Select Next Article by Category

WE ARE A PROUD UGO AFFILIATE SINCE 1999
|
Torch Feedback
WWE Raw Reax #1: "I am having a love affair with Striker. He and Todd are the best duo on TV today!"
Aug 27, 2008 - 2:57:14 PM |
|
Brian Jaffe of Iowa City, Iowa (8.5): Best Match: Matt Hardy vs. John Morrison. Worst match: Chavo Guerrero vs. Tommy Dreamer. The theme of tonight's ECW was "Workrate," and boy did it show. Hardy vs. Morrison has to be considered a top TV match this year. It was amazingly back and forth, and had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. If Hardy wasn't legit KO'd at some point during the match, he certainly sold like he had been. Miz vs. Bourne was also damn good. Bourne's bump on the top rope was awesome, and Miz has come into his own as a really good wrestler. I missed Chavo vs. Dreamer, so I listed it as worst match by default. The problem is, I'm not that into Chavo anyway, and Dreamer has absolutely no effect on anything anymore. Good main event, I'm digging Mike Knox a lot. The choice of Finlay in the Scramble makes sense, as it adds the experience factor. Overall, a damn good ECW with a lot of great wrestling.
Terrie Neilson of Las Vegas, Nev. (9.0): Best; Hardy vs. Morrison Worst: Chavo vs. Dreamer I'm still no fan at all of this Championship Scramble debacle (with the most ridiculous rules and room for the worst overbooking imaginable for three matches). But the way ECW presented it at least it was palatable to watch. In their case, it is their single representative match, so the idea of "going to Unforgiven or going home" was driven hard as an important aspect of the qualifying matches. Going into tonight, I figured the foursome with Henry would be Hardy, Miz, Morrison, and maybe Bourne. I was surprised that Morrison is not in the big match (figured it was such when he was announced as Hardy's opponent). Did he piss someone off, or does he figure into the potential overbooking? As it was their match was very good and the crowd was well into it, mirroring Striker's "favorite wrestler" comment about Hardy. Miz-Bourne turned in a very good effort as well with the unsual exchanges and counters. Methinks Bourne's loss will be figuring into Ortiz's undefeated streak story. Chavo-Dreamer wasn't terrible but was the only lull of the night, so a technical worst. The Finlay-Knox feud will most certainly figure into the ECW Scramble match for the way it ended. The match was fine, though I would have switched opening and closing matches for the crowd heat would have been there. Striker and Grisham were utilizing more moves in their play-by-play which tells me that they are now a permanent fixture. Raw was the only one of the three brands that didn't use the qualifying rounds for their Scramble match, and the subsequent flaky booking shows. Tonight it was one theme for ECW, and it was executed very well.
Steve Feinberg of Cleveland,Ohio - PWTorch Subscriber (8.0): Best: Bourne vs. Miz. Worst: (O)riginal (G)oofball Teddy Long's jargon. Just like that, it appears that Tuesday nights on the Sci Fi Channel is the place to go to watch wrestling MATCHES. In a continuing trend, WWE's Brand C continues to present weekly showcases for the in ring skills of their workers. And I loved it! As a fan all you can ask for is worked contests where you don't know who's going to win and there was (Cleveland's own!) THE Miz getting the 1-2-3 over Evan Bourne. This after Bourne's standing shooting star press-somewhere Joey Styles is yelling "Oh My God!" Speaking of god, was Tony Atlas's churchlike "Yes, yep, that's right" call and response with the world's strongest champion a hoot or what?!
