Torch Feedback
WWE Raw Reax #4: "This is what every Flair and wrestling fan wanted, and it couldn't have been done any better."
Apr 1, 2008 - 3:04:05 PM |
|
A.A. Norman of Tulsa, Okla. (10.0): Best parts: Outstanding mic work all around by talent; Worst part: Knowing that live television can't last too long into "Law & Order." Congratulations to WWE for having a very well done post-WrestleMania Raw show. It was definitely a show that could have had the Beatles "Hello Goodbye" track in the background, as Matt Hardy and Cryme Tyme made their triumphant returns to the regular shows. I crowd was wonderful tonight, as they gave Cryme Tyme a nice "Welcome Back" chant, Great Khali a hilarious "You Can't Wrestle!" chant, and Ric Flair a moving "Thank you, Ric!" chant with the entire roster. Speaking of, if I had to downgrade this episode for anything, there were obviously some WWE wrestlers who did not seem to really want to be there that night to thank Ric. Yes, we've all read the Internet stories where you all wanted to go see opening day in MLB and have the day off, but seriously, can't you just be "in character" for one minute of television time as an appreciative wrestler showing tribute to a legend? It was irritating to see some of the talent show acting bored and irritated at the end, acting like they didn't want to be there. To end on a positive note, how about the tag team division? It is good to see that the division has a chance of being revitalized after this show; here's hoping they give more television time to the better teams (Santino/Carlito, London & Kendrick, Cryme Tyme, Holly & Rhodes) and give one of them the belt.
Terrie Neilson of Las Vegas, Nev. (10.0): Best: Flair tribute (Whooo!). Worst: Not gonna do it tonight There were some nice surprises: the returns of Matt Hardy and Cryme Tyme, London & Kendrick apparently ironing out their differences and beating Holly & Rhodes (hoping for some follow-up). On a side note to that, Holly could be seen not getting into Cody's face about the loss; he was more like "Okay, we lost, let's see what we can do to fix it." While there were faulty parts to tonight's outgo show (not counting the sloppy-looking-because-they're-selling C.M. Punk vs. Chris Jericho match), I'm not gonna poo-poo on Ric Flair's parade. I expected that Ric Flair would lose to Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania in a match that would go down as one for the ages. Job well done--and full circle to their feud of 2003 when a full fledged heel Flair called Michaels "a Ric Flair Wannabe" in a match between "The Nature Boy" and "The Showstopper." Tonight's tribute and the other pieces about it set up to buffer Shawn's conflicted but clean win, replace the few bits of erected heel pieces with face ones, and tease a potential feud with a potentially evolving heel Batista. The feel-good segment made up for the rest of tonight, which really wasn't all that bad anyway.
Mat La Vore of West Palm Beach, Fla. (10.0) Best: Flair's Ceremony. Worst: It doesn't matter. That was pro wrestling at its best. Props to Vince and Co. for doing the right thing and giving Flair and all the fans this amazing three night send off. This is what every Flair and wrestling fan wanted, and it couldn't have been done any better. I was crying by the time the show went off the air. This will definitely go down as one of the greatest moments in professional wrestling. And for me it tops that list. Thank you Flair, and thank you WWE.
Adam J. Grammas of Westchester, Ill. (7.0): My score is all for the ending. Best: Flair tribute. Worst: Holly & Rhodes vs. London & Kendrick. It's a shame that Orton-Hardy is done as a post-WM victory for Orton, as opposed to setting up a new program. How about some fresh talent in the main event picture? Did I actually hear a "Welcome back!" chant directed at Cryme Tyme? Whose idea was it to put them back on the payroll? I know I'm not "street cool," but these guys make M.O.M. look cool. So no one's really upset with HBK for doing what Flair asked, except for fellow babyface Batista. Is a heel turn coming? The Holly & Rhodes vs London & Kendrick was quite a disaster. Many mis-timed moves and I can't believe they showed Holly throwing himself over the ropes several times. Were they really trying a "Show's gonna kill you!" chant? With most of the divas out there at once, it's strange to see that Victoria and Mickie are the veterans of that whole division. How far back does that go, about four years? The ending segment, no surprise, made the night. When Flair finished speaking, and Triple H's music hit, there were probably some people thinking it was a set up for a match and the retirement would be aborted, as many segments go like that. I was much happier to see the strongest Horsemen lineup come out. I hope someone got a picture of just the five of them holding up the four fingers. It would make a great "then and now" type picture, much like the Beatles Red & Blue album covers. Nice seeing other past partners/opponents coming out like Steamboat, Valentine, and Race. (I'm guessing Dusty couldn't be there and that's why his was the only pre-recorded segment?) The only person missing was Roddy. He really deserved to be in there; must be a health situation. Odd seeing Jericho in there, REALLY odd seeing Cena in there. (A side note about Triple H running this segment: I understand his standing in the company and he's legit friends with Flair, but in my mind, he can't hold a candle to others in there, like Rick Steamboat and Barry Windham. I know history will show otherwise with him having X amount more title reigns, but it's like Mariah Carey possibly passing Elvis and The Beatles for most hits; the business has changed and you can't compare them the same way. Sorry for straying here…) Orton probably should have been there in the ring. Speaking of him, heels got to break character so we got to see him and Edge show they are nice guys outside the ring. So I guess Festus needs to be lead around by the hand in real life, since that's how he came to the ring? And where oh where was Taker? (Who was the extra girl with the Fliehr family?) All in all, a great segment, with legends in the ring, and the current and up and comers on the floor, showing their respect to a great career.
