mini-feud wrapped up last night. Don't get me wrong, the match itself was nothing worth remembering... actually, it's probably something I'd rather forget as soon as humanly possible... but the story made sense and actually seemed to build both guys simultaneously. Shelton's title reign gained a lot of credibility thanks to the clean victory and his ability to work around his own frustrations and the strange rules of the match, while Snitsky's reputation goes up a couple notches, thanks to the frequently competitive challenges for Benjamin's belt and the continued establishment of his image as a crazed monster. I'm surprised the match was wrapped up so quickly, considering the simultaneous pushes they seem to be orchestrating for both guys, but I guess it was more important to devote a little more time to the Batista / Triple H story that's dominated RAW over the last two months than to a puny midcard blowoff. Snitsky was just terrible in the ring here, there's no two ways about it, and Shelton needs to quit landing the stinger splash on guys twice his size. It isn't convincing, and it makes both he and his opponent look like dipshits for trying it and then selling it. It worked against Hunter because it caught him by surprise and they're of a comparable size. Tell me it wouldn't look totally stupid against the Big Show or Kane, however, and you're kidding yourself.<br /><br />I've been getting into MMA lately, chatting with a buddy at work about the pros and cons of each promotion whenever the boss isn't cracking the whip, and he made an interesting point the other day. We were discussing the differences between PRIDE and UFC, and he put it simply, saying "on a PRIDE PPV, it seems like every match is a great fight. The guys are well matched, the big names are fighting each other up and down the card, and the action feels like it means more. In UFC, there's usually one or two big fights and a lot of filler." It sounded familiar, because one of the things that really impressed me about the wrestling scene back in the mid 90s, when I started watching again after a hiatus of a few years, was how the regular broadcasts had become so competitive and never seemed to feature jobber matches or blatant squashes like the old episodes of WWF Superstars and Saturday Night's Main Event I'd grown up on. It was that strong, ongoing competition that really hooked me again on pro wrestling, and it's something I'm starting to see fade away in the current scene. Instead of stacked cards from top to bottom, we're occasionally getting Kurt Angle vs. Local Jobber #5 or last night's match between Chris Masters and some random guy off the indy circuit. It's not really a big enough issue to completely annoy me yet, but it's something I'm keeping an eye on from week to week. I don't want to see Chris Masters flatten a no-name in sixty five seconds, I want to see if he's got what it takes to compete with the big names on RAW. I don't have a lot of confidence in his abilities in the ring right now, so give him an opportunity to either prove me wrong or write his own ticket home. Bullshit like that match last night is only confirming his total lack of coordination on the mat as far as I'm concerned.<br /><br /><em>(Since I posted this edition, I've had a couple responses in the forums pointing out that my friend's point-of-view is just about entirely wrong. RRC Member and resident MMA guru Scott Newman had an interesting response to the idea; "That's incredibly far from the truth, Q. Obviously your friend said it, not you....but he's wrong. Pride generally has two or three *huge* marquee matches at the top of the card, and then a host of mismatches and freak shows designed to entertain the Japanese down the card. The mismatches are cool to watch sometimes, though, I'll admit. UFC RARELY has 'filler'. The names might be lesser, but they put together fights that are a lot, lot closer on paper than most of Pride's." The comparison still works if you switch Pride for UFC and vice versa, though, so the point I was trying to make is still valid. Just for completion's sake. Anyway. Back to the column.)</em><br /><br />The Batista / JR / Evolution promo was pretty decent, although I didn't get all that excited about it for the reasons I explained in my opening paragraph. I've seen this "Holy shit Trips is sceered" storyline several times in the past and it's not doing anything for me this pass. Part of the reason I loved this feud so much when it first kicked off was the non-traditional approach they seemed to be taking with it. Batista was the antithesis of your typical WWE big man; he had the power moves in the ring and the usual short temper, but in the back he was tremendously well-spoken and well-dressed. He said things you'd imagine a normal guy would say, and took offense to being portrayed as a small-minded idiot just because of his build. And that's exactly what Hunter was doing over and over and over again, whether he meant to do so or not. Every word that came out was a cocky jab at the guy that was supposed to be his teammate, and it was great to see the big man's patience tried time and time again. Once Batista emerged from the Royal Rumble, though, things took a swift turn back toward the traditional. Hunter started manipulating, Batista started playing the part of the easily-led, and now we're right back at this same old confrontation between the hungry young challenger and the paranoid, egotistical champion.<br /><br />Sorry, I guess I got off on a bit of a rant. The interview segment was pretty good, really, and Batista's facials were just brilliant (he sincerely appeared as though he were having a great time embarrassing his former teammates out there) while Hunter and Flair played their roles to perfection. Big Dave's still got some room for improvement on the stick, but he doesn't seem to be afraid of the mic and he doesn't trip over his own words. He needs to learn how to work an audience on the stick, as he stampeded past several moments where the crowd was just begging him for an excuse to pop, and I felt like I was watching a Presidential Debate with the way he totally ignored the fact that JR had asked him the questions in the first place, but all in all he's in much better shape than most of his peers. I don't see how two punches could put Flair down long enough to make him easy pickins for a spinebuster and a demon bomb, nor do I see how that complete demolition makes next week's match between the two seem appealing in the slightest, but that's neither here nor now and I guess I'll have to wait another seven days before I can complain about that logic. A well-performed segment, but I'm not a fan of the direction.<br /><br />The Maven vs. Chris Jericho match wasn't accomplishing anything, so i suppose it's just as well that it didn't last very long. I thought they missed a nice opportunity to capitalize off of some lingering storyline threads from the Survivor Series here, as Jericho and Maven haven't had any sort of face-to-face since they were teammates fighting for control of RAW on that PPV, but there I go using that silly logical brain of mine again. You'd think I would've learned by now. Instead of facing off like two former buddies who have since soured on one another, they fought like two guys who just met. Jericho's matches are becoming more and more formulaic when he isn't motivated by the prospect of a killer match with Chris Benoit.<br /><br />And what was up with that post-match, promo, anyway? As if it wasn't weird enough for him to spontaneously propose a WrestleMania gimmick match, seemingly off the top of his head after a victory, he can't even finish his thought before the music kicks on and sends him back up the entryway. You'd have thought he was in the middle of a long-winded acceptance speech at the Oscars, and the program director had instructed the orchestra to start warming up. Strange...<br /><br />Oh, hooray! Christy's here to unveil the cover to her upcoming issue of Playboy! Isn't that why we have Shotgun Saturday Night or something? What? We don't have SSN anymore? What about WWE eXperience? Have they canned that show yet? There has to be a better time and place to promote this thing, and I still don't have any interest whatsoever in a match between Trish and Ms. Diva Search. Moving on!<br /><br />The backstage run-in between Randy Orton and Superstar Billy Graham was a good idea, but Graham really felt like he was forced to memorize his lines at gunpoint, and he was so concerned about missing a word here or there that he forgot to include any kind of emotion or intonation. It's like he was one of those dry, emotionless studio actors they always manage to dig up when it's time to produce a new office training video or something... really sad, when you think about it. If the guy's worthy of an entry in your Hall of Fame, he's worthy of the opportunity to add his own flair to a short backstage promo. Looks like they're moving on the Orton / Undertaker "phenom / legend killer" match.<br /><br />Hey, speaking of the Hall of Fame, they actually called Hulk Hogan... "Hulk" Hogan, not "Hollywood." Did they get that whole mess with Marvel Comics sorted out and I just missed it? Or are they just using the name anyway and hoping it'll all go away, like they did with the World Wildlife Fund?<br /><br />Finally, Shawn Michaels and Edge sent in their second outstanding efforts in as many weeks, simply owning the show with their heated main event street fight. This is a great example of what a good street fight should be; they didn't rush into booking it, the characters had been at each other's throats (both backstage and in the ring) for months, and there needed to be a definitive winner so they turned to the gimmick match as a last resort. Once there, they didn't mindlessly fall into a traditional wrestling match, throwing each other around the ring and bouncing off of the ropes like a usual match with slightly different attire. Instead, they turned it into a violent, emotional brawl that was further emphasized by HBK's sickeningly effective blade job right around the halfway mark. This wasn't the same match we've seen two or three times before, even though it involved the same two workers, and the closing sequence was long, exciting and ultimately very rewarding. It was great to see the involvement of a ladder in a match with two guys who pretty much revolutionized its use (and I can't BELIEVE I didn't recognize that association before) and I really enjoyed the back-and-forth crotch shots that kept the momentum of the match swirling. Seriously, if they were legal, (as JR reminded us it was in this match) just about anybody would want to employ more crotch shots than straight punches to the face. There'll be plenty of time to brutalize your opponent's face when he's doubled over and clutching his family jewels.<br /><br />Seriously, just a great main event that did everything in its power to erase the so-so episode that had preceded it and finally delivered the killer singles match everybody was waiting for between HBK and Edge. Plus, you've gotta love the way Edge sold that sweet chin music, collapsing awkwardly onto his own left leg and staying that way even after Michaels had collected the pinfall. It says a lot that I almost immediately forgot about the comedic brilliance of the front row fan and his "Fuck the FCC" sign (which was almost immediately confiscated) that happened in the opening moments of the fight, because I'm notorious for overlooking a match when shit like that goes down.<br /><br />And, not a half second after the ref had counted the pinfall, Kurt Angle hit the ring and completely obliterated what was left of Shawn Michaels. Angle was so quick and so frenzied in his actions that I initially thought a fan had jumped the barricade and caught everyone by surprise. When I said last week that the way they booked Batista's turn was flawless, I meant it. And I mean it again this week, when I say the same thing of Kurt Angle. While he didn't necessarily change allegiances, he did take a big new step as a character and left an immediate impression on the RAW fans. That's the way it's done... I'd trade all of the unforgettable promos in the world for a short, vicious, all-but-voiceless bit of interaction like that. The image of Angle, his face and chest smeared with blood, looking down at the puddle of blood and chunks that was once Shawn Michaels, is about as close to an iconic picture as you're ever going to see in a WWE ring. Great way to kick off a feud that I honestly wasn't all that stoked about going in.<br /><br />The last half hour saved this show from the depths. Plain and simple. I can't think of a better way to describe my feelings than that (except maybe IEEEEEEEEEEEEE!) Between the dumbing-down of the Batista / Hunter feud, the failure of the Benoit / Hassan match, the terror that was Gene Snitsky in the ring, another Chris Masters squash, a meaningless match between Chris Jericho and Maven and a confrontation between Trish and Christy that got way too much time, this show didn't have a prayer until HBK, Edge and Angle got together. And even after all that, I can't say this package was above average.<br /><br /><center>On a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is poor and 10 is amazing...<br /><b><u>Overall Score:</u> 4.8</b></center>drqshadowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14114632623890865250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-511006337599846371.post-63651563603568646682005-02-21T11:38:00.000-08:002007-09-03T11:39:48.440-07:00WWE RAW Review: 02/21/05Wow, right out of the gates we were off and running with a rare Women's Title defense on RAW. And, wouldn't you know, it's a triple threat match! I'll let you make the snide little comments about this one match featuring the entire women's division yourself, because I think I've gone over the point about a dozen times in the last few months. Wait, no I won't. Trish, Victoria and Molly are the ENTIRE FREAKING DIVISION. I'm still having trouble coming to terms with that particular reality. It gets even worse when I realize Lita will be back some day to boost the division's numbers up to four. Anyway, this was a strange little match that felt more like an athletic exhibition than an actual competition. Once again, Molly seemed to be involved only to absorb some offense and kill time while Victoria and Trish were out of the ring, although there was a bit of interesting conversation between the heels around the halfway mark. Put bluntly, Trish's heel character has lapsed into repetition and isn't doing anything for me, Molly's been a de-facto heel without a convincing win since this time last year, and Victoria's quietly dancing in an empty room somewhere right this moment. Remember when this division was consistently putting the men to shame, when the ladies' characters were original yet believable, when any single woman could conceivably win the title on any given night? Yeah, I've abandoned any hope about a resurrection of all that.<br /><br />Good lord, are they SERIOUS about throwing Christy Hemme into this division? I really don't care if she calls Trish a slut, if Trish slaps her for it, or if the crazy wacky GoDaddy makeup lady thinks her overused comebacks are hilarious. Seriously. They'd better not be thinking about selling me a WrestleMania card that features a Christy Hemme Title match.<br /><br />That Basic Instinct WrestleMania promo is pure gold, right up until Mae Young and Moolah trot on for the cheap pop, continuing their hunt for that elusive hundred thousandth "old lady sex joke." Christian and Chris Benoit are particularly great in it... Benoit's lack of personality is twice as funny in this situation, and Christian's one-liners are fantastic. Wish I could say I was nearly as impressed by the other two ads I've seen, but hey. One winner out of three attempts is better odds than I'm used to seeing as far as WWE comedy segments are concerned.<br /><br />See? I told you last week's squash at the hands of Kane wasn't the end of Simon Dean's suffering. RAW will always have a need for designated jobbers, which is why I'm convinced Steven Richards and Val Venis will always have a job in WWE. Unfortunately, Chris Jericho seems to be moving dangerously close to that designation himself, a fact which was further emphasized by the difficulty he seemed to be having with Dean here. I'm still absolutely floored that they didn't have anything else planned for Simon Dean's RAW career, especially considering the amount of time and effort they devoted to hyping his arrival initially. Seriously, those months upon months of mock infomercials and vignettes were just there to introduce a personal fitness parody with a magic, weighted gym bag? Did I somehow wake up in 1986, or is Vince just angry that he never capitalized on that great "jazzercise satire" character he thought up back in the day?<br /><br />Oh yeah, but Simon was wrestling this week. Not a particularly good showing from either guy, with Jericho seemingly content to paint by the numbers (which is something I'm beginning to notice a little more frequently from Y2J) and Dean flopping his way through a couple of mildly botched spots. It's sad to see two guys who don't care about their match on RAW, especially when there are thousands of guys on the indy scene right now who would kill for that four minutes of national exposure.<br /><br />Wow, Tyson Tomko was given a mic and managed to form a coherent sentence or two. Watch now as I do a little dance here in my cubicle. Nah, actually, in all fairness the "problem solver" has been one of the more steadily-improving members on RAW over the last few months, learning from his tag team experience alongside Christian and slowly showing bits and pieces of an interesting "straight man" personality. Of course, considering how bad he was when he first came onto the scene, that's not quite as much of a compliment as you'd expect, but any progress is better than no progress at all. Or negative progress, if we're talking about Gene Snitsky. Regardless of his slow-but-steady progress, however, Tyson Tomko wasn't quite ready to carry his own weight in a singles match just yet, especially against another big man like Kane. Fortunately this was kept short, considering Double-T seemed to have already exhausted his moveset, allthough I'm not sure what the match did for either guy.<br /><br />The audience's reactions to Muhammad Hassan have me constantly scratching my head, and the booking / writing teams may want to take a closer look at them for future reference. See how people want to boo this guy for being different and speaking his mind? See how confused and, ultimately, quiet they get when he calls them hypocrites for engaging in pro-USA chants, when it's been stated over and over again that he was born and raised in the United States? See how my head wants to spontaneously explode when a Canadian rushes to the ring to defend America's honor against one of its own citizens? Sure, the Hassan experiment has been incredibly interesting to watch, and it seems to be generating heat like crazy right now, but I don't think that constantly confusing the audience is really something the writers should be contemplating right now. It's not something I'd imagine would be all that likely to draw.<br /><br />I really liked the way the Orton / HBK vs. Edge & Christian match turned out, although I think it's kind of strange that Christian doesn't have any reservations about tagging up with his older brother, considering what happened to him after the first time they reunited a few months ago. Aha, but I'm thinking logically... I always forget to flip my mind into the "off" position during an episode of RAW. Christian and Orton were working well together again this week, with Orton almost immediately sliding into the role of the cocky asshole after his victory in their singles match last week. Likewise, Christian was great alongside Edge again, as the two finally rediscovered the cohesiveness they had together as a team all those years ago. They were bending rules, cutting corners and making quick tags like second nature last night, and their experience together was obvious when contrasted by the team of Orton and Michaels. This wasn't an exceptionally hot match, nor was it out-of-this-world important, but it was really tight, nicely worked and very competitive, all around. I just can't fathom how Christian is still the fall guy in these kind of situations, considering how good he's been over the last year. I guess some things aren't meant to be understood.