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WWE Raw Reax #1: "After years of slagging them, the WWE deserves a pat on the back for giving us some smart, fresh television." Jul 14, 2008 - 11:27:02 PM
Colin Matthews of Winkler, Manitoba (9.0) : ....where has this writing been for the last couple of years in the WWE. It's smart. The storylines make sense. They intertwine. New faces are getting face time - on the mic AND in the ring - and they seem to be getting some kind of reaction for it. The show isn't entirely predictable minute to minute like so many before it. And the quality writing seems to have injected some life into the roster as well. We're getting emotion and effort out of every single superstar on-screen. Maybe the matches are still a little on the light side... but they're fresh. I'll take a short match between Kofi and Burchill (with some solid action), over a long match between Orton/Cena/JBL/Batista/etc. (with solid action) just because it's something I haven't seen before. This is the second Raw to shuffle things up in three weeks that is hitting all the right notes (last week was a slight miss)... and after years of slagging them, the WWE deserves a pat on the back for giving us some smart, fresh television. (They're getting a buy from me this Sunday for it.) I'd give this show a 10, but let's see them keep this up for a while first...
Chris Karigan of Huntsville, Ala. (2.0): Best Match: Punk vs. Kane. Worst Match: Santino vs. Beth Phoenix. I really thought the WWE had learned their lesson after the disaster with McMahon's limo "death" followed by the very real double murder-suicide of Chris Benoit. These death angles are in no way funny or entertaining. They have run their course in Sports Entertainment. The moment Cena stepped out into the parking lot, everyone knew someone was going to be "hit" by a car and left for dead. More than that, why is WWE burying their best heel on the microphone in Santino? Put him at odds or in the same corner as Jamie Noble, and you've got comedy/wrestling gold. Instead we push Beth Phoenix as a babyface, even though Mickie James is lacking a credible heel to contest her Women's Title (besides Katie Lea riding her brother's credibility). I don't know why I keep watching, thinking WWE is actually going to be entertaining again. Hey, the Home Run derby is on! I should have changed the channel instead of letting my DVR do the work...
Dan Strauss of Goodhue, Minn. (7.0): Best: Santino's comedy. Worst: Santino jobbing to a diva along with the fake ending. Kane: "Where's Punk?" Santino: "I don't know, did you check the Pepsi machine?" I am still cracking up laughing at that line. Unfortunately all the creative team wants to do with him is make people laugh, as he has now jobbed to Cousin Sal and a Diva. What purpose did that serve? It's a major setback to a former Intercontinental Champ, and Phoenix is already over in the Women's Division. Jericho/Michaels escalated the feud well. I like how HBK used to be more laid back when addressing Y2J but is now more intense, this feud has been done so well. Cena cut a solid, serious promo. DiBiase and Rhodes were awesome; too bad it had to come at the expense of one of the alltime fan favorites in Hacksaw. JBL looked good instructing the young tag team. When he's done in the ring he could be one hell of a heel manager. The ending sucked. Attention WWE creative team: Do you really think we are this stupid? If all these storylines are legit, now Cena and McMahon can share a hospital room. Just totally stupid. What's the point of this? We already knew they hated each other. Now JBL should legitimately be charged with attempted murder. So does WWE want the image of a company that just lets wrestlers run each other over? Terrible ending to a decent show. And to end the night, congrats to Justin Morneau, a Minnesota Twin who went into Yankee Stadium and took the home run derby trophy.
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.
LATEST PRO WRESTLING TORCH NEWSLETTER #1039 (17 PAGES)
This issue begins with a cover story by Wade Keller who attended Brock Lesnar's first UFC victory on Saturday night in the semi-main event in front of a record-setting crowd in his hometown. Keller's BBL looks at Lesnar's place in MMA and in what ways he seems more comfortable than ever... Bruce Mitchell's Memo examines the dilemma of Chris Benoit and the Hall of Fame... Sean Radican reviews the two latest TNA DVD releases... In-depth coverage of the TNA Hard Justice PPV including Keller's match report with star ratings and the newsletter-exclusive Roundtable Reviews... Jason Powell's "Page 2 Buzz" with scoops and insider analysis... WWE Newswire, TNA Newswire, and ROH Newswire with insider news, big story analysis, and notebook tidbits... Plus Keller's reports on Raw, Smackdown, and Impact, the Top 5 Stories of the Week, and more....