We welcome your 1-10 score and comments on this show for a "Raw Reax" feature in the Torch Feedback section of PWTorch.com. Just to add a twist to this feature, include not just your hometown, but also your occupation (mechanic, lawyer, stay-at-home-dad, college student, etc.) so readers get a flavor for what everyone does as "day jobs." To contribute your thoughts on Raw, click here.
Send feedback on this article to pwtorch@gmail.com and we'll regularly publish reader feedback in the "Torch Feedback" category on the Main Listing.
For more BREAKING NEWS on WWE, TNA!
VISIT OUR AFFILIATE -
PROWRESTLING.NET
For UFC & MMA NEWS & BLOGS:
VISIT OUR SISTER SITE - MMATORCH.COM
Upgrade to PWTORCH VIP: DETAILS & SIGN-UP INFO
| MORE "Torch Feedback" ARTICLES
|
| WWE PPV Price Increase Reax #1: Outrage expressed over WWE's latest PPV price raise - could the backlash cause WWE to second-guess decision? |
| TNA Impact Reax #3: "The build for the PPV matches somehow featured Hulk Hogan despite him yet to show up on TV" |
| TNA Impact Reax #2: "I'm tired of non-stop talking. This isn't a Broadway play; it's professional wrestling and the best stories are told in the ring" |
| Thursday Night TV Reax #1: "I feel anything TNA does right is inevitably drowned out by what they fail at" |
| ECW TV Reax #1: "William Regal has stepped up big time since coming to ECW and he deserves a World Title run" |
| WWE Raw Reax #2: "The major flaw of this show was the real lack of hype for Survivor Series" |
| WWE Raw Reax #1: "The main event commentary was hilarious with Triple H and HBK making fun of Vince, but DX has run its course..." |
| WWE Smackdown Reax #1: "Batista plays the perfect bully and Rey plays the perfect hero; this is a chance to make Batista the lead heel on Smackdown" |
| TNA Impact Reax #2: "Hogan, as great as he was, is 15 years beyond his prime and he signed with a company touting their so-called youth movement" |
| WWE Superstars Reax #1: "It's time for Cryme Tyme or The Hart Dynasty to go after that tag team championship, and please stop feuding" |
| TNA Impact Reax #1: "The episode-long Hogan build-up made me think that I shouldn't care about anything else on the show" |
| TORCH READER ALERT: Did you watch TNA Impact featuring Hulk Hogan? Send your feedback on the show |
| ECW TV Reax #1: "William Regal is as good as it gets whether he's portraying comedy, disgust, pompousness, or pure insanity!" |
| WWE Raw Reax #3: "Does Randy Orton's car now qualify WWE to get a Cash for Clunkers rebate?" |
| WWE Raw Reax #2: "Just like TNA, we have the same problem of a three-way title match where the two opponents didn't earn a title shot" |
| WWE Raw Reax #1: "Finally, a noteworthy episode of Raw with actual storyline progression – a rare treat!" |
| WWE Bragging Rights PPV Reax #3: "Obviously the Big Show doesn't care about brand supremacy any more than I do" |
| WWE Bragging Rights PPV Reax #2: "The image of Orton hunched over a control panel with an evil glare on his face and his finger on the big red button was priceless" |
| WWE Bragging Rights PPV Reax #1: "The show wasn't really bad, just didn't seem important. It didn't feel like a special show..." |
| WWE Smackdown Reax #1: "The opening promo was good to introduce the Smackdown 7 ... only to kill momentum by having the entire non-captain group switched" |
(c) 1999-2009 TDH Communications Inc. - All rights reserved. |