<br /><br />Oh, hey! In the aftermath of this week's super-great TV match, (which is becoming like a tradition on RAW after a full year now... even on the shittiest of episodes, you can count on there being at least one outstanding match) Chris Masters made his big debut as "The Masterpiece," which must be urban slang for "another veiny monster with a face that's identical to every other young guy on the roster." I can't keep up with all the terminology you kids use these days. Not the best debut I've ever seen, and I'm simply amazed they're trying to get the full nelson over as a legitimate finisher again. Basically, this was a short, ugly, uninspiring debut for the most recent in the series of OVW trainees who aren't quite ready for the big time. It's OK Chris, a lot of Van Gogh's masterpieces didn't sell right away, either.<br /><br />I liked the story they were trying to tell with the Benjamin / Snitsky match, and Shelton did a great job of carrying the plot with his body language and facial expressions, but I can't get past Snitsky's complete ineptitude in the ring. That's really all I've got for this one. Benjamin had a very good showing and did what he could with the lump of flesh and bones that was waiting for him in the ring, and Snitsky did a great job of, uh... letting Benjamin bust his chin open with that chair. It was a cool visual when that first trickle of blood slid its way down to his neck after the match. As with the Trish / Christy rivalry, I've got my fingers crossed they don't try to stretch this thing to WrestleMania.<br /><br />Hunter then totally reinforced the idea that no wrestler in the world could possibly be watching their television set when he's speaking, revealing his big master plan to convince Batista to jump to Smackdown and basically turning Teddy Long heel just by association. I thought that maybe, given the slightly unconventional capacity for intelligence they've given Batista thus far, they'd use this opportunity to finally kill that debate by showing Batista elsewhere in the building, planted in front of a TV set and shaking his head. Or maybe, I hoped, they'd go the subtle route; Flair never hit the "end" button on his cel phone at the beginning of the segment, as Hunter cut him off in the middle of leaving a voice mail for big Dave. The whole conversation could've been saved out in cyberspace somewhere. But nah, why go nontraditional with this one? Batista was merely hanging around outside of the door. As a result of these backstage revelations, (not to mention the means by which they were revealed) the segment felt flat and the live audience was robbed of the chance to deliver a staggeringly huge pop. Weird decision.<br /><br />And, finally, all of WWE's shit was seemingly flung into all of WWE's fans in time for the main event, which featured Eric Bischoff and Teddy Long's last-second recruitment speeches, Triple H and Ric Flair's attempts at subtlety and Batista's ultimate decision to stay on RAW and obliterate his former running buddies. I like that they seem to be making a tradition out of last year's "loophole leaping," giving the Rumble winner his choice of champions to face at WrestleMania, and I liked that both Eric and Teddy had a few strong points in their favor during their brief promos. I loved Bischoff's over-the-top reaction when Batista threw the RAW clipboard to the mat and seemed to have made the decision to jump ship, but was surprised to see no similar emotion from Teddy Long when the big man flip-flopped and stuck with Monday Nights. The guy's job was basically on the line, right? So why did he just calmly file out of the ring and stroll to the back after he'd failed?<br /><br />Regardless of the GMs' reactions and Evolution's cheesy, James Bond-esque revelation of their entire evil plans in complete detail, this closing segment really delivered. Batista was no doubt riding on huge emotions, yet kept himself under control and made a serious impact with just a few quick actions. The slow transition from a thumbs up to a thumbs down served as a nice bookend to Evolution's story, considering it's past uses in association with the stable, and gave the audience a catalyst to begin their explosion. The quick elimination of Ric Flair from the ring kept any backlash from the thousands of die-hard Nature Boy fans who always seem to be in attendance to a minimum, and the final powerbomb through the table was almost disgustingly effective. That's the way you turn somebody face. That's... yeah, that's the way it's done.<br /><br />Lots of quickie segments and matches this week made the first hour main event tag and the Batista contract signing even more critical to the program's overall success. Fortunately enough, both delivered, but I can't say the same for the rest of the episode. Nothing really seemed like it was flowing together this week, with what must've been half a dozen meaningless three minute matches and a wide array of uninspired, uninteresting promos and backstage segments. This isn't exactly how I'd hoped the road to WrestleMania would begin, although the RAW main event is still solid. Above average based off of the strength and length of those two big segments, but below a six due to the weakness of the rest of the program.<br /><br /><center>On a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is poor and 10 is amazing...<br /><b><u>Overall Score:</u> 5.8</b></center>drqshadowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14114632623890865250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-511006337599846371.post-40798517696943223612005-02-14T11:40:00.000-08:002007-09-03T11:42:11.387-07:00WWE RAW Review: 02/14/05RAW was coming off of a crazy-hot show in crazy-hot Japan this week, and combining that fact with the knowledge that it was indeed Valentine's Day and a relatively large portion of the show's regular audience was more than likely out on the town, I didn't exactly have high hopes. Sure, WrestleMania's looming larger and larger on the horizon and it's really getting to be time for those big wheels of promotion to turn a little bit faster, but with a predictably smaller-than-usual home audience to entertain, I just couldn't shake the feeling they were going to half-ass it this week.<br /><br />Well, it didn't take long before those concerns were laid to rest, as Chris Jericho opened the show with his Highlight Reel and promptly ignited the live crowd with a few choice words and the appearance of the GoDaddy Girl. I didn't even realize who she was during the Bowl, and really don't give all that much of a fuck now that I do. And even though I proudly support GoDaddy, (I renewed by domain there until 2010 about two weeks before the game) I wasn't amused when she and Jericho spent a few minutes going over the success of the commercial, not to mention PLAYING THE DAMN THING ON THE TITAN TRON. As if RAW doesn't take enough commercial breaks as it is.<br /><br />Fortunately, Muhammad Hassan interrupted before they could pull out the T-Shirt gun and begin firing GoDaddy shirts, hats, sweaters and scarves into the crowd, and proceeded to have a pretty decent exchange in the ring with Chris Jericho. He's caught some flack for it in the forums lately, but I don't have a problem with Jericho's character at the moment, constantly wise-cracking at his opponent's expense and avoiding the points of the heels' arguments almost effortlessly. He acts like the egotistical, yet popular, snide prankster that everybody seems to have known in high school, and that's not too far of a reach from the things he'll say and do as a heel character. He knows how to push people's buttons, he knows he's usually pretty funny (almost to a fault) and he's got the vocal wherewithal to deflect the bad guy's valid points, replacing them with meaningless chitter chatter without most of the audience catching on. If this promo were meant to be launching an epic storyline, maybe I'd have been a little bit put off by his flippant approach, but since all it was meant to do was set up the match that followed, I think it did the job nicely. Hassan quickly grew fed-up with the verbal disrespect and hastily agreed to a match on the spot, which is exactly what Jericho seemed to be after all along.<br /><br />A really strangely-timed commercial broke up the flow from that segment into the Hassan / Jericho match, (plus we've been conditioned to accept that a face's spontaneous challenge will always go unanswered, especially when it occurs in the opening segment) so it took me a few minutes to get into the action. After I'd gained my bearings, I can't say I was overly impressed nor unimpressed... the match was there, it wasn't awful, but it didn't really light my world on fire, either. It's nice to see Jericho's starting to shake things up a bit in the ring, trading in his tried-and-true springboard dropkick to the apron into a springboard shoulderblock all the way out to the floor, and Hassan kept up relatively well. I'm still not sold on Muhammad's capabilities in the ring, as he hasn't broken out anything that's really caught my attention of yet and a lot of his offense seems tame and outdated. Sunset flips, atomic drops, elbowdrops, meh... it's good to see he knows the basics, but the window of opportunity is closing on his chance to really impress the fans in the ring without being judged beforehand. He can keep up with Chris Jericho, but he can't turn it up when given the chance. Even his finisher's boring and uninspired. Hassan's a great character with worlds of potential and a very strong interview, but c'mon man... give the crowd something to fear in the ring.<br /><br />The threat of a JBL appearance on RAW delivered a nice underlying thread to the entire episode, although I don't think the implications of Smackdown's champ showing up on RAW are quite as monumental as the writers were hoping. With all due credit, they've done a very good job of keeping the rosters separate and constantly emphasizing the two shows as distinctly different brands, but good ol' JR was promoting the idea of JBL on RAW as though it were a rival promotion's headliner appearing without warning on their airwaves. Even if Bradshaw had appeared on-camera, it's not quite something I'd put on the level of Ric Flair showing up with the NWA World Title around his waist or Scott Hall strolling down the aisle on Nitro. Not yet, anyway. Maybe given a few more years and a little less interaction between the rosters.<br /><br />I don't know how anybody could've looked at the Snitsky / Benjamin match and said "Eh, it wasn't so bad." Just because it didn't approach the levels of suck established by that unending string of Kane / Gene-o matches doesn't mean this wasn't a terrible fight all the same. This had the potential of turning into a decent David vs. Goliath story, but David never managed to get up off of the mat long enough to establish himself and Goliath grew bored, opting to put an end to the whole thing with a reckless chair shot somewhere near what should've been the midway mark. Not that I'm pissed because we were short-changed on Gene Snitsky TV-time, God no, but if this segment had any hope of redemption it was all blown away when the baby stomper grabbed hold of that chair and swung. How did Snitsky go from a joke of a one-night-only opponent for Kane, somebody completely helpless to the point that Lita had to interfere to save his life, to a murderous, spittin', rugged, unstoppable monster tearing his way through the upper midcard? What light switch was flipped, and where can I locate it, so that I might switch it back off again. Watching him stammer and play mad / frustrated after this match, I realized what a potential liability Snitsky really is to RAW; he's a reinforcement of every stupid, outdated, insultingly simple stereotype that's ever plagued pro wrestling in the modern age. He's a ridiculously big man, to the point that steroids aren't even a possibility, they're a certainty. He's got the goofy, pseudo-angry-guy face down pat, from the cartoony eyeballs to the puckered lips to the inflated cheeks to the slow transition of his skin color from fleshy to bright red. He picks people up and throws them around without a shred of strategy in mind, and oversells beyond the point of believability if he's ever on the receiving end. He's just... I don't know. The kind of example we shouldn't be producing for potential casual viewers?<br /><br />The tag title was better, although I wouldn't go so far as to say it was especially good. Grenier and Conway are finally starting to function together as a cohesive team, which is nice to see after the two or three years they must have been working together by now, and both seem to have put on some bulk recently (Conway noticeably so). Tajiri and Regal bring a strange dynamic with them to the ring, and I'm not really sure if it's working or not at this point, but kudos (I guess) to WWE for trying out new pairings from time to time. This finished kind of abruptly, which is something I'll generally welcome... I love seeing a match end after a strong flurry by one guy and a well-timed cover. Par for the course for these two teams, although their matches have been growing steadily better so I'll mourn the end of their series if that's what this was.<br /><br />Randy Orton and Christian followed that up, and basically tore the house down. Both of these guys are generally pretty hit-or-miss, so I didn't know what to expect going in, but they exceeded every single expectation I could've had. Something about this really felt like a big, important singles match, as if a major title were on the line or they were in a prime spot on an important card, and the match they worked within that environment was just about flawless. They hinted at recent history, with Christian seemingly always on the hunt for a cheap shot to Orton's head that might result in another concussion and Orton doing his best to turn the tide in his own favor. Once Tyson Tomko was sent to the back, these two went into a dead sprint and never looked back, running neck and neck all the way to the finish and undoubtedly turning a few heads along the way. I hope against hope this wasn't the last time we see these two in the ring together, and that it'll serve as a precursor to a potentially bigger face-off at WrestleMania. Neither guy has anything else on his plate at the moment, and a little competition between upper-crust midcarders could really inject some excitement into the 'Mania lineup. I can't give this match enough praise, excellent work from both guys.<br /><br />Have we learned our lesson yet about putting all our eggs into one basket with Lita, Trish and the women's division? Do we REALLY need to suffer through a match between Trish and Christy before the powers that be figure out where they went wrong?<br /><br />I didn't see the Simon Dean match as so much of a closing chapter to the weight-loss maestro's story as the rest of the forums seemed to. What, was his match against Shelton Benjamin two weeks ago any more competitive than this? I don't think anybody expected Dean to come out and just wipe the floor with Kane, and he's certainly not the first to job in no time at all to the Big Red Machine. This was a nothing match, really, I don't even know why I'm still talking about it. Next month I'll have completely forgotten about it.<br /><br />I know I'm crazy for admitting it, but this slow burn build to the Angle / Michaels WrestleMania face-off isn't doing anything for me. It was crazy as hell to see Kurt losing his mind outside of the ring during the Rumble and tearing HBK to pieces, but it's kind of fallen by the wayside with all the talk and subtle hinting that's followed. I guess you don't want to have Kurt already building to an obvious match with Michaels at 'Mania when he's still supposed to be in contention for the Smackdown Title shot at that same event.<br /><br />Finally, the main event of Batista vs. Edge... was really, really disappointing. This felt rushed, despite getting plenty of time, and both guys looked awkward and uncomfortable with one another, which was something I noticed during their brief interaction in the main event last week, too. When Batista hit the spinebuster that cost Edge his chances at the World Title, it was mistimed and only came together after a weird shuffling of feet. At the time, I wanted to write it off as just a nearly-missed spot but after this full match, I've got my doubts. Batista's power offense doesn't look as convincing against Edge's lankier, taller frame and Edge's signature spots aren't as effective when they're shrugged off by Evolution's big monster. These guys just never clicked... nothing that can't be corrected by a string of matches on the road together, but not the ideal thing to have in the main event of an episode of RAW.<br /><br />Oh yeah, and "JBL" tried to run down Batista backstage, which was something so important that the Rumble winner couldn't take three seconds of his attention away from so he could cover Edge and grab the pinfall victory. I agreed with Scott up until recently, Batista's build as an unusually intelligent big man would suggest he can see right through this obvious Triple H manipulation, but this week I grew a bit doubtful. He was lacking that grim, knowing face when he looked down at Hunter and proclaimed "I guess I'm going to Smackdown this week."<br /><br />Why do have four of the last five WrestleMania main attractions had something to do with attempted vehicular homicide of one kind or another? WMX7 was Austin's return to the World Title scene after an attempted rundown, X8 was kick-started when the nWo drove a semi into the Rock's ambulance, XIX had the Jericho / Hunter "dog-squashing" story and now XXI has used the fury of JBL's iron bull. WMXX was only excused from the trend because they'd just wrapped up with Shane McMahon's limousine rampage with Kane.<br /><br />Well, thank god for TiVo, because I was among the masses out at a restaurant with my lady when the show first took to the airwaves. And, despite my loud proclamations otherwise, I really didn't think this was that bad of a broadcast. It couldn't hold a torch to last week's Japanese debut, neither in terms of storytelling nor match quality, but it did move some gears, expand some stories and deliver on an outstanding Orton / Christian singles match. The main event wasn't everything it could've been, and the Benjamin / Snitsky match was just retarded, but I could live with a show like this every week.<br /><br /><center>On a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is poor and 10 is amazing...<br /><b><u>Overall Score:</u> 6.5</b></center>drqshadowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14114632623890865250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-511006337599846371.post-26165410528342931702005-02-07T11:43:00.000-08:002007-09-03T11:44:08.762-07:00WWE RAW Review: 02/07/05I didn't know what to think going into this week's episode, the first WWE event ever to be taped in Japan and immediately aired in the states, but I had a hunch it was going to be awkward. From the stunning differences between Japanese wrestling and American to the vast cultural differences in the countries' populations, something just seemed like it wasn't going to fit here. Fortunately enough, my worries were unfounded as the fans not only responded like your average WWE audience, they put them to shame. Truthfully, the fans and their appreciation for ringwork over promos (along with the obvious language barrier) actually seem to have forced the program into somewhat uncharted waters... the backstage segments were minimal to say the least, the actual wrestling was head and shoulders above what we'd been seeing recently, and even the promos and non-physical segments in the ring were short and to-the-point. It's almost like RAW was forced to improvise, and it brought out a whole new side of things that isn't half bad.