Shane Bennett of Frankfort, Ky. - Legislative Assistant (8.0): Best Match: Hardy vs. Morrison. Worst Match: Chavo vs. Dreamer. Once again, I am in the envious spot of wagging a finger to all the naysayers of ECW. This was the best booked WRESTLING show on TV and will likely remain that way through Friday. The bookers really get how to best use the limited talent of the roster, with a few notable exceptions. One little tidbit before I truly begin my reaction is that the Raw Rebound lasted a full minute and a half longer than nearly every match on RAW. Not good guys…but here goes. Teddy Long did the best job thus far with the stupid Breakfast Scramble idea. He put prestige on the ECW title by saying “Anything they can do, we can do BETTER!” He's right. A little brand excitement and respect from Long and other ECW guys can go a long way! The other wrestlers only seem to care about a brand during the draft, not after. The opening match was great TV. Matt Hardy vs. John Morrison could be a PPV main event with the right type of story behind them. The match was booked well and the fans were so hot for it! (ECW fans are by far the most vocal and lively of the three brands) The only downside is that one of the two had to lose and they invested too much in Hardy to let Morrison get the win. Morrison does deserve to be in the title picture. Speaking of Morrison, he is flawless in the ring! He could be a franchise player. Needs the push. Evan Bourne took a clean loss, but didn't lose any momentum. They have a great chance to have him bounce back next week and show tenacity after facing his first loss in ECW. Miz looked good in the ring and wrestled a smart match with Evan. Evan also got to show off some unique mat holds as well, which only furthers his repertoire. Where was Ricky Ortiz??? Chavo vs. Dreamer was the worst match of the night in my opinion. Not because it was bad, but just because it was booked so safely. Dreamer got in the most minimal amount of offense he could get before letting Chavo go over. These two could have had an extended brawl and put some definite emphasis on how important a shot at the ECW title is. They could have exhausted themselves before letting Chavo gut it out. Same result, more emotion. Dreamer should have a role like Ric Flair in ECW. Fans respect him enough that he could really put talent over, but he has to get his edge back first. I think he and Super Crazy would be a great tag team to help Miz and Morrison reach the next level. The saving grace of this match is Striker's commentary about Dreamer's heart and passion. I am having a love affair with Striker. He and Todd are the best duo on TV today! Mike Knox vs. Finlay wasn't bad. I think Mike Knox's beard is growing a beard…But Knox fought the way I thought JBL should have on Monday. He was intense, brutal, and used blunt force. Finlay did his job of showing that edge but I think the Hornswoggle angle has run its course. I think Finlay will be champion after Unforgiven and then needs a heel turn. He should drop Hornswoggle once he is champion because of the seriousness of the title. Hornswoggle is a liability at ringside, like he cost him the match against Shelton Benjamin. If he loses then, he would lose the belt. Anyway, just my few cents. ECW is, as I stated yesterday, still the best wrestling show on TV and they do it all in an hour!!!! ECW!! ECW!! ECW!!! ECW!!!!
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.
For more BREAKING NEWS on WWE, TNA, ROH
visit our affiliate: JASON POWELL'S PROWRESTLING.NET
For UFC AND MMA NEWS & BLOGS
visit our affiliate: MMATORCH.COM - now featuring Jamie Penick's MMATorch Daily Audio Updates!
REACT TO THIS STORY IN OUR FREE PWTORCH FORUM
PWTORCH VIP SIGN-UP INFO - NO ADS, EXCLUSIVE CONTENT
|
| MORE "Torch Feedback" ARTICLES
|
(c) 1999-2008 TDH Communications Inc. - All rights reserved.
|
|
ARE YOU VIP? SIGN UP NOW FOR $7.50 A MONTH FOR INSTANT ACCESS TO AD-FREE, BENEFIT-PACKED VIP VERSION OF PWTORCH.COM (see screen capture)

INFO ON SUBSCRIPTION TO AD-FREE VIP SITE
INCREDIBLE BENEFITS!
Over 50 full-length audio updates per month (iPod compatible)... New weekly award-winning Pro Wrestling Torch Newsletter (text and printable pdf versions) with latest exclusive insider news, new Torch Talks, great columns, Keller's cover story, much more... Hundreds of full-length back issues of PWTorch Newsletter from late-'80s to today... Ad-free access to PWTorch.com's Main Listing... VIP Forum with interaction with other subscribers and Torch staff... Torch Talk Library with text and audio of hundreds of interview installments from last 20 years... Great layout... Deepest archives on pro wrestling history anywhere... Keller's PWTorch Today PDF Bulletins with email alerts... VIP Email reports on major PPVs and TV shows... Staff Roundtable Reviews (text and audio) followiing major events... The best staff of writers and world class reporting since 1987... We'd love for you to join us and experience the most entertaining, authoritative, experienced staff of professional reporters and commentators in the business... SIGN ME UP NOW!