<br /><br />There was one memorable cultural difference I couldn't keep myself from laughing over last night, come to think of it. Every time they'd cut to a wide shot of the crowd, some sort of music was playing and the audience was almost exclusively clapping along with it. So instead of the usual mulling audience we see during these shots on the typical episode, the Japanese fans looked like automatons, all clapping at exactly the same time, all showing exactly the same amount of emotion. It's like the effect the Hypno-Toad had on the audience in an old episode of Futurama.<br /><br />They stomped through the door this week, with Benoit and Jericho facing off in the opening bout after a hilarious bit of interaction between Bischoff, his Japanese interpreter and the audience. The interpreter's translation of "HBK" to "HKB," along with the crowd's amusingly ravenous hatred of him, made me wonder if he wasn't turning heel and cutting a promo on the local sports team, rather than simply repeating Bischoff's speech in his native tongue. Somebody has to have understood what he was saying, right? Was that just a trick to get the audience hot right off the bat?<br /><br />Benoit and Jericho delivered exactly what you'd expect, and even though the match was shorter than I'd expected, I loved it to pieces. The moderately quick finish actually spoke volumes about the legitimacy of submission wrestling rather than the weakness of Jericho for losing the match. Benoit was the first to actually lock in a definitive submission for any memorable period of time, with his crossface near the end, and though Jericho managed to escape it by reaching the ropes, his shoulder was weakened enough that he had no choice but to tap out when Benoit went back to work on it moments later. The shoulder actually factored into the spot before the Crippler's match-winning "modified crossface," as Jericho attempted the Walls and his injured joint couldn't keep Benoit's foot from wriggling free. This wasn't what I was expecting, but the more I've thought about it and the more I've theorized it, the more I've really begun to appreciate it. Sometimes great things come in small packages.<br /><br />Triple H's work promoting the eventual Batista turn have really taken a nosedive over the last couple of weeks. He's changed from a snide, self-centered, egotistical prick that audiences couldn't wait to see get what was coming to him, into a predictably bad liar, sucking up to Batista whenever possible and trying his damndest to make this "who played the Smackdown promo" storyline as obvious as humanly imaginable. The interest is starting to wane, and these clever allusions to a distant conflict somewhere down the line are starting to wear thin.<br /><br />Batista's really starting to look like Goldberg part two, which can be both a good thing and a bad thing. On one hand, Goldberg became a household name based off of his impressive string of dominating victories, his undeniable charisma in the ring and his imposing physique... but he slowly became one-dimensional and ran out of fresh opponents to squash. And WCW had about twice the underutilized talent WWE has at the moment. Maven's taken some big steps forward, both in the ring and on the mic, and while I'd have to be a permanent resident in the crazy house to say he deserves a big role in the midcard, he certainly deserves more of a chance than this.<br /><br />The Tag Title match was mostly fluff, and if it weren't for the violently hot crowd I don't think this would've been anything worth remembering. I like Regal and Tajiri, have for years now, but they weren't on the top of their games this week, despite the added incentive of winning the tag titles. The best thing about this match is it means we won't have to see quite as much of Sylvain Grenier over the next couple of weeks. I really don't think I've seen anyone more consistently inept and flavorless in the ring.<br /><br />Flair and Michaels, on the other hand, put on one of their better singles matches that used the audience's interest in the participants to heighten the drama, rather than relying on it (coupled with a hometown title change) to carry a below-average match as the tag teams had. Michaels is really starting to make a habit of playing the desperate face in peril, as he seems to have been absorbing offense all month long, although I can't complain about that this week because it tied perfectly into the story Flair was trying to tell. These two obviously have a great feel for one another after a dozen meetings in the past, and have reached the point where they could just hop out there on auto-pilot and deliver a great match. I loved Flair's furious disassembly of HBK's leg, the audience's anticipation of the Nature Boy's signature spots (they erupted when Flair just GLANCED at the top rope) and Michaels' selling. My only qualm with the match itself was the finish, as Shawn completely forgot about the knee Flair had been obliterating all match, landed on it while delivering his top-rope elbow, pounded it into the mat for his kip-up and stood on it while hitting his sweet chin music. This could've easily gone another ten minutes at the steady, impressive pace it had maintained, and the leg should've folded on Shawn once or twice in high-impact situations like those.<br /><br />What? They had a Diva "Fashion Show" last night? Yeah, I wasn't paying attention during that part of the airing. I guess I thought it was an extended "Axe" ad.<br /><br />Edge busted out a very nice promo that did everything it needed to; focused the audience's attention on the upcoming World Title match, maintained consistency with his character's past and earned himself a little bit of validity as challenger. I've always wondered why they bother defending the belt on TV when the PPV ads are already running for that week's big WWE PPV event. I'm amazed it's taken this long for someone to mention that convincingly in a backstage interview. Good stuff from the Edgester, it's nice to see last week's stupid, contradictory interaction with Christy was a one-time deal.<br /><br />Tyson Tomko's still showing signs of improvement, but he's not nearly to the point where I'd throw him into singles action against somebody like Randy Orton. Orton's decent, but not up to the task of carrying somebody like Tomko, and this match gave us a pretty good indication of that. It wasn't good, it wasn't bad, it just... was. I really like the groundwork they seem to be laying for a potential Christian / Orton faceoff at WrestleMania, however. That's a match I don't think we've ever seen before, between two guys on the cusp of becoming something excellent, and the build could be tremendous. Both are much better talkers than they are workers, although I wouldn't call either a slouch in the ring, and I think they could actually learn a thing or two about themselves in there under the brightest lights of 2005. The "<strong>R</strong>andy's <strong>K</strong>nocked <strong>O</strong>ut" storyline isn't really bothering me yet, although I'm starting to wonder if getting a concussion is his equivalent to Hulking Up. Nobody should be winning consecutive matches with a supposed serious head injury, let alone performing a wild flipping pinning combination in the corner like Orton used at the end of this one.<br /><br />I really liked most of the action in the Triple H / Edge match, and both guys seemed to be going out of their way to deliver something they've never done before. It's amazing how fresh a match can be, when you see two guys who have run through almost the exact same move sets for three straight years finally branch out and try something new. It was refreshing to see a match with no clear-cut crowd favorite, something that actually seemed to further emphasize each man's effort in the ring, and if it weren't for the goofy series of events that surrounded the finish I'd have called this a better match than Benoit / Jericho. This was such a nice, uncharacteristically free-flowing match, that the gimmicked interference at the end just stuck out like a sore thumb. Rather than worrying about his opponent, Edge's glance kept darting to the corner of the ring in anticipation of Batista's interference, and when the big man didn't get there precisely on time his spinebuster came off as awkwards and a lot less impressive than usual. The eventual outcome of this one was about the only really predictable spot of the night, and it sucked to end the show on that kind of note.<br /><br />This felt like a much looser, less rigidly structured program than what I've become accustomed to over the last few years. The interview segments felt a lot more fluid and believable. The wrestling, aside from a few noteworthy exceptions, wasn't overbooked and felt unsupervised... as if, god forbid, they actually let these guys go out there and WORK, rather than paint by the numbers. This felt more like a sporting event and less like a TV drama, which was a welcome change of pace, and even though I didn't think as highly of it as the entirety of the forums seem to have, I still wholeheartedly enjoyed a lot of it.<br /><br /><center>On a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is poor and 10 is amazing...<br /><b><u>Overall Score:</u> 7.7</b></center>drqshadowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14114632623890865250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-511006337599846371.post-48661749400145434802005-01-31T11:44:00.000-08:002007-09-03T11:46:49.003-07:00WWE RAW Review: 01/31/05Well, the Rumble is dust and Batista did it. He survived the alleged assault of "twenty nine other men," even though he only really went through a dozen at most, since he came in at number twenty eight and more than half the pack had been tossed by then. The fact of the matter is, so long as somebody doesn't get all sneaky and sign the World Title contract in his stead, (which is legally binding, you know) he's challenging for the World Title at WrestleMania. You'd imagine they'd jump right in with that gravy train and ride it for as long as possible this week, and judging from the opening segment that's entirely what they've set out to do.<br /><br />I personally enjoyed most of the segment, although it didn't really feel like a continuation of the momentum they've been building up all winter, so much as it did an unexpected change of direction. This is still a good storyline, they're still taking their time with the payoff, and it's still got a lot of potential, but a lot of the subtleties are missing. It's got a lot of potential and I'm still interested in seeing which direction it runs from here, but the storyline took a few missteps last night, dumbing itself down with a tacky "whodunnit" that doesn't seem to have fooled a soul. There's no questioning who was responsible for the placement of that JBL promo, just as Batista appeared ready to say something he may have regretted later, but there's at least a little ambiguity in the air about the big man's opinion on the matter. When he left that ring after the opening segment with some hesitation in his steps and later in the night, when an accomplished smile crept up on his face after he was ordered to the back during the big tag team match, Batista basically announced that he had a pretty good idea Triple H was behind the airing of that video. As a member of Evolution, he's seen Hunter's mind games before, and he's seen how they've crippled his opponents emotionally in the weeks leading up to their big match. Likewise, he's been built (albeit infrequently) as a man of deceptive intelligence for his size, and it's refreshing to see that coming into play here. I don't think I can name more than a handful of instances where a face has seen through his rival's manipulations so immediately, and it's nice to see that such long-standing traditions as the ineptitude of the challenging face can still be questioned from time to time.<br /><br />With that said, the execution of the opening promo and the delivery on its potential were two completely different things. I was expecting fireworks out of this promo, the time seemed right to capitalize on all of the tensions that had been carefully laid between these two throughout the last four months, but when the group had left the ring and the show had gone to commercial, it didn't really feel like anything special had really happened. There was that one moment of truth, when Batista took the mic and seemed ready to cut loose on his former mentor, that sent a sort of electricity through the audience, both in person and at home. You could hear an excited murmur, but more importantly, you could feel yourself holding your breath. And then the JBL video played, Hunter tried to pawn it off and Batista all but shrugged his shoulders. I can understand the allure of waiting even longer for the big reveal, but there's also a risk of missing that window of opportunity and souring audiences on the idea as a whole. Randy Orton's a great example of that mistake in full bloom. I don't mind the continued delay in Batista's official turn, but I was looking for fireballs and explosions last night, not a quiet, psychological thriller.<br /><br />There isn't really all that much I can say about the Intercontinental Title defense, since it was less than a minute long from bell to bell and ended on one of the goofiest transitionary moves in Shelton Benjamin's moveset. It was really cool to see him hit that whip kick for the first dozen times or so, but after that it's just started to seem silly. Why wouldn't you scout a guy for a move like that before your match, especially with the IC gold on the line? I like Benjamin as a routinely-defending IC champ, and I loved the little tidbit they threw in at the end where Dean tried to slip in an extra promotional spot for his Simon System, but that was hardly enough to save this.<br /><br />The Edge / Christy segment seemed to be sailing in choppy waters from the very get-go, as well. After months of really hammering the point home about how he gets no respect and upper management basically proving him right by constantly shitting on him from great height, Edge came out just one night after defeating Shawn Michaels in a match he requested and was granted, and made some bizarre, uncharacteristic claims about how Christy was dissing him by firing off WrestleMania T-Shirts into the crowd. Yeah, I know the point of the bit was to reinforce the idea that Edge is a whiner who never appreciates the opportunities he's been given, but this was so illogical and stupid that it completely clashed with everything they'd established about the character originally. He whined about being overlooked and cheated, but for the most part he was arguably right. Or maybe I've just got my rose-colored glasses on and I'm remembering things as being more intelligent than they really were. Either way, this was a needless interaction that I could've done without. It got a bit more interesting once HBK came out to the ring, though not for the reasons I'm sure they intended. If the entire confrontation between Edge and Christy could've been overlooked, HBK would've likely come across as the heel here. He lost the match last night, then came out tonight and bitched, moaned and made excuses, and finally took a cheap knockout shot when Edge refused to give him an immediate rematch. It was exactly that kind of line-toeing between the status of face and heel with both characters that had sold me on the series in the first place, and it's a shame it was virtually ignored here. Michaels really needs to go heel, because the pompous-ass-as-face act is getting a little tired.<br /><br />Maven took on the Hurricane not long after, and to my great surprise it was Maven who worked a more technically sound match and Helms who forgot what body part he was meant to be selling halfway through. I like that somebody told Maven you're supposed to soften up a specific body part in preparation for your finisher, and I like that he's, uh... that he's got a finisher now. Ugly match, but in all honesty the Hurricane's more to blame for that than Maven.<br /><br />Are they just flinging shit at the wall with Snitsky and hoping some of it's gonna stick some day? "Nice shoes?" What the fuck?!?<br /><br />Words can't describe how disappointing the Benoit / Jericho vs. La Resistance match was to me. There's great history here between Benoit and La Rez on RAW, dating all the way back to their dropping the titles to he and Edge only weeks after WrestleMania XX, and there's an equally interesting tale to be told about Benoit and Jericho, considering all of their past friendships, rivalries, parallels and differences, but that's not the route we took here. Truthfully, the first half of the match was exceptional. The champs were in charge, with Conway carrying most of the load for his team, and they were building a great story with Benoit constantly fighting to his corner only to discover that Jericho had been either knocked from the apron or drawn over to the opposite corner, but once all hell broke loose... damn. There was a point where I just sat back and muttered "what the hell is going ON?" and seriously had no idea. It's like somebody accidentally flipped the "clusterfuck" button backstage and everybody in the ring became a clone of Sylvain Grenier. Horrible, horrible conclusion to what should've wound up being an excellent title match and I can't say Benoit and Jericho are entirely without blame. Bad booking, bad timing, bad execution.<br /><br />I wish they would've held onto the Sergeant Slaughter / Muhammad Hassan match until next week, if just so I could laugh at Tokyo's reaction. Why can't pro wrestling be like other sports, where you can never again compete on a professional level once you're inducted into the hall of fame?<br /><br />I had trouble really paying attention to the big tag team match near the main event, and kept thinking I heard JR call the pairing of Orton and Michaels "The Green Team," amusing me to no end. Well, he's half right. This wasn't a bad match by any means, but it seemed to be missing a hook or something. Nothing was tying me emotionally to the match, and though HBK was playing a great face-in-peril, it was kind of cheapened by the fact that he was doing the exact same thing seven days ago. When I rationalized it to myself, it made sense; Michaels wrestled two matches last night and ate some steel ring steps, before superkicking Edge earlier in the show. There's no question he'd be physically and emotionally drained, easy pickins for Evolution, but I just found myself having trouble getting into it. I liked the supposedly unintentional Edge spear that ended the match, particularly his reaction upon realizing he'd leveled the wrong man, and this was the usual solid affair between three legends and a superstar-in-training.<br /><br />Finally, the match nobody seemed to be anticipating more than JR and the King, Kane and Gene Snitsky stepped into the cage to (supposedly) settle their differences once and for all. This was exactly what you'd expect from a cage match between these two, and when I say that I mean this was painful in all the wrong ways. Kane baffled me by attempting to scale the cage within the first two minutes of the match, which is surprising because he's the one who's supposed to be seeking vengeance and should value the opportunity to dish out punishment more than he does victory. Snitsky amazed me by opting against taking the three-inch plunge to the arena floor from the bottom step, instead almost nonchalantly pulling the cage door from the frame and re-entering the cage to dole out more punishment. Like that would've been completely impossible if he'd won the match beforehand. Both men abused me by employing the "I've been fightin', so I can't walk so good" method of delaying their approach to the cage door. Just a putrid display between two guys who have proven time and time again that they have no business in the ring together. God help us and end this feud.<br /><br />All in all, this was a terribly underachieving show, especially coming out of what should've been a tremendously momentum-lending Royal Rumble outcome. Instead of a big welcoming party for Batista in the main event, we got an unnecessary delay along with more slow-burning. Instead of a solid, clean tag title match between three of the promotion's better athletes and Sylvain Grenier, we got a confusing, overbooked shitfest. Instead of continuing the trend of outstanding main events that was established around this time last year, we got... yeah. I can't call this a four without hating myself in the morning.<br /><br /><center>On a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is poor and 10 is amazing...<br /><b><u>Overall Score:</u> 3.9</b></center>drqshadowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14114632623890865250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-511006337599846371.post-29392640068831591782005-01-28T14:37:00.000-08:002007-09-20T14:45:32.124-07:00The World's Greatest WWE Royal Rumble 2005 PreviewWith two less-than-stellar PPVs now recent history, things are looking up for a change for this month's Royal Rumble card. It's nice to have a show with just a few big-time matches to promote, as it gives the bookers time to really concentrate and make those matches count, not to mention prepare for the build to the biggest show of the year. Unfortunately, despite the smaller number of matches to build towards and the Rumble match usually almost writing itself, this year's RR isn't exactly what I'd call a stacked card, with a stinky Undertaker / Heidenreich casket match in the works and a couple World Title matches that could go either way. The weekly programs haven't been on complete cruise control over the last month, which is usually the scenario that precedes this event. Instead, RAW has maintained some forward motion with the slow turn of Batista and the ongoing Edge / Michaels rivalry, while Smackdown's kept up to speed with twists and turns in the relationship between JBL & Kurt Angle and a fun little competitive series between Eddy Guerrero & Rey Mysterio, both in tag matches and in singles action. Not a horrible card, especially when compared to the last couple PPVs, but it feels like something's missing.<br /><br /><strong><u>The Undertaker vs. Heidenreich</u></strong><br /><em>Casket Match</em><br /><br />Wow. I can't believe it's taken them this long to get the message that pairing John Heidenreich with the Undertaker in an extended feud early in his career was not a good idea. Separate, these are two big men who could more than likely float through a match with a halfway decent opponent based entirely upon their size, their physical appearance and a healthy dose of no-selling. Power wrestling is what big guys do best, and it's what generates their biggest crowd reactions. However, when you pair two of them up against one another, as is the case here, that simple formula backfires. Without a smaller body to bounce around the ring for them, their power moves don't look quite as convincing anymore. With a man of comparable build standing right next to them, they don't look quite as intimidating. And, paired up right next to a zombie with his eyes rolled back into his head or a screaming, spitting, pseudo ultimate fighter-turned-poet, as the case may be, their personality doesn't seem quite so brash and intriguing. They nullify one another and expose each other's weaknesses, and that's something an audience can't endure for long. Strapping them into a gimmick match in an attempt to cover for those deficiencies is an even worse idea than pairing them up in the first place.<br /><br />Casket matches have never really entertained me all that much. The idea that throwing your opponent into a casket and shutting the lid is a comparable alternative to forcing a submission or pinning him in the middle of the ring has always forced me to roll my eyes. In fact, I think the Undertaker's casket matches with Kamala and Yokozuna, and the constant eye-rolling they inspired, are single handedly responsible for my own terrible vision at this point in my life. But I'm rolling on to subjects you probably aren't all that interested in hearing about. The point is, these matches have almost always been accompanied by the same freaking unbearable storyline thread. The Taker and his opponent trade wins, the Taker reveals a casket during a promo and challenges his opponent to a casket match, and his opponent reveals that he's desperately afraid of caskets. It's just cheesy as hell, overdone, boring and inappropriate for wrestling's current, less circusy environment. Of course, the same description could be applied to the Undertaker gimmick, as well. If you want to know whether this match will be worth watching, you should probably watch some of those old Taker / Kamala and Taker / Yokozuna matches and make up your own mind. Blahg. I'm going with the Taker, because he seems to have a hyperactive no-sell gland and that's something that can prove to be a great asset in a casket match.<br /><strong>Winner: The Undertaker</strong><br /><br /><strong><u>Shawn Michaels vs. Edge</u></strong><br /><br />Wow, I went on a lot longer about that casket match than I really should have. I've enjoyed this feud thus far, especially so considering it came about as an indirect result of the fans' voting way back at Taboo Tuesday. Edge's jealousy of HBK's win in the voting was the catalyst for his heel turn, and it makes great sense to still harbor that bitter resentment today, even after Michaels had sat out several months with a knee injury. Edge's run as a heel has been great thus far if just because he hasn't done anything to contest his character's mindset. He hasn't made any goofy alliances just for the sake of being heel, and has actually come to blows with fellow despicables on more than one occasion. His turn on former partners Chris Benoit and Christian had more to do with their problems as past tag team partners and unresolved issues between them than their status as a heel, face or tweener. His promos have been inspired, and it he's really given the impression that he IS this character, and isn't just being a bad guy for the sake of being a bad guy. Michaels has played the part of the opposition fairly well, although his run as a face is growing tired, and has actually confirmed a lot of Edge's points in previous promos through sheer, unconscious cockiness. It's been a colorful debate, that much is for sure, with neither side completely in the right or the wrong, and that's why it's been so well recepted thus far.<br /><br />I doubt that this match will serve as the proper blowoff to their feud, especially since it seems to have only recently found its wheels and taken off, but there's no denying the fact a bad match here would really hurt Edge's chances at the top of the card later in his career. For that reason alone, I'm thinking Edge will be putting in 110% here, although I'm sure that facing off with one of the all-time greats won't dampen his motivation too much, either. This could be one of the best matches in Edge's career, and potentially one of the standouts from HBK's storied body of work as well. It would be a shame to see it all end here, wouldn't it? I like Edge in the upset.<br /><strong>Winner: Edge </strong><br /><br /><strong><u>John Bradshaw Layfield (c) vs. Big Show vs. Kurt Angle</u></strong><br /><em>WWE Title</em><br /><br />I don't have all that much to say about this match, honestly. Kurt Angle and the Big Show have always worked to highlight one another's strengths and overshadow their weaknesses in the ring, while Bradshaw's brought a fresh perspective on their relationship in the build to this one. I'd be kidding you if I said I thought Angle had it in him to carry two men to an above-average match all by his lonesome, especially at this point in his career, so JBL and / or the Big Show are going to have to put in a better-than-usual effort here to keep the level of quality in the ring worthwhile. I wish I could say I had complete faith in the champion to deliver in a situation like that, but despite his mild improvements, I'm not convinced that JBL's the real deal.<br /><br />I've enjoyed the little collisions, peace accords and betrayals that Team Angle and JBL's Cabinet have undergone over the last few weeks, as the focus of the feud has remained primarily in the ring with constant matches between Bradshaw and Angle, as well as limited physicalities with the Big Show. Sure, there was that weak little plot line about Joy, Amy, Kurt Angle and the shower, but aside from that, um... yeah. It's been better than I would've expected. With that said, the only reason Angle and the Show are involved in this match is to cancel each other out and give JBL an excuse to retain his title yet again. Wish I could say otherwise, but after six months of missed predictions and disappointing defenses, I'm ready to throw in the towel and admit defeat. JBL will still be the champion Monday morning.<br /><strong>Winner: Bradshaw</strong><br /><br /><strong><u>Triple H (c) vs. Randy Orton</u></strong><br /><em>World Heavyweight Title</em><br /><br />My interest in this one is fading fast, and it's slowly becoming obvious that WWE's plan to put this feud on the slow burner, barring Orton from World Title matches against Triple H in the hope that it would incite even more fan interest, has failed undeniably. Well, maybe failed is the wrong word... it's been more like a complete backfire, as crowds have slowly cooled to Orton's face schtick, rather than warmed to it, and it's becoming clear that they missed the window of opportunity with him back when they took him out of the title hunt for the foreseeable future. When he took the World Title from Chris Benoit back at Summerslam, Orton was just coming into his own as a comfortable, cocky heel who knew how to work that particular style of match. He had a good gimmick with this "legend killer" claims, credibility as a long-standing Intercontinental champion and founding member of Evolution, and plenty of potential opponents as an upper-tier midcard heel. When they turned him face, he had to relearn everything he'd been taught. All of the heel mannerisms he'd finally started to grasp were tossed away. His heelish ringwork needed a makeover. His ties to both Evolution and the legend killer persona were cut, and the huge momentum established by his exile from the group withered away as months went by without a title shot. Wrestling fans have a notoriously short memory span, and I'd be surprised if half the people watching this show would even remember that RAW-closing segment without some sort of video package or verbal recap.<br /><br />All that's not to say this match will be poor, because chances are it'll be pretty decent. Both guys have been susceptible to an off night here or there, Orton especially, but usually step it up a bit for PPV. The big question here will be how well Hunter can cover for Orton's heel tendencies with his own actions, and how they'll manage to gracefully keep the belt around his waist without completely crippling young Randy. Yeah, it's not really an issue of whether Hunter retains or not, but how he does so.<br /><strong>Winner: Triple H</strong><br /><br /><strong><u>Thirty Man Royal Rumble</u></strong><br /><em>WrestleMania Title Shot On The Line</em><br /><br />Well, what can really be said about a battle royal? The Rumble match itself is tough to predict from start to finish, as the event has really prided itself on a few surprise eliminations in the past. In many instances, those same surprise eliminations have proven to be the sparks that ignite big-money feuds for the spring's huge WrestleMania card, so keep your eyes peeled for potential rivalries and personality conflicts as the match progresses. Another thing that's become an interesting aside to the Rumble itself in recent years is the cohabitation of members from both the RAW and Smackdown brands, which lends the air of a major cross-promotional war to the event. It's not quite something I'd put on par with, say, a Goldberg and Steve Austin face off in 1998 or a Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair stare down in 1987, since nobody's fooling themselves into thinking RAW and SD are two completely different corporations, but it's still become a nice little touch that really helps the event to stand out from the pack.<br /><br />One of the problems with the Rumble match, however, along with the stipulations that the victor automatically gains a main event title shot at WrestleMania, is that the actual outcome of the match comes down to two or three guys. And while there will most certainly be some surprise eliminations to keep things interesting, (as I discussed above) at least two of the final four are always on the short list of favorites to win the whole thing. And, until the time comes when the bookers grow a set and give an underdog the surprise win of a lifetime, I'm gonna bet that ain't changing. This year's obvious favorite is Batista, fresh off an impressive showing at the RAW mini-rumble earlier in the month, (remember the night Randy Orton was GM?) and a potentially explosive feud with Triple H, while John Cena, Chris Benoit, Eddy Guerrero, Edge and Shawn Michaels are all outside shots, of which Cena's the most likely. To tell the truth, I'd be amazed if Batista didn't win the whole thing in convincing fashion. Cena doesn't seem ready for the main event yet, (which isn't to say that's gonna stop them from trying, even if he doesn't win the Rumble) Benoit's been shuffling down the card pretty steadily since his title loss at Summerslam, Guerrero's been sliding for even longer, and Edge / Michaels should cancel each other out. It'll be interesting to see some continued interaction between Ric Flair and the monster he helped to create, but I don't think there's even a bump in the road for Batista this Sunday.<br /><strong>Winner: Batista </strong><br /><br /><u><strong>In Closing...</strong></u><br /><br />The Rumble's usually a fun event to take in, and this year's doesn't look like it'll be breaking that trend. The names and faces involved with the actual battle royal are talented and varied enough to buoy the rest of the show, provided all of the preceding matches don't completely suck ass, and I'm thinking there's the potential for a real barn burner in Edge / Michaels. There's a good chance of something special happening in that one, and it should be fun to see RAW on Monday after Batista is successful in throwing out twenty nine other guys. <br /><div align="center">until then, i remain<br>drq</div>drqshadowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14114632623890865250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-511006337599846371.post-84325961187538337642005-01-24T11:46:00.000-08:002007-09-03T11:48:28.847-07:00WWE RAW Review: 01/24/05It's the last week before one of the Big Four PPVs, and with Smackdown taking their half of the card and the Rumble match itself taking up a big part of the night, the amount of storytelling required of RAW this week is significantly smaller than usual. With that said, it's just about time to get the big ball rolling towards Los Angeles and WrestleMania therein, and there's no better situation to light the fuse on a few potential feuds than in the famed Royal Rumble match. So, uh, I guess what I'm saying is... even though the pressure wasn't on for a hard-sell episode this week, they'd have been nuts to waste the opportunity to lay down a few subplots... grease the wheels a little bit.<br /><br />This week opened up with an outstanding six-man tag match pitting Benoit / Jericho / Michaels against Christian / Tomko / Edge. I know there's big-time history between Jericho and Christian, as well as an obvious current conflict between Edge and HBK, and I guess Benoit and Tomko weren't really doing anything, so they got thrown in to pad the numbers a little bit. Though it took a little while to get moving, this turned out to be a much better match than we usually get to see on TV. The heels were working together tremendously, reminding me of the old Minnesota Wrecking Crew by isolating Shawn Michaels early and always managing to clamp on a desperation ankle lock on the occasion that HBK gained a little momentum, keeping him away from his own corner and further exhausting him with each successive failed attempt. That kind of fluidity as a team makes sense, both for Edge and Christian (who worked together for years, achieving anything and everything they set their minds to) and for Christian and Tomko (who have been teaming together off and on for nearly nine months now, and should have a pretty firm grasp on each other's strengths and weaknesses). Unfortunately, whenever your team isolates a single member for that lengthy a period of time, there's always the potential for a backfire and I'm glad to see that when that inevitably happened, the end wasn't too far off. It makes sense for a guy who's rested since the opening bell to make short work of two or three guys who've been active the entire match. Great opener, with some really nice subtle storytelling when Edge and Shawn were in the ring together, and Tomko continues to slowly improve. I'm hoping this means they learned their lesson with Batista / Orton and understand the benefits of sticking a struggling rookie into a series of tag matches opposite any mix of Benoit, Jericho, Michaels, Flair, Edge, Christian and Hunter.<br /><br />I wasn't a big fan of the JR Day ceremony when it went down, but in retrospect I can see what they accomplished with Evolution's involvement. What I still can't understand is why the wild, wacky, community-themed congratulatory segments that preceded Hunter's interruption went on for as long as they did. The fact that Oklahoma declared an honest-to-godness Jim Ross Day is nice and all, and I'll agree that some sort of acknowledgment was totally appropriate, but to go on and on about it for nearly ten minutes is almost inexcusable. I like JR, sure, but I'm not from Oklahoma City and the "hometown boy done good" aspect of this was lost on me, especially considering they run a segment exactly like this one every time the show's anywhere near the state. They've done so many of these, I think every possible end result has been covered three times over. JR's suffered a gruesome beating, he's made a defied all odds by holding his own and forcing the villains out of the ring, he's been embarrassed in front of his friends and family, and he's triumphantly returned to spite his enemies. About the only thing that would've surprised me about this segment was the possibility of hearing RAW's top PBP guy call the rest of the show in a high falsetto, selling the effects of Ric Flair's cowardly nut shot.<br /><br />Like I mentioned above, Evolution's involvement here didn't bother me a bit, after I saw how it played out only moments later. Triple H and Flair were every bit the cocky high school quarterbacks here, and Batista all but called them out on it when they filled him in on what they'd done. This segment makes me wonder what the heels' conversations are like in the locker room after the show, when they're bragging about their actions and in the process of explaining to those who didn't see it, realize that what they did was actually pretty lame. "Yeah, and then I videotaped myself in a Kane mask having sex with a corpse! LOL! Wait..." One of those little things you always wonder about, I guess. The timing on this final dissolution of Evolution (I'm a poet, don't you know) has been outstanding thus far, and I can't applaud the bookers enough for not giving in to the potential of an immediate cheap pop and maintaining the slow pace of Batista's split from the group. The potential for his face turn has nearly ripened, and I can't wait to see the turns this story will take at the Royal Rumble.