|
| Articles Grouped by Category |
 |
| Torch Today |
| TORCH STORE: Buy Two, Get One Free November Special on Back Issue Sets, Keller DVD |
| TORCH TODAY: PWTorch invading WWE Universe - join the official PWTorch.com reader group |
| THE DAILY WORD 11/17: Caldwell looks at Raw tonight, Triple H up for major movie role, NWA tapings in Hollywood, Where's Orlando Jordan? |
 |
| WWE News |
| WWE News: WWE stock price takes an absolute beating on Wednesday |
| WWE News: WWE video game accessible on your Mobile phone; Video preview included |
| WWE News: WWE trying to re-energize fanbase through social networking to challenge Myspace, Facebook |
 |
| TNA News |
| TNA News: Kurt Angle positioning himself as future leader of TNA; why TNA started Main Event Mafia angle |
| TNA News: Results and News from Monday's event in Nashville with the Tennessee Titans (w/VIDEO) |
| TNA News: TNA challenging WWE for market share in key region after WWE finishes European tour (w/VIDEO) |
 |
| ROH News |
| ROH News: New video wire with promos for Nigel McGuinness vs. Bryan Danielson, Austin Aries vs. Jimmy Jacobs |
| ROH News: Nigel McGuinness says whether he enjoys being a wrestler; comments on C.M. Punk and Colt Cabana |
| ROH News: Replay times for Ring of Honor's "Driven" PPV featuring Steen & Generico, Nigel, Briscoes, Danielson, Jerry Lynn |
 |
| Other News |
| Other News: Where is he now? "The Model" Rick Martel missing the wrestling travel schedule (w/VIDEO) |
| Hogan News: Did RVD help boost viewership for Week 5 of Hulk Hogan's CCW? Complete series ratings analysis |
| Other News: Bret Hart discusses whether his wrestling career is over; describes second book project |
 |
| PPV Reports |
| RADICAN'S ROH DRIVEN PPV REPORT: Strong-McGuinness, Steen & Generico vs. Black & Jacobs |
| KELLER'S TNA TURNING POINT PPV 11/9: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of Sting vs. Styles, Nash vs. Samoa Joe, Main Event Mafia |
| CALDWELL'S TNA TURNING POINT PPV REPORT 11/9: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of live PPV |
 |
| TV Reports |
| 11/18 ECW on Sci-Fi Report: Mayer's "alt perspective" report including Team Hardy vs. Team Henry, dancing debut, Dreamer vs. Swagger |
| CALDWELL'S ECW TV REPORT 11/18: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of WWE's Sci-Fi show featuring Matt Hardy, Finlay, Miz & Morrison |
| KELLER'S WWE RAW REPORT 11/17: Ongoing coverage of live show including Santino raps for Akon, Orton-Punk |
 |
| Arena Reports |
| 11/12 WWE in Newcastle, U.K.: Batista & Mysterio vs. Jericho & Orton, Shawn Michaels vs. JBL, Haas Hogan in the house |
| WWE News: Complete Smackdown tapings report for next two weeks - Jeff Hardy, Triple H, Koslov set up Survivor Series |
| WWE News: Second detailed report from England with full results of tonight's Raw telecast |
 |
| MMA / UFC Coverage |
| MMATorch Briefing: Fedor wants to fight Lesnar, Filho out of WEC, Heavyweight rankings, Big announcement |
| MMA Update: New Top Ten Heavyweight Rankings by MMATorch Staff Just Released |
| UFC 91 AUDIO ROUNDTABLE (free): Pennick, Ennis, Pelkey, Bent (67 min.) |
 |
| KELLER'S TAKE |
| KELLER: A look back at Mike Adamle's infamously disastrous and embarrassing debut as ECW announcer |
| KELLER: WWE addressed a lot of problems with Raw last night - a march through the eight in our reader poll |
| KELLER SHORT: What was missing from last night's celebration of 800 episodes of WWE Raw... |
 |
| MITCHELL'S TAKE |
| MITCHELL SHORT: WWE Raw Wrestlers Have No Guts Part 2 |
| MITCHELL: Scott Steiner and The Main Event Mafia: The Comeback Promo |
| MOJO MITCHELL'S WWE RAW 11/10: Stream of Stephanie McMahon Gets Creative And Ends All The Bad Storylines (Okay, One of Them) |
 |
| MCNEILL'S TAKE |
| McNEILL's Mailbag: On Lauren Thompson and 70's Style Booking |
| Indestructible: McNEILL previews TNA Turning Point 2008! |
| McNEILL's Mailbag: Should Michaels face 'Taker at WrestleMania? |
 |
| CALDWELL'S TAKE |
| CALDWELL'S MEDIA CLUB: Eddie Guerrero DVD review Day 6 - Eddie vs. Rey Mysterio... 'Nuff Said |
| CALDWELL'S MEDIA CLUB: Eddie Guerrero DVD review Day 5 - Eddie vs. Chris Jericho; the day no one cared |