<br /><br />I'd rather they didn't waste my time at all with the Tajiri / Viscera match. Seriously, there are ways to get a big man over as a legitimately monstrous opponent without allowing him to no-sell his opposition's big spots. I can understand the need to feed guys to Viscera, so it means something when he taps out to the crossface or nearly goes through the mat with a spinebuster, but this didn't really do that for me. I would honestly rather see Mark Henry in the ring than Viscera.<br /><br />I had no problem with the way La Resistance was initially fed to Batista, as he caught both off-guard and pressed his advantage to the point that neither could've had much of an idea of where they were or what was going on. It actually said a lot about Batista's strategic mind in the ring and his ability to keep his opponents off-balance with a variety of dizzying power moves. Once his shoulder collided with that ringpost and the tag champs took over on offense, however, it was a completely different story. With both guys regaining their bearings and zeroing in on the big man's arm, Batista's struggle to regain control of the match, let alone to win the thing, should've been outrageous. Instead, he crouched on the mat for a couple seconds, forgot about the shoulder and showed off some more power moves. I guess the match accomplished what it set out to, but Conway and Grenier, along with everyone they've ever managed to defeat in the past, looked completely inept. Post-match, Batista "shoved the flag up his ass," which I guess could've been a lot more graphic than it was. The problem with a crazy patriotic spot like that is... people LIVE in Quebec, and they're going to remember this when Batista's a face and RAW rolls into town sometime later in the year. And JR will again write it off as just those crazy Canadians and their "bizarro world."<br /><br />Muhammad Hassan finally participated in a halfway worthwhile match this week, working against poor Val Venis in a Royal Rumble qualifying match while Daivari (hah, I just typo'd and called him "Daria") screamed into the house mic. OK, on one hand that idea worked wonderfully, because the crowd grew more and more angry with the heels as the match progressed. It really got some heat into a match that probably would've struggled otherwise, and made Val's short-lived comeback into a rallying point for the home crowd. On the other, somebody's going to get the idea that this should become an ongoing part of the gimmick and it's gonna get old really quickly. Val looked decent, if extremely bland, in his annual televised RAW match and Hassan seems to have loosened some of the butterflies from his stomach in the ring. Not a bad segment at all, as the crowd was venomously opposed to Hassan and Daivari.<br /><br />Man, they really must have little to no faith in Maven's abilities in the ring anymore, because they keep booking him into situations where he talks for an unusual amount of time, gets as little offense as possible and jobs as quickly as imaginable. Of course, one wouldn't expect him to have a chance in hell of claiming a Royal Rumble slot last night opposite Kane and Snitsky, and who tunes in on Monday nights to see surprises, anyway? This could've been an unexpectedly interesting segment that saw Snitsky or Kane screwing his arch-rival out of a spot in the Rumble and Maven picking up what scraps were thrown his way. Neither man was in danger of losing any of his precious credibility with the obvious injuries, and things could've become even more interesting if things escalated and Maven eventually wound up with both entries in the Rumble match, while Snitsky and Kane were left in the cold. No, but instead this time was better spent jobbing a new heel (which, in case you haven't noticed, is something RAW's kind of lacking at the moment) to a couple of monsters with no ties to him whatsoever. I'm far from Maven's biggest supporter, and doubt I ever will be, but is there even a reason to keep him employed if they're just going to toss him into slop like this?<br /><br />Finally, the evening wrapped up with a singles match between former running buddies Randy Orton and Ric Flair, which felt like like two stock cars racing side by side with the cruise control set at forty. Neither guy looked particularly motivated to make this a special evening, especially with Orton's head such a mess coming in, and the match wound up being two guys hitting their usual maneuvers with half as much passion as usual. I liked the illusion of reality Orton's wound lent, as it opened up and started oozing blood almost immediately after Flair started throwing punches, but that's about the most remarkable thing I saw about this match. I loved where they were going with it, with Hunter setting his crosshairs directly on the back of Orton's leg and Flair, drooling at the prospect, immediately going to work in preparation for the figure four, but that didn't mean anything two minutes later, when Orton sprung to life and hit the RKO for the win. Not a bad match, really, but not up to snuff when compared to the last twelve months or so of show-closers.<br /><br />Despite the hot opener, I liked last week's episode a bit better. A lot of this felt like filler, especially the JR Day celebration and the lengthy Austin press conference highlights, and that's precisely what I was afraid of going in. The stage is set for the big Batista turn, and it's do-or-die for Edge / Michaels, but I'm not all that thrilled about Orton / Hunter, and tonight didn't try to light much of a fire on that front. Most of tonight's matches were needless squashes and that, coupled with a few mediocre backstage segments, really drug down what was easily an above-average program.<br /><br /><center>On a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is poor and 10 is amazing...<br /><b><u>Overall Score:</u> 6.2</b></center>drqshadowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14114632623890865250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-511006337599846371.post-38214857884899358972005-01-17T11:49:00.000-08:002007-09-03T11:50:57.768-07:00WWE RAW Review: 01/17/05This week opened up abruptly, with Chris Jericho already in the ring, his Highlight Reel scenery already set up (speaking of which, how long's it been since Y2J actually referred to himself as "The Highlight of the Night," anyway? The segment's proven to have much more longevity than the nickname ever did) and his opening-entrance pop from the crowd already out of the way. Previously-announced guest Muhammad Hassan interrupted, jumping right into a scathing anti-Canadian rant. I really, really enjoyed this segment. Hassan's really starting to make a believer out of me, both in terms of the character and the man portraying him. He's right up there with the show's top promos at the moment, because he speaks with conviction and seems to grow genuinely emotional about the subjects he's covering. It's been so long since I've seen anything but the "calm, cool face/heel introduction - slow lean toward unhappiness/seriousness - angry firing of threats/ultimatums/fisticuffs" formula, that Hassan's straight-to-the-point methods really seem fresh and exciting. Jericho proved to be a great foil to the fresh heel here, doing everything under his power to pander to the home crowd and overlooking the meat of what Muhammad was saying. Former RRC contributor Jay Bower had a great point in the RAW thread this week (which you can see further down the column in the "what did the forums think" section) about how Chris Jericho's slowly become the new Kevin Nash of RAW, constantly undercutting his opponents by taking the emphasis off of what they're saying in favor of a joke, self-promotion or other unrelated subject, but I have to disagree with him... at least on this occasion. By refusing to react to the bold accusations Hassan threw at both he and his countrymen, Y2J all but admitted defeat, giving the fans a reason to fear the man in addition to their desire to hate him. For a guy like Hassan, who really needs the rub at this critical moment in his career, that could prove to be a godsend. Likewise for his post-match destruction of the host. All in all, this was a great segment that cast a shadow of doubt over the match between Benoit and Jericho later in the night (would Hassan interfere? Better still, did Benoit intentionally hang back for a few minutes, so Jericho would be appropriately softened up for their match?) and helped to elevate the new talent without completely overlooking the old.<br /><br />The official in-ring action kicked off with a six-man tag pitting Shelton Benjamin, Rosey and the Hurricane against La Resistance and Maven. If this is the midcard of RAW, things suddenly aren't looking all that great. I love the direction they've taken the Benjamin / Maven story, with Shelton going out of his way to make Maven look like an idiot, since it's a welcome change of pace from the same old rehashed "challenger shocks champion in non-title match / champion seeks redemption" storyline it seemed like they were leaning towards a couple months ago, but there's only so long you can see that before it either gets old or the heel starts to get sympathy heat. Benjamin and Maven haven't exactly matched up well together in the ring, and despite the great strides he's taken as a personality since the heel turn, he's just not ready for an extended program in the Intercontinental Title picture. The same can be said for Sylvain Grenier, except without the whole "great strides he's taken as a personality" bit, because he's equally as green out of the ring as he is inside it. And, unfortunately, I can't comment on anything about Rosey and the Hurricane except how stale and repetitive they've become over the years. It's been a YEAR AND A HALF since Rosey first became a "super hero in training," folks. It's coming up on FOUR since Shane Helms became the Hurricane. And the most character progression either of them have taken since donning cape and cowl is a new wardrobe for Rosey and dyed hair for Helms. I was once a big fan of these guys, but enough's enough. They're going the way of the Dudleys.<br /><br />Truthfully, the only two I had interest in during this match were Rob Conway and Benjamin, who seemed to work well together in the brief glimpses I caught during the match. Conway's really carrying La Resistance on his back right now, which is amazing considering the lack of mic time he's been granted. I'd love to see him given a shot or two at Benjamin and his IC Title in the near future.<br /><br />I was cleaning up and archiving some of my older contributions to the RRC this weekend, and stumbled across an idea I'd rambled on at the time about Randy Orton (then heel) stealing Stacy Keibler from Scott Steiner, (then face) simultaneously screwing Steiner out of his "freak" and reaffirming himself as the playboy that was portrayed in his entrance video. So I thought it was funny that the writers seemed to finally move forward with a potential hook-up between Stacy and Randy last night. Don't believe me? Let's take a trip back to 2003. Incidentally, I found it hilarious that the slow death of Orton's face run has come to this point. If he fails to get over with Stacy by his side, he's in serious trouble.<br /><br />On his own, Orton actually had a pretty decent showing last night alongside Triple H. He looked lost for the speech's opening moments, when the crowd gave him a pretty heavy verbal thumbs down and he didn't know how to save the segment by his lonesome, but once Hunter hit the ramp and gave him someone to bounce off of, things recovered quickly. Randy's starting to find a niche for himself with these promos where he can do away with the catchphrases and start seriously hurling some rapid-fire insults at his opponents. He kicked ass in that role a few weeks ago opposite Edge, and it was more of the same here, interrupting Hunter to inform him of the repetitive nature of his speeches. I liked the mind games Hunter pulled out, hiding behind the entryway in wait of the furious, emotional Orton, but couldn't really get behind the eventual RKO comeback.<br /><br />I liked the premise of turning Shawn Michaels heel for one night only, especially since they were north of the border and he would be all but assuredly receiving the gift of a loud chorus of boos, but the whole thing felt recycled. Shawn's "spur of the moment" comments and barbs felt like they were merely reprises of witty comebacks and one-liners he'd thought of after the fact, the last time they were up north. Nothing felt spontaneous, and some of his comments about how "only you Canadians can't move on" sounded a little funny just one week after he soaked up a noteworthy "You screwed Bret" chant in southeast Florida just seven days before. I miss heel HBK quite a bit, actually, and think such a turn could go a long way toward freshening up his lagging character, but the guy they sent out there last night wasn't him. It was a good impersonation at best.<br /><br />His match with Christian wasn't a bad thing at all, despite the goofy "go to commercial during the opening five minutes" production decision and Christian's blowing up and dragging ass for a few minutes at the midway point of the match. I didn't even mind the finish all that much, even though Michaels effectively went over three men all by his lonesome, because the ending came so quickly it didn't seem like any of Christian's cohorts had the chance to even think twice about breaking up the pinfall. I was hoping for a bit of a longer match, but I guess I'll take what I can get since both guys looked strong and the closing sequence was quality work.<br /><br />Batista vs. Viscera didn't exactly float my boat, and though I know what they were trying to do here, it really only served as a poster boy for why big man vs. big man matches typically fail, despite the wild initial fan interest. A lot of what's getting Batista his big reactions right now is the deception of his power, tossing around smaller, more able-bodied guys like Benoit, Orton and Jericho in impressive fashion. Now, paired off against Viscera, he looks a lot less impressive. For one, he doesn't look nearly as intimidating when he gives up a couple inches and at least a hundred pounds to his opponent. His moveset's also hampered by his actual strength, and since he ain't gonna be picking Viscera up for any demon bombs or samoan drops over the course of a match, he loses a lot of credibility in the fans' eyes. Finally, he isn't getting any help. A big part of why he's looked so impressive lately is because his opponents have sold his offense as though he were dropping barbells on their backs. Viscera took a total of three maneuvers during the course of this match; forearms, (both by land and by air) shoulders in the corner and the spinebuster. And he managed to make the spinebuster look like shit. Big Vis is such a handicap, he can run through his entire moveset in less than a minute and still have time to kill the match's finish.<br /><br />There's not much I can say about the Benoit / Jericho match except that I enjoyed it. I was really surprised to see Jericho hanging tough throughout the chain wrestling segments they worked their way through in the opening moments, and I loved the constant struggle of both guys looking for their submission finishers at the same time. This didn't feel like a brawl, and that's because it wasn't a brawl. If it were a brawl, it likely would've failed. What it felt like was a legitimate sporting competition between two fiercely competitive friends. Imagine two college roommates, both starters on the University basketball team, playing a serious game of one-on-one. That's exactly how this felt, and Benoit emphasized it through his body language after the surprise finish by aggressively going after Y2J, thinking it over, and grudgingly accepting his defeat. Even the finish didn't bother me, as it was one guy simply out-strategizing the other at just the right moment. Benoit had been looking for submissions all night long, as had Jericho, so it was just a matter of who figured out an appropriate reversal first. It was a welcome change to see a clean match, from start to finish, between two faces. Here's hoping they try it again some day. Nobody lost any respect, and if anything they both gained quite a bit just for being involved.<br /><br />Shades of grey with the Kane character followed, as the big man interrupted a Trish Stratus promo to defend his wife's honor in the only way that made sense to him: by kicking some ass. I like where this looks to be headed, with Kane breaking out the freaky grin that accompanied most of his acts of violence in the past and doing what he wants to do, rather than what a fan-favorite is supposed to do.<br /><br />Finally, we wrapped the night up with... ugh... Kane vs. Snitsky, which itself concluded with a bizarre non-finish, as both men fell off of the stage into a mound of wood, wire, metal and assorted household items. I had about as much interest in this match as the live audience seemed to, breaking into an uninterested wave just a minute or two after the opening bell. Snitsky is not good, and Kane, even in prime form, is precisely the wrong guy to throw him in there with, in the hopes that something will miraculously come together. Nevermind that the big red machine is still shaking loose some ring rust following his return to the active roster. This was absolutely brutal to watch, and the abrupt conclusion just made me snort in disbelief. An ugly, ugly, ugly way to wrap up what wasn't really all that bad of an episode.<br /><br />Despite two undeniably crappy singles matches and a six-man tag that couldn't disinterest me much more if it tried, this episode didn't feel all that bad to me. It helped that Christian / HBK and Jericho / Benoit both went to clean finishes and, for the most part, delivered. It also helped that the backstage vignettes and in-ring promos were uncharacteristically superb, with Hassan and Triple H standing out as prime-time performers. The build to the Rumble should be in full swing right now and they're still treading water somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, but strangely enough I'm not worried. Several steps above average.<br /><br /><center>On a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is poor and 10 is amazing...<br /><b><u>Overall Score:</u> 6.2</b></center>drqshadowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14114632623890865250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-511006337599846371.post-52929970856525178792005-01-10T11:51:00.000-08:002007-09-03T11:53:26.467-07:00WWE RAW Review: 01/10/05This week's episode opened with, surprisingly enough, a lengthy monologue from the "new" champ, Triple H that eventually led to a retort from Randy Orton and more tension between the surviving members of Evolution. I can definitely say I've heard worse speeches from Hunter the night after winning the title, and while it felt like he was treading water out there for most of it, I'm so conditioned to hearing him open the show that most of it streaked right through one ear and out the other. I was glad to see my initial suspicions about the outcome of the Elimination Chamber match were false, (I was expecting the stable to come to the ring together, laughing that phony "gotcha" laugh, and tell us all that the last month and a half was all setup) as the few short clips they displayed from the New Year's Revolution main event and aftermath did everything they needed to do to fill in the viewers who didn't cough up the forty bucks for that particular PPV. They didn't give away the match itself, just the storytelling that affected tonight's chapter. Batista was reluctant to lift the champ up on his shoulders at first, and only did so after Trips wouldn't let it go and kept demanding a ride. Hunter didn't help out when he could have. Flair inadvertently threw that symbolic thumbs up as the three celebrated after the match. Randy Orton played his role excellently, pointing all of those things out and believably furthering the tensions between his current adversaries. Of all the athletes on RAW at the moment, Orton's the only one who could've logically introduced that footage, and he simultaneously managed to keep a close tie to his heel heel roots by selfishly requesting an immediate World Title match for himself before the steam had even finished coming out of Batista's ears.<br /><br />Bischoff closed things up by marching out to the top of the ramp, signing a number one contender's match for later in the evening and marching back, which was surprisingly his only appearance of the night. That's all right, though, since I'm still digging the hell out of Eric's role as a tweener GM whose only interest is in producing the better brand. Besides, it makes sense that he wouldn't always be visible at every point in the show. I wish he'd keep the hair short, since the buzzcut gave him a tougher, more hardened appearance and he's already starting to fuzz out upstairs, but I can overlook something like that.<br /><br />Maven and Shelton Benjamin followed up that prolonged verbal exchange with the evening's first match, a two minute-long mini-brawl that wound up putting Benjamin over as a threat and a legitimate Title holder. I don't know why they're so worried about letting these two work through their supposed clash of styles in the ring when we're stamping our way into month three of the atrocious Kane / Snitsky series, but some questions just don't have easy answers. Maven could still turn the corner and become a great heel if he doesn't lose confidence on the stick, but a long series (or at least a match longer than three minutes) with Benjamin would've given him a great opportunity to improve in the ring as well. I guess that's the end of this feud.<br /><br />Muhammad Hassan was next in line, emerging victorious over the Hurricane in a match that couldn't have been more than a minute longer than the opener between Shelton and Maven. What, are they having another "fastest victory gets the prize" stipulation tonight that nobody knew about? I don't see how a match like this one is of any consolation to Hassan's stature in the ring after nearly losing his big-league debut against Jerry freaking Lawler of all people. Hurricane Helms used to be an outstanding young cruiserweight who would bounce all around the ring at the drop of a hat if it meant helping his opponent get over, but he just isn't the same guy any more. This felt like a six minute story crammed into a two minute match.<br /><br />Back from a well-deserved commercial break and again we're treated to a rushed singles match, this time between Edge and Rhyno. I was about ready to throw my hands up and surrender by this point. Edge and Rhyno are two guys who've had some history together. When Rhyno first came to WWE, who did he align himself with? Yeah, he rushed the ring to help out Edge and Christian. They met in the King of the Ring tournament later in the year, a tourney Edge would go on to win. They met in tag action and in singles action on Smackdown after the brand extension, often producing a solid match. So now, rather than giving the match a few minutes to get cooking or at least some sort of backstage acknowledgment between the two, we just get another needlessly hurried match on RAW. This doesn't do anything for me.<br /><br />Post-match, Edge complains his way through a commercial break in a segment that reminded me of the WCW heel Chris Jericho character I loved so much, pretty much throwing a hissy fit until Shawn Michaels comes out to the ring to face-off with him. HBK tried his best to be the motivational, grizzled old veteran here, but I just couldn't buy it, since I'd seen this exact same setup with Michaels and Jeff Hardy a of couple years ago. The live crowd lost interest quickly too, breaking into a loud, unprovoked "You Screwed Bret" chant that got a laugh out of me and actually served to break the tension that was holding the promo back. After breaking character to give the crowd a sugar-coated piece of his mind, he dove back into the promo and the entertainment value of the segment benefitted from the "hard reset" of sorts. I thought Edge missed a golden opportunity here, as he could've really made the segment soar by skipping over the promo's closing lines and just slapping Michaels directly when he stopped paying attention to what Edge had to say and started acting all cute in response to the fans. Edge's whole gimmick right now is about respect, or the lack thereof he feels in the main event, and by abruptly changing the subject just as he'd got to the meat of his message, HBK showed him the ultimate disrespect. So, naturally, Edge should've reacted in kind. It's that kind of spontaneity that's been missing from the broadcast lately, and would've really served to give the crowd the impression that they were a part of the segment. The segment turned out to be pretty solid all the same, (even if I can't say I'm all that excited about the upcoming feud between the two yet) and they got the crowd involved in another way; by brawling all the way out to the front door of the arena and into the merch stand.<br /><br />Simon Dean, Kane and Gene Snitsky were next in the ring, in that exact order, and I wasn't all that impressed. Dean's already almost belly-up, with audiences showing indifference to him despite his best efforts to rally them against him, and Kane is tough to buy as both a psychopathic hard-ass and a face. Snitsky's worthless, and I know you've heard me say that about fifteen hundred times since his debut, but it doesn't look like they're going to stop giving me excuses to repeat myself. The only remotely redeeming factor about this segment was the laugh I got when I realized that the Dean Diet Pills were actually blood capsules, and that Kane had accidentally rolled his cheek up against one while he was writhing about on the mat. So now he was not only bleeding from "internal injuries," but had also seemingly bitten a hole in his cheek as a knee-jerk reaction. I'm going to erupt into laughter if he shows up with a tiny band-aid on that exact spot next week, just to retain continuity.<br /><br />In probably the only match last night without a discernible storyline, Chris Benoit and Chris Jericho rolled over Christian and Tyson Tomko in the night's first decent face-off, both in terms of quality and in terms of length. JR filled us in that Christian had asked for this match earlier in the night to "take advantage" of Benoit and Jericho's wear and tear from the Elimination Chamber, which probably would've served as a halfway interesting promo backstage if they'd booked it. But no, we needed to get the ball rolling on the next chapter in this epic Kane / Snitsky feud. We needed a lingerie pillow fight. I'm constantly finding myself impressed by the progress Tyson Tomko's making as a punching bag / big man as the weeks go on. He's still far from the same league as Benoit and Jericho or even Maven, but he's showing steady improvement and isn't being shoved down our throats any more, so I'm starting to enjoy these regular check-ins. I loved the dual-submission conclusion to this one, but it didn't really mean anything. Benoit and Jericho are teaming together semi-regularly again, and will be facing off in singles action next week, but for all we know this could just be GM Eric Bischoff's way of insuring the show has at least one decent match every week. RAW's been overrun with stories lately, yet they can't produce anything for two guys with as much history together as Benoit and Jericho. Ugh.<br /><br />Oh yeah, there was a lingerie pillow fight. What's my catchphrase for instances like this one? I think it goes something like; "If I want porn, I'll go rent some porn."<br /><br />Finally, with the audience sufficiently primed for action, Batista and Randy Orton clash for a shot at the World Title in an undisclosed time and place. Plainly enough, I loved this all the way up to the conclusion, and if it weren't so postured and freaking OBVIOUS, I'd have loved that too. They told the story they needed to tell in there, Orton playing the outmatched and overpowered young upstart who just won't give up, and Batista playing the behemoth, playing around with his prey and testing the limits of physical endurance to see just how much violence his toy can absorb before it breaks. This was downright brutal at times, especially as time ticked away and Batista amused himself by coming up with new and inventive ways to torture his prey, (particularly memorable was the spot where Orton's head was being literally crushed between the canvas and the big man's boot) and that's exactly how it should've been. Randy finally found a happy medium between underselling and overselling (the way he took the spinebuster near the end of the match was insanely cool) and the match was all the better because of it. Sometimes it's nice to watch a close fight, and sometimes it's nice to watch a massacre... and even though Orton technically won the match, there's no questioning the fact that Batista gave him the beating of his life here. Remove about ten seconds of Hunter standing on the apron with a chair and replace it with one wild, inaccurate swing with the steel seating apparatus instead, and this is an outstanding bit of work. As is, it closed the show up nicely and gave us some much-needed momentum going into next week.<br /><br />I have trouble calling this show above average, despite the excellent character advances and remarkable showing of patience they displayed with the Batista / Orton / Hunter storyline. The pace of the episode was really bizarre, as it zipped from an unimportant squash to a great promo, then back to an unimportant squash and on to the continuation of a lingering story from last week. Almost every time we'd take in a good segment, it would be negated by three or four instances of something bad. On that same hand, the aforementioned storytelling with Batista, the face-off between HBK and Edge and the eventual main event weren't bad television by any means. I guess what I'm getting at is; this was really, really middle of the road. It felt like the episode was trying to accomplish too many goals in preparation for the Royal Rumble, but when the screen faded to black, nothing had really happened. Let's try half the matches but three times the match length next time.<br /><br /><center>On a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is poor and 10 is amazing...<br /><b><u>Overall Score:</u> 4.2</b></center>drqshadowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14114632623890865250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-511006337599846371.post-44039783648271371862005-01-08T14:41:00.000-08:002007-09-20T14:45:01.901-07:00The World's Greatest WWE New Year's Revolution 2005 PreviewLike last month's Armageddon card, the lineup that's been pieced together for New Year's Revolution really doesn't feel important enough to justify its own special PPV event. The storylines that do exist are honestly quite good, with a main event scene more lively than anything in recent memory, a fresh new character making an in-ring debut, an Intercontinental Title match pitting two up-and-coming potential stars against one another (which is a welcome change of pace after years of main eventers clogging up the IC title picture) and a sequel to the surprisingly good free-TV title match between Trish and Lita, but on the large this feels like it's only half a card. The undercard's been so underdeveloped, for lack of a better word, that the Tag Title Match, Muhammad Hassan's big debut and even Kane's supposedly-huge return to active competition all feel like they were hurried onto stage about an hour before they were ready, just to fill time. Which, I guess, is a pretty good summarization of their purpose this Sunday night. Almost every moment of the last month's worth of RAWs has focused on the World Title picture, and while it's great to hold that title in such a high regard, you're doing yourself no good if the rest of the roster is left behind in the dust. With the Royal Rumble taking place only three weeks after this show, I've gotta keep wondering why they're stretching the PPVs this thin. <br /><br /><strong><u>William Regal & Eugene (c) vs. Christian & Tyson Tomko</u></strong><br /><em>World Tag Team Championship</em><br /><br />I honestly have no idea how this match came to be. Was it that backstage segment where Mick Foley showed up from out of nowhere and befriended Eugene? Are Tomko and Christian merely continuing Maven's crusade for him, now that he's occupied elsewhere with Shelton Benjamin? It doesn't really make sense, either way, but you take what you can get and you live with it. I'm a little worried about how well this one will pan out, since Tomko's still working on cutting his baby teeth in the ring, Regal's been hot and cold lately, and Eugene & Christian didn't seem to work very well together in singles action on RAW this week. This promises to be your usual lackluster, meaningless tag title match between two makeshift tag tandems, with the faces going over.<br /><strong>Winners: Eugene and William Regal </strong><br /><br /><strong><u>Jerry Lawler w/Jim Ross vs. Muhammad Hassan w/Daivari</u></strong><br /><br />Probably the most important match Lawler's had in years, since a poor showing here would swiftly take the wind out of Hassan's sails, while a good match and a convincing victory will legitimize him as more than just a good promo man. Aside from the main event, this is the only match that's received a fair amount of promotion thanks to the continuous pre-taped vignettes, the in-ring promos and this past Monday's verbal showdown, and the reaction the angle's generated is very interesting. Basically, you love it or you hate it, with little or no in-between, and that's about as close to the perfect audience reaction as I think they'll ever get. Hassan really is playing an old school heel, from both his mannerisms and patterns of speech to his willingness to maintain a straight face and fight the urge to give in and start playing a "cool heel." You're about to be disappointed if you think this will be a great match, so long as Lawler's still involved in the physicalities, but I think the character's strong enough to maintain a full head of steam if they don't do something stupid and have the King completely dominate the match's offense. Even a competitive, back and forth battle would somewhat legitimize Hassan as a force to be reckoned with, but I'm thinking they'll go the whole nine yards here and put him over strong with a near-squash.<br /><strong>Winner: Muhammad Hassan </strong><br /><br /><strong><u>Shelton Benjamin (c) vs. Maven</u></strong><br /><em>Intercontinental Championship</em><br /><br />Maven's really surprised me with his heel turn thus far, not just embracing the role but growing a fully functional personality, a large dose of overconfidence and the ability to say more than a few words on the stick to boot. He was solid out there as a guest commentator during the horrific Benjamin / Grenier match this week on RAW, and if he can expand his moveset beyond just dropkicks, armdrags and punches, perhaps developing (*gasp*) a style of his very own, then he could be going somewhere. Even though I'm glad to see two younger, lesser-publicized guys getting a chance to fight over the second most prestigious title on the program, as I'd mentioned in my introduction, it feels like it's too soon for Maven to be getting the opportunity. The storyline that kicked off when he stole a surprise pinfall from Shelton during a six-man tag match a few weeks ago was never expanded upon, and the feud feels kind of hollow as a result. I'm glad the big names are concentrating on RAW's top prize, but the midcard competition HAS to be a little bit tougher than this. The match should deliver, at least, since Shelton's been very good opposite almost everyone since switching to the show after WrestleMania. So long as Sylvain Grenier doesn't dart out to the ring to screw it up, the action between the ropes should be good stuff, and I'm not all that concerned about Benjamin losing the title.<br /><strong>Winner: Shelton Benjamin</strong><br /><br /><strong><u>Kane vs. Gene Snitsky</u></strong><br /><br />What was it I said about the Benjamin / Maven match? It feels "hollow"? Yeah, let's just go ahead and apply that same adjective to this one, as well. Despite its white-hot start, (which is something that, to this day, I still can't understand) the Kane / Snitsky feud has gone belly-up in the months since Taboo Tuesday. I don't care about Kane. Snitsky's done nothing to change my opinion of him since he first popped up on the show. Lita's reaction to big Gene seems to change by the hour. One minute she's bold and in his face, nearly intimidating him, the next she's cowering in a corner and trying to convince us she's seriously worried about his threats. You should know better than to expect good things from this match, so the one thing everyone should be looking forward to here is the potential for a mercy-killing and an early return to OVW for Mr. Snitsky. Kane makes the squash, the audience responds with a collective "meh," and the dysfunctional love affair between the Big Red Machine and his Big Red-Headed Bride takes some other kind of bizarre, unnecessary twist.<br /><strong>Winner: Kane </strong><br /><br /><strong><u>Lita (c) vs. Trish Stratus</u></strong><br /><em>Women's Championship</em><br /><br />I must've previewed or reviewed this match a couple dozen times by now, but since the Women's division is so strapped for talent, (until, as I've mentioned before, that fateful day when a lightbulb goes off above Vince's head and he decides to start teaching the Diva Search contestants to roll around the ring) here we go again. These two actually put on a really nice show on RAW about a month ago, when that sickening botched suicide dive seemed to shake loose some ring awareness, but even so I can't say I'm all that thrilled about the rematch. After almost a full year of build, these two have said and done just about everything imaginable to one another, and I'm thinking it's time to turn the corner with the whole feud. This needs to blow off right here or, at the very most, next month at the Rumble. And, given RAW's reluctance to rush to any sort of conclusion recently, I'm thinking Trish wins the title back here and the battles continue.