| CALDWELL'S MEDIA CLUB: Eddie Guerrero DVD review Day 4 - Eddie vs. Ric Flair; the importance of the U.S. Title |
 |
| RADICAN'S TAKE |
| TALES FROM THE PULPIT 11/18: Too small to be big and too big to be small: ROH's fight to get the buzz back (pt. 1) |
| RADICAN: Last Call with Raven & Sandman dissapoints despite fantastic production and high expectations |
| TALES FROM THE PULPIT 11/13: Why should you buy ROH's "Driven" PPV when it debuts tomorrow? (spoilers) |
 |
| The Specialists |
| 11/18 WWE ECW Hits & Misses: Miz & Morrison, All American Challenge, 6 Man Tag |
| PARKS: The Mike Adamle Experiment - How much blame for his failure is on his shoulders? |
| UNDER THE MICROSCOPE - 11/17 Raw: Clearance sale for Released Wrestlers merch, Relationship Building with Punk & Kofi, Batista vs. Ref |
 |
| Guest Editorials |
| EDITORIAL: Career vs. Career - The Undertaker vs. John Cena at WrestleMania 25 |
| EDITORIAL: A plan for a dramatic make-over of WWE through massive downscaling of TV, PPVs, roster size, titles |
| EDITORIAL: Vetter examines problems with ROH product |
 |
| Torch Feedback |
| ECW on Sci-Fi Reax #1: "I was waiting for someone to take a shot at Swagger's lisp, but Ricky Ortiz?" |
| WWE Raw Reax #4: "Manu came away from his match with Batista stronger than when he walked in." |
| WWE Raw Reax #3: "...Easily the coolest moment on the show besides Santino's rap." |
 |
| Ask the Editor |
| Ask the Editor: Wouldn't incorporating MMA-style holds into pro wrestling matches just be trying to be something it's not? |
| ASK THE EDITOR: Have the Michaels-Batista promos crossed a line with use of insider terms, references to "jobs"? |
| ASK THE EDITOR: Why do wrestlers in WWE refer to wrestling as "the business" and not "the sport"? |
 |
| DVDs - VGames - Books |
| RADICAN: Last Call with Raven & Sandman dissapoints despite fantastic production and high expectations |
| RADICAN: Hey! The Claudio Castagnoli delivers one of the best independent releases of the year |
| DVD REVIEW by Brian Hoops: Magnum T.A. and Nikita Koloff reflections |
 |
| Torch Flashbacks |
| WWE News Flashback: Mike Adamle the new G.M. of Raw: Controversial announcer shifted off of ECW announcing duties |
| RADICAN'S WWE SMACKDOWN REPORT 5 YRS. AGO (11-13-03): Benoit & John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar & Big Show, Vince McMahon rubs his temples, Kurt Angle |
| KELLER'S NWA-TNA PPV REPORT 5 YRS. AGO (11-12-03): Sting & A.J. Styles together vs. Lex Luger & Jeff Jarrett, Raven & The Sandman team, X Division Gauntlet |
 |
| VIP Exclusive Features |
| 11/19 Daily Keller Hotline: A specific proposal to overhaul the look and feel of WWE utilizing current talent in a new way (16 min.) |
| ECW ON SCI-FI ROUNDTABLE REVIEWS 11/18: Mayer, Mezzera, Parks rate and review |
| PWTorch Newsletter #1054 (19 Pages!): Your weekly megadose of news, analysis, columns, TV reports, more |
 |
| Torch Trivia |
| Torch Trivia: How much do you know about Curt Hennig? - Part Two |
| Torch Trivia: How much do you know about Curt Hennig? - Part One |
| Torch Trivia: How much do you know about Champion vs. Champion matches? |
 |
| Torch Instant Polls |
| Who was the MVP of the Nov. 17 Raw if you saw the show? |
| Rate the 11/17 WWE Raw on a 0-10 scale if you saw the event |
| POLL: What's your prediction for the Brock Lesnar vs. Randy Couture fight? |
 |
| PWTorch Free Podcast |
| 11/19 East Coast Audio: ECW - Miz & Morrison continue to shine, A guy debuted, Swagger punished (8 min. clip) |
| 11/17 WWE Raw post-game Show: Caldwell and Parks discuss final hype for Survivor Series, John Cena's lack of presence, beards-a-plenty (7 min. clip) |
| 11/17 VIP East Coast Audio: Smackdown - Matt Hardy vs. Shelton Benjamin, Intense debate on Jeff Hardy's character change (7 min. clip) |
 |
| Annual Obituaries |
| SPECIALIST: List of Deceased Wrestlers for 1999 - Muchnick, Rick Rude, Owen Hart, Renegade... |
| SPECIALIST: List of Deceased Wrestlers for 2000 - Solie, Albright, Duncum, Tsuruta, Blue Demon, Al Costello |
| SPECIALIST: List of Deceased Wrestlers for 2001: Johnny Valentine, Terry Gordy, Chris Adams, Bertha Faye, Helen Hart |
 |
|
|