<br /><strong>Winner: Trish Stratus</strong><br /><br /><strong><u>Triple H vs. Randy Orton vs. Chris Jericho vs. Edge vs. Chris Benoit vs. Batista</u></strong><br /><em>Elimination Chamber World Heavyweight Championship Match with Special Referee Shawn Michaels</em><br /><br />Finally, the real driving force behind this show. It's really nice to see the various names and faces working the main events of RAW these days, as they've each been really producing over the last year or two, and deserve the spot almost without question. These guys have been exchanging dance partners and swapping allegiances all year, and the main events have never been better. It's only natural to throw them all in the ring together, with the World Title up for grabs, now that we're nearing the impending bookend of WrestleMania XXI. This match is like a summary of the last year for RAW, with Hunter heading up the show's dominant heel faction, Batista providing the muscle and the potential for big things in 2005, Orton bringing the face reactions and a past one-month Title reign, Jericho providing the consistency, as he's once again been the Monday Night MVP for RAW, and Benoit carrying with him his incredible ringwork and the longest face Title reign since Steve Austin's first run. For all of the black weddings, mentally handicapped wrestlers near the main event, and weight loss gimmicks, 2004 really wasn't that bad a year for RAW, and you've got the six guys listed above (plus Shawn Michaels, who's also involved) to thank. I'm really eager to see how this one turns out, not just because I'm anxious to see who will be grabbing the gold, but because the match itself should be outstanding. There are so many different storyline and personality conflicts here, they could battle it out all night and still have a handful of interesting new directions to test out before the bell rings. Batista, Orton and Hunter all have history together, with Batista's hints of insubordination making that mix twice as volatile as it might have been otherwise. Benoit and Edge have an ongoing hatred for one another, and neither one seems to think too favorably of Triple H. Edge seems to despise Orton, and I'd be interested in seeing if Benoit has completely forgiven the carrier of the RKO for ending his run as champion at Summerslam. Jericho's worked opposite every single one of these guys at one point or another in 2004 aside from Benoit, and if their history together should teach us anything, it's that their friendship is never more than a few harsh words away from bursting at the seams.<br /><br />So yeah, basically, I'm extremely interested in this one match. I was leaning towards a surprise reign for Benoit or Jericho for quite some time, but all the signs pointing toward another Triple H run are almost too glaring to ignore. I've read handfuls of potential outcomes for this match, and with things as wide open as they are right now, every single one of them could work out spectacularly. Probably the closest thing to certainty in my mind is another run for the Game, and as much as it pains me to do so, I'm gonna have to go with him here.<br /><strong>Winner: Triple H</strong><br /><br /><strong><u>In Closing...</u></strong><br /><br />I can't do more than repeat my opening sentiments here. This is a one-match show, but at the very least that one match is one helluva doozy. I remain vehemently opposed to the slow increase in the number of yearly WWE PPVs, mainly because of cards like this one and Armageddon, and as such I'm only left to imagine what a great show they could've put on if this main event were paired up with a really nice undercard. <br /><div align="center">until then, i remain<br>drq</div>drqshadowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14114632623890865250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-511006337599846371.post-71323486664594986722005-01-03T11:53:00.000-08:002007-09-03T11:55:14.734-07:00WWE RAW Review: 01/03/05Last show before the big Pay Per View this Sunday, and while the main event scene's tighter than it's ever been, I can't say the same about the midcard and undercard. If the writers had planned to get serious about making "New Year's Revolution" a well-rounded PPV card and not just a two hour Elimination Chamber match along with some fluff to round things out, the time was going to be now.<br /><br />And right out of the gates, Bischoff made certain that the majority of tonight's emphasis was going to be on the workers involved with the Elimination Chamber match. I guess on second thought it's not really that big of a deal, since six guys are tied up in this one match and by the time RAW's next solo PPV comes around, only two of them are likely to still be involved. Regardless, they're still charging admission at NYR, both in person and over the airwaves, and to ignore the rest of the card while the main event's already set in stone leaves a bad taste in my mouth. There are more than a dozen guys backstage who aren't doing anything and could really use both the exposure and the opportunity to exceed the expectations with a brief feud and a longer-than-usual PPV blowoff, and it's a shame to see them remaining there despite this golden opportunity.<br /><br />Enough. I'll bitch about that when John, Dave and I get together for the "World's Greatest" preview later in the week. While the midcard has been almost completely forgotten, the main event scene really has never been better. I've yet to complain about the slow rotation of Benoit, Jericho, Batista, Hunter, Orton and Edge in singles feuds with one another over the last year, and a big throwdown between the whole lot of them seems like a great way to wrap up last year's season and allow for a clean break into the new year. In addition, the stars' familiarity with one another and individual progression both as characters and as athletes is resulting in some damn fine television. Last week's race for the quickest pin not only enhanced the importance of the Elimination Chamber match, but also gave that episode of RAW a great competitive thread that's been missing for quite some time... and this week's episode followed in kind. Pairing off the six main eventers into singles matches not only produces some potentially excellent matchups, but also once again gives a subtle nod to the Elimination Chamber match this Sunday night. Everyone would naturally look for a decisive victory here, not just to incapacitate a potential opponent for the big match, but also to send a stern message to the others that they are not to be fucked with. By booking those three matches so early in the evening, Bischoff set a tone and pace for the evening that would've been almost perfect if the midcard hadn't already been so neglected over the last few weeks.<br /><br />Right out of the gates, Benoit and Batista rushed out to face off with one another, in what turned into a sort of coming out party for Batista. Just in time for Sunday's big match, Evolution's enforcer turned in an excellent performance, not just in terms of technical proficiency, but also as a character. He's slightly shifted his in-ring persona from a traditional slow, stupid, powerful big man into a ferocious, easily-upset monster with more strength and volatility than he knows what to do with. For instance, once he'd done everything in his power to force Benoit to submit to a single-leg crab and the Crippler still refused to submit, Batista grew frustrated, grabbing his opponent's arm and slamming it repeatedly to the mat in a sort of simulated tap-out. When Benoit went to the top a bit prematurely and the big man caught him, he hit a crazy delayed fisherman's suplex that took the wind out of the Crippler's sails. When he's calm and collected, as he was for most of the match, Batista uses his strength wisely with impressive maneuvers that dish out the punishment without totally wearing him out in the process. When he's frustrated and angry, he makes mistakes, wastes energy and occasionally connects with something horrifyingly brutal. It's like a Jekyll and Hyde personality, only his body never shrinks and grows in proportion to his mind. This was an excellent way to further push Batista's personal agenda this Sunday night, and Benoit went out of his way to make sure it succeeded. Easily the best singles match I've ever seen out of Batista, great pacing, an intriguing story from both guys and an excellent finishing sequence that didn't kill the Wolverine's credibility just before the big match.<br /><br />Backstage, Batista just couldn't stop kicking ass, as he basically wrested verbal control of Evolution from both Flair and Hunter, dangled it in front of their eyes and then gave it back with a snicker. This slow turn has been a dream to watch, as they just keep putting Batista with precisely the workers he needs to be around to make his segment(s) work. Though I hated them together when their association was first cemented, Flair and Hunter have really formed a great chemistry together, with Hunter easing into the role of the natural leader and Flair constantly on top of his game with the emotion, the body language, the facial expressions and the snide comments. This segment wouldn't have been nearly as important, nor as impressive, if Batista had unflinchingly stood up to any other tandem in the entire federation. Well done.<br /><br />Oh, man, and then it's all followed up with another shitty Gene Snitsky interview. Worse still, he's being questioned by Maria, one of the half dozen Diva Search rejects that seem to be popping up all over the program these days. I've never understood what they see in Snitsky... the only thing he's done well consistently is waste my time.<br /><br />Jericho and Edge followed that beauty up with the second match of the evening, which happened to be the second of the three major singles matches of the evening. I didn't really understand why they rushed this one out there so soon, instead of waiting until the top of the second hour and spacing the three matches out evenly. Scheduled as it was, the show wound up being really heavy during the opening hour and quite light throughout the second. As far as the match goes, I've seen better from both of them in the past, but that isn't to say it was a bad match by any stretch of the imagination. It seemed to drag out a teensy bit longer than was necessary, the commercial was badly timed and the finish was missing something. Like I said, not bad, but this wasn't the best match they've ever had together.<br /><br />Not long after, Shelton Benjamin and Sylvain Grenier hit the ring, with Maven providing some surprise commentary alongside the King and JR. Maven's really starting to impress me by nailing this new heel character and losing all of the hesitation and bashful nature that made him so bland as a face. He's speaking his mind now, and while I'm not sure Shelton is the right foil for him at the moment, it's great to see a little bit of personality peeking through all the same. The match that happened to be going on while Maven was chatting away in the booth was pretty bad, honestly, likely the worst I've seen from Benjamin since he came to RAW, although I don't think he deserves the criticisms himself. Grenier stood out like a sore thumb here, miscommunicating on a set of spots near the end, falling on his ass while attempting a kip up and then forgetting to kick out of a false finish. When it rains it pours, I guess.<br /><br />When the show returned from commercial, JR and the King were waiting for us in the squared circle, which meant... yep... it was time for the much-maligned "debate" between the RAW Broadcast Team and Muhammad Hassan. I was pleasantly surprised by this one, since the great majority of it actually did seem to resemble a serious debate, and neither side came across as overwhelmingly right or wrong. I know JR and the King were meant to be the voice of reason here, but when Hassan verbally tore them apart and Ross's only comeback was the old "Love it or leave it" line, I started to lean more toward Muhammad's point of view, if just because of the inherent stupidity of that crusty old line. There's a little American liberty that makes that statement completely null and void... it's called freedom of speech. You don't HAVE to love America to understand its potential, and you don't automatically loathe it just because you feel it could stand to be improved. I could seriously go on for hours about this, though, so I'll steer us back on course.<br /><br />I'm enjoying Hassan's character, for many of the same reasons I enjoyed Teddy Long and D'Lo Brown's short run together near the end of D'Lo's WWE career. That pairing stood up to racism in America, which is still a legitimate, serious issue that I can honestly picture two grown men disagreeing over so fiercely that they feel there is no alternative but violence towards one another. I can say the same thing about Muhammad and Khosrow today; it's an issue that's being confronted all around the country, with individuals arguing passionately for each viewpoint. Unfortunately, the whole gimmick is being overshadowed by WWE's track record with previous gimmicks and storylines that had similar potential and ultimately failed because the bookers got cold feet. The only way this gimmick is going to work is if they stick to their guns and ride out the storm it's bound to generate, and I have no confidence in their ability to do that. But we'll see, I suppose. If it's handled correctly, this could be a big momentum-shifting storyline. If it isn't, well, c'est la vie. For right now, I'm really enjoying this character, his abilities on the mic and the audience's rabid reaction to the subject matter.<br /><br />Oh yeah, and if you're vehemently opposed to the character as a whole, I'm curious; were you equally as outraged about Nikolai Volkoff, the Iron Shiek, Nikita Koloff and Boris Zukhov, back in the 80s? It's a very similar gimmick, but it stands out today because its surroundings are much less cartoony and it's being treated with a little more respect. Sure, at the end of the day Muhammad and Khosrow are heels and their primary goal is to make the audience scream for their blood. So what happens when one or both of them turn face without conceding their stances on this issue?<br /><br />I'm beyond the point of concern for the women's division now, and have pretty much accepted the fact that things will never again be the way they were at this point in 2004, but that doesn't mean I've resigned myself to applauding matches like this week's Trish vs. Victoria workout. Not only have both lost the edgy characters that made them a big part of the division's heyday, but they seem to have lost some of their desire in the ring, as well. So let me get this straight... there are now four active competitors in the division, and it's been MONTHS since I've seen Molly or Victoria get a clean win. So, basically, until they start introducing failed Diva Search contestants to the mix, (and believe me, it's only a matter of time) the most competitive match we're probably going to get is this Sunday's title match between Trish and Lita. Ugh. This was uninspired at best, and didn't really mean anything when all was said and done.<br /><br />Maintaining that theme, Christian and Eugene followed up with a match of their own that didn't quite meet my expectations. I know this is supposed to be getting me all antsy for their match this Sunday, when the tag titles are on the line, but it didn't. If anything, it showed be that Christian and Eugene don't mesh all that well together, and that neither guy is exactly thrilled about their spot on the card. The Steamboat fan in me liked seeing the double chickenwing submission Eugene pulled out, but that's about all I care to remember about this one.<br /><br />Finally, the evening trudged across the finish line on the backs of Triple H and Randy Orton, who worked a surprisingly unspectacular main event, especially considering all the time and money they've invested in promoting these two as a big money-drawing rivalry. Nothing about this match thrilled me; I wasn't biting on the nearfalls, I didn't feel much tension in the air, and neither guy went out of his way to make me cheer or boo him. I was surprised to see Orton pick up the clean win, especially after all of the outside interference, but the bigwigs backstage couldn't have been happy with the way this one turned out. It felt like they were treading water at times, floating out in the open sea without much of an idea about where they wanted to go with it.<br /><br />Basically, your opinion on the whole show really boils down to whether you liked the direction they took with Hassan's character or not, because I don't know how you can be opposed to Batista's work in the opening hour or in favor of Sylvain Grenier's horrific showing not long afterwards. For my money, this show started out extremely well, but sagged big time in the second hour and was missing a major league main event to bat cleanup after the outstanding debate segment had worked the crowd up into a frenzy. I can't wait to see the main event of Sunday's PPV, and I'm mildly interested in seeing how they handle Hassan's in-ring debut, but the rest of the card's looking extremely weak. The quality was there in several segments this week, ensuring an above-average grade from yours truly, but this could've been so much more than a low seven...<br /><br /><center>On a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is poor and 10 is amazing...<br /><b><u>Overall Score:</u> 7.1</b></center>drqshadowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14114632623890865250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-511006337599846371.post-23168276673688521462004-12-13T11:55:00.000-08:002007-09-03T11:56:41.941-07:00WWE RAW Review: 12/13/04This week opened up, naturally enough, with Eric Bischoff strolling to the ring with the World Heavyweight Championship slung over his shoulder and a scowl on his face. I was glad to see Bischoff hadn't lost any of the edge that had made him so interesting in the weeks leading up to the Survivor Series, hadn't attempted to grow his hair back or re-dye it black, and had actually further accentuated his character's evolution by growing a thin, weary beard. The guy looked good, and it was nice to have a pillar of strength back at the helm of the show after a few weeks of temporaries. While Jericho, Benoit, Orton and even Maven had done well in charge of the show, none of them seemed to demand respect, to perspire authority in the same way that Bischoff does right now. Eric could've done this entire promo through body language... his scowl betrayed his opinions that the show hadn't gone as well as he'd hoped in his absence, his disdain for the title on his arm proved that he didn't enjoy the way he was thrown right back into the fire with a huge decision waiting for him, and the uncertainty in his eyes told us he hadn't yet made a decision about the title situation. Edge, Benoit and Hunter were all there via closed-circuit TV, and chimed in with a word or two before assaulting one another backstage, further infuriating the acting GM. This was a very nice opener to the show, just long enough to establish its points without belaboring them, and effective in setting the tone for the rest of the night.<br /><br />Edge flew right into action after his opening skirmish, stamping down to the ring for a match with Randy Orton in the opener. I remember enjoying the series of matches these two had together on RAW in the spring of this year, and while the matches themselves were good, I never really felt they capitalized on all the potential they had together. They'd go from a really nice, hot, inventive segment to a long, dull, poorly-timed rest segment and then back again... like they'd let off the gas just as the car reached an exciting speed. With both guys switching allegiances since then, Orton to mild success at best and Edge to a run at the top of the card, and last week's outstanding promo, I thought maybe they'd finally deliver the match I was waiting for right here. Unfortunately, it wasn't meant to be. This was about as good as any of their previous matches together in 2004, which isn't an insult nor is it a big compliment, really. Just like before, they'd get my attention with a great little segment and then lose it again by strapping on the chinlock. It'd been quite a while since the last time I saw Randy Orton latching onto one of his now-famously intense chinlocks, and I while was glad to see him introducing more of his heelish maneuvers to his face repertoire, after the third or fourth minute I was wishing for something new. Like each of their previous matches, this lagged early before gearing up for a very nice finish. I guess that's one way to shape the way your matches are remembered; get all the boring stuff out of the way in the first half, then finish hot so the dull stuff is less vivid in the crowd's memory. This was a little long for the opener, but I liked the theme it furthered and the finish was one of the best they've had together. Given a little more time to refamiliarize themselves with each other, I'm still confident these two will have that breakthrough match together.<br /><br />Batista's build to the top continued this week, with another outstanding backstage segment and a great role in the Evolution vs. Benoit and Jericho match further up the card. I love that they've finally found a guy who can speak convincingly, intimidate anybody on the roster with his physique and wrestle the appropriately explosive big-man style. It didn't happen overnight, but he's become one of their best prospects as the year's grown older. These little motivational one-liners he's feeding Hunter are perfect for the situation; Batista's more the leader of Evolution than Flair or HHH right now.<br /><br />In stark contrast to Batista's progression into one of the better big men in the federation today is Gene Snitsky, and his almost laughably-bad work on the outer edge of the main event scene. This guy looks like a doofus, talks like a doofus, acts like a doofus, and is being pushed... as a violent hard-ass with a temper problem and no respect for anyone around him. OK, which one of these does not belong? They had a moment of pure comedy gold on their hands when he was attempting a timid, cautious little dance while the Diva Search music played, and then they barreled right on into an attempted beating of the entire Women's division. Personally, I couldn't give a damn what they do with the guy because as far as I'm concerned he's completely worthless and backed into a successful angle with Kane, but if they're going to keep wasting TV time on him, they may as well cater toward his strengths.<br /><br />Benoit and Jericho vs. Batista and Hunter was up next, and was just a hair below the level of their match together last week. Matches like this one are the reason Batista's transforming into a sound athlete between the ropes and Gene Snitsky, Tyson Tomko and John Heidenreich aren't. Batista's been put into the best possible position to learn from his elders, tagging with Hunter and / or Flair throughout the year against Chris Benoit, Shawn Michaels, Mick Foley, Chris Jericho, Shelton Benjamin and a rotating roster of other guys who know what it takes to make a match great. As the weeks went by, the big man started to pick up tips and tricks, began to implement them into his own moveset, and gradually progressed into the man you see in the ring today. Batista did more than make a few blind saves, hit a spinebuster or two, growl and scoop up the victory for his team... he told a story. That speech he gave Hunter earlier in the night about how the "Real World's Champion will be standing over Chris Benoit with his arms in the air" later in the evening? It was more than just an accident that he wound up in that situation at the match's conclusion, rather than Hunter. Both of Evolution's alpha males told volumes with their movements, facial expressions and body language at the end of this one. Hunter didn't know what had hit him, and Batista was both elated and almost morbidly serious as his glare burnt a hole in Hunter's forehead after the bell. Basically, the big story of this match was Benoit and Jericho completely obliterating Trips right from the opening bell, with Batista keeping his team in the running while Hunter nearly cost them the match on more than one occasion.<br /><br />Mick Foley followed that up with a trip to the ring, where he then proceeded to tread water until Muhammad Hassan interrupted with another scathing anti-American promo. I really enjoyed this segment, although the live crowd tried their best to spoil the moment by resuscitating the long-deceased "What" chant. How long's it been since RAW was live in Alabama? Anyway. Lame, sing-along chants aside, this was a solid, emotional promo that left me with some genuine emotions for a change, though not exactly the kind they were aiming for. Foley was interesting here, unapologetically professing his love for John Kerry in Bush country and then almost saving himself by falling back on a generic "I support the troops" statement, but when Hassan showed up, the sparks really started to fly. Foley was like the quiet kid in the corner of the room who perks up and makes a stand when a particularly emotional issue comes up. He pounced on the opportunity to talk politics on-air, and when Muhammad kept up for him word-for-word, he was a little rattled. Mick tried to lead the whole thing into a confrontation in the ring, but Hassan took the high road, refusing to fight a man he doesn't respect. That one line had me bristling on the edge of my seat, waiting for Foley to go the traditional route and say something witty that forces the heel to come into the ring anyway and take some abuse, but Mick didn't have a comeback. Instead, the heel took a rare moral victory, Foley lost an argument and the crowd was deflated. It's something new, I'll give them that, and I'm intrigued to see what other taboos they shatter with this gimmick in the coming weeks. I don't have to like the "Arab as a heel" slant of the gimmick to enjoy it for being non-traditional.<br /><br />Maven, Christian and Tyson Tomko vs. Eugene, Regal and Benjamin was a strange mix, not to mention a weird choice for a main event, and really didn't deliver. This was a confusing blend, as the faces and heels effectively switched dance partners midway through (with Maven moving on to a feud with Benjamin and Christian / Tomko setting their sights on the tag titles) and nobody seemed willing to take charge of either team. At a glance, you'd think Christian and Benjamin would be the captains, so to speak, but Christian wasn't exactly barking orders and Benjamin didn't even get warmed up until a couple seconds before Maven stole the win. Shelton's starting to do a better job of integrating his flashier moves into his regular moveset, but that wasn't enough to save the match for me.<br /><br />Near his wits' end, Hunter made a last-gasp attempt at regaining his title, pulling out the emotion in a tearful plea to Eric Bischoff backstage. I thought this made great sense considering the turns Hunter's character has taken over the last few weeks. His world's falling down around him; he no longer has psychological control over the general manager, he lost the World Title, his most cherished possession, he's dealing with a challenge to his authority in Evolution, he doesn't know who he can rely on any more, and his motion picture debut is being panned almost universally by the critics. He knows physical intimidation won't work, so he's trying his hand at bending Bischoff's will with a more sensitive approach. Of course it didn't work very well, as Bischoff had already made his decision, but this segment was more about Hunter's downward spiral than EB's decision about the World Title.<br /><br />Finally, we wrapped up with the Title announcement everybody seems to have known was coming, the ensuing brawl that was roughly twice as predictable as the announcement, and another victorious moment for Randy Orton. I don't see why that decision needed to wait for two full weeks, because in retrospect the end result was a huge let-down. Think about it, they built two episodes of RAW around the World Title situation, two episodes subtitled "Who is the World Champion??" and the only resolution we're granted is "Wait until January." It's not like it took me by surprise, but I still feel kind of jerked around by the handling of this situation.<br /><br />An outstanding opening hour that cruised to a finish without hitting too many bumps in the road. They're really captivating me with this ongoing psychological war between Batista and Hunter and Triple H's complete loss of composure along the way. Eric Bischoff's return was a welcome shift back to normalcy, the matches were relatively solid (albeit not unforgettable) and even the show's worst segment (the Snitsky mess) was kept short. I can safely call that a small improvement over last week.<br /><br /><center>On a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is poor and 10 is amazing...<br /><b><u>Overall Score:</u> 7.9</b></center>drqshadowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14114632623890865250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-511006337599846371.post-89386476730871761502004-12-11T14:46:00.000-08:002007-09-20T14:49:10.026-07:00The World's Greatest WWE Armageddon 2004 PreviewAside from the main event, this doesn't really feel like a PPV-caliber show. It's in that strange middle-ground between your everyday Smackdown television broadcast (which it's certainly a step above) and your monthly PPV event (which it's undeniably a step below). It feels like the kind of show they'd use to counter a RAW brand-exclusive pay per view on a Thursday night. A little more match-heavy than usual, but without as much of a chance for titles to change hands as you'd expect. A couple of these matches could really deliver, and each of the title bouts should be pretty solid, but as a package this card just doesn't do it for me. There's no underlying theme, no predominantly interesting storyline to glue the whole mess together... just a bunch of blandness. <br /><br /><strong><u>Spike Dudley (c) vs. Funaki</u></strong><br /><em>Cruiserweight Title</em><br /><br />I'm probably anticipating this match more than any other on the card. Funaki can be quite good if he's allowed to be himself, and Spike's been doing a great job as the mantle-bearer for the division thus far into his reign. I like that they've begun to shake things up a bit here, opting to focus more on the athleticism of the cruisers than the dramatic storylines that are the central focus of the heavyweight feuds. The only real reason these two are in the ring together is because Spike holds the title and Funaki wants to legitimize himself in front of his peers. There's no need for long, drawn-out, twisting, turning storylines that involve Spike pinning Funaki in Japan before stabbing him in the chest at an after-hours nightclub and costing him several months of in-ring time. It's just a wrestling match that's focused on solid competition. Take a look back, and you'll see that nearly every cruiserweight match in WCW's history was the same way. Unless Chris Jericho was involved, there was no story beyond that eternal hunt for the official three count. This should be a very nice opener, and while I'm rooting for Funaki, (who I can't believe snuck by another round of roster cuts unscathed) I've gotta believe Spike's going to retain.<br /><strong>Winner: Spike Dudley </strong><br /><br /><strong><u>Daniel Puder vs. Mike Mizanin</u></strong><br /><em>Tough Enough Dixie Dog Fight</em><br /><br />It's funny to look back at the way this competition progressed and to see the abrupt changes of direction it's undergone. At first it was a heartwarming story about eight men chasing their dream, (and one who, despite all the guts in the world, couldn't overcome a freshly torn bicep) then it was an up-close study of the physical and mental toughness of each guy, (the face-off with the Big Show, the squat-thrusts with Angle) and then it quickly turned into an opportunity to embarrass each of the contestants. Likewise, as the competition progressed and changed, so did WWE's opinion on the value of the now-infamous Puder-Angle incident. Initially they were horrified... they thought this was an incredible embarrassment and attempted to ignore all arguments to the contrary. Then they started to realize that maybe there's some money to be made off of this, and began to come around to the idea of Puder as the frontrunner. Now they've all but thrown the victory into his lap by making the final challenge a legitimate sparring match between the last men standing. A lot of people are making references to Bart Gunn's unexpected annihilation of Dr. Death, Steve Williams, during the Attitude-era "Brawl for All" competition... and not undeservedly so. The fed is setting themselves up for another potential plan-changer here, by apparently relying entirely on Puder's capabilities while completely overlooking the fact that Mizanin has a chance, as well. Not that I think it's going to make a huge difference anyway, but there's always that chance out there. Puder takes this, but something tells me it won't be as easy as everybody's thinking it will be.<br /><strong>Winner: Daniel Puder </strong><br /><br /><strong><u>Big Show vs. Kurt Angle, Mark Jindrak & Luther Reigns</u></strong><br /><br />I'm conflicted on this one. On one hand, I'm really enjoying Kurt Angle as the mastermind of a big-time heel stable. I loved the idea when Paul Heyman presented him Team Angle a couple of years ago, and I love it now even if I'm not totally crazy about the guys he's got surrounding him. Kurt's almost completely divorced himself from the goofy, humorously-pompous character he portrayed for the first few years of his debut, and while that change led indirectly to his participation in the now-infamous "let's go shoot the Big Show with a dart gun" angle, on the whole it's been a refreshing change for his character.<br /><br />Anyway. The Big Show and Angle have always worked quite well together, and I'm willing to wager they'll be the two guys who see the most ring-time together here. Jindrak will more than likely play whipping boy for the heels, while Reigns looks for the "big man staring down with another big man" moment they've been setting up all month, but Angle's the go-to guy without any question. Team Angle 2.0 takes the win here, giving us a lead-in to Angle vs. Show at the Royal Rumble.<br /><strong>Winner(s): Kurt Angle, Luther Reigns and Mark Jindrak </strong><br /><br /><strong><u>Dawn Marie vs. Miss Jackie</u></strong><br /><em>Charlie Haas is Special Referee</em><br /><br />Goddamn, RAW may have Diva Lingerie pillow fights, limbo contests and beer bashes, but at least they don't feature a horrible, horrible, totally inconceivably bad women's "wrestling" match every time it's their turn to run a PPV. Even Lita, generally regarded as the division's weakest length (and by a good margin) could wrestle circles around Dawn and Jackie. There's a reason the women's division is on RAW and these two are on Smackdown: they shouldn't be in the ring. As for the outcome... well, Chuck's gotta turn one way or the other, because giving him the Tommy Dreamer line ("I'll take em both") just isn't gonna fly. They've been pushing his real-life engagement to Jackie a bit too strongly on-air lately. I smell a betrayal.<br /><strong>Winner: Dawn Marie </strong><br /><br /><strong><u>John Cena (c) vs. Jesus</u></strong><br /><em>United States Title</em><br /><br />This match has all the ingredients to make something absolutely horrible. A new face, thrown into the mix near the top of the card before he's really established himself as a viable threat in the ring. An upper-mid-card star, popular enough to justify a run at the top but still a little shaky on the mat. A silly, gimmicky, ongoing storyline involving a stabbing at a nightclub. A title belt that's never really meant as much as it probably should. A high profile collision on PPV. Either John Cena's going to earn our respect with a great showing here or it's all going to fall apart in the ring, and I'm not thrilled with his chances at the former. The only thing casting any kind of question into my mind about the outcome of this one is the "street fight" stipulation, which leads me to believe Carlito won't be entirely uninvolved. Cena's star is on the rise right now, and while a win over the US Champ on PPV would prove to be a big-time initial boost for Jesus, I just don't see it going down like that. Cena in a blowout.<br /><strong>Winner: John Cena </strong><br /><br /><strong><u>Rey Mysterio & Rob Van Dam (c) vs. Kenzo Suzuki & Rene Dupree</u></strong><br /><em>Tag Team Titles</em><br /><br />This could be better than it has a right to be. Dupree's been steadily improving since jumping to Smackdown, and paired up with Kenzo he's developed this awkward sort of chemistry that I can't really define. Likewise, Van Dam's been showing signs of improvement after basically bottoming out and losing his passion on RAW, while Rey Rey's been in high gear almost the entire time he's been in the fed. I don't think I'll ever be fully sold on Suzuki, though... you can give him all the character quirks and funny lines in the world, and I still won't be able to totally look past his ineptitude in the ring.<br /><br />Anyway. This little rivalry's been brewing for a short while now, and I was surprised to see the titles change hands at Smackdown this week, rather than during the PPV on Sunday night. It's nice to have a little honest variety and surprise thrown into title matches now and then, such as when Edge won his first Intercontinental Championship at a house show the night before he was due to challenge for it on PPV, and so long as it doesn't become a monthly or weekly thing, I can't see that decision doing anything but good.<br /><br />Shoot, I'm rambling off on a semi-related tangent. In short; should be a surprisingly good match, should lead to further problems between Suzuki and Dupree, should be a clean first defense by the faces.<br /><strong>Winners: Mysterio & RVD</strong><br /><br /><strong><u>John Bradshaw Layfield vs. The Undertaker vs. Booker T. vs. Eddie Guerrero</u></strong><br /><em>WWE Heavyweight Title</em><br /><br />Basically everybody who could credibly hold the title right now (sans Angle, naturally) is involved in this match. Because, yeah, when you've got a shortage of drawing, top-level talent that needs to be stretched as far as possible until you land another main eventer, the best idea is to cram them all into one match. I'm worried about the way this will play out. On one hand, you've got one guy who's among the best in the game today (Guerrero), two guys, formerly very strong in the ring, on a downward slope near the end of their careers (Taker and Booker) and a champion who's surprised us all by putting forward a handful of entertaining defenses in the face of adversity. On the other, well... none of their styles are that complimentary to one another. The Taker's slow and methodical to a fault, JBL likes to brawl, Eddie's big on speed and high flying, and nowadays Booker likes to work basically the same match every time he's out there. This looks like little more than a clusterfuck waiting to happen from where I stand.<br /><br />Then again, every one of these guys has performed beyond my own expectations on more than one occasion. If they all climb into the ring together on one of those "on" nights, this could be magical... but the planets would need to align in a really, really special way for that to happen. I don't know who to take here. Every one of these guys has dropped an opportunity to capture the title in singles action in the past, and there's a good chance the plan is to send JBL all the way to WrestleMania or at least the Rumble with the belt around his waist. I'm going with the Taker, just because I've seen who they've been emphasizing this month, but I wouldn't be surprised at all to see Booker or JBL exit the ring as champion. About the only result I'd call a surprise is a second Guerrero title reign.<br /><strong>Winner: The Undertaker </strong><br /><br /><strong><u>In Closing...</u></strong><br /><br />There's a lot of possibility here. There's a possibility that this will be among the worst cards promoted in the twenty first century, if the show-stealer is Jackie / Dawn Marie, and there's a possibility that this will be the greatest surprise of the century, if everything that has the slightest bit of potential to succeed delivers. There's a possibility that stars will be made here, if Funaki and Spike tear the place down, and a possibility that names will be broken here, if John Cena lays a turd with Jesus. Hah, that sentence just looks funny if you forget about the Spanish pronunciation. Anyway. I'm interested in the outcome of this PPV, but I'm not hopeful. If it succeeds, I'll be pleasantly surprised beyond all bounds. If it fails, my heart won't exactly break. <br /><div align="center">until then, i remain<br>drq</div>drqshadowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14114632623890865250noreply@blogger.com0