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WWE Raw Reax #2: "The major flaw of this show was the real lack of hype for Survivor Series"
Nov 3, 2009 - 10:58:03 AM


-- 11/2 WWE Raw Reax

Terrie Neilson of Las Vegas, Nev. (3.0): Best: Kofi promo; Kingston/MVP/Henry vs. Legacy. Worst: everything else. Really??!! What the hell happened? This was a train wreck almost from start to finish. Ozzy and Sharon pretty much blew everything they were supposed to do, even with assistance in the opening segment. And, again, someone outside of the Guest GM books the show with the Guest GM as the mouthpiece. Maybe the Guest Host gimmick should die if WWE can't trust who they book. And what is this--still--with Lawler and the Trapezoid muscle? It's Trapezius! DX would give them way too much credit later on after a constant mistake like this. If Jamie Noble were on the chopping block, he did a mighty fine job respecting "the time honored tradition." That said, that ringside powerbomb to the floor looked as brutal as the Brother Ray uranage on Chris Sabin last Thursday. At least WWE went about it the right way on handling the follow-up. WWE also handled the follow-up better with Kingston-Orton. It's still a weak explanation when Legacy didn't finish the job at the PPV that it's Kingston's fault Orton lost. But Kingston's line about leaving the mirror on the destroyed car undamaged so Randy could truly see who is to blame made up for it. The "Raw's Got Talent" segment was a complete waste of time. Does Chris Masters not get the joke that's being played on him? The Michaels-Cena-Triple H build has been a living nightmare to watch. What's driving this story isn't the title, but a little person. This is the same person who is co-dependently obsessed with Chavo Guerrero. What was the point of turning the "even with odds the odds are even" title-at-stake promo into a gay joke? That was just stupid and disrespectful. Like with Miz and Morrison some time ago, I really only wanted to hear one of DX at a time. What I got instead was this noise of idle chatter and more unnecessary use of insider terms by Triple H. Took a huge chunk out of the main event, and out of my enjoyment.

Justin Shook of Columbia, S.C., USC student (7.0): Best Match: Cena vs. Y2J vs. Big Show. Worst Match: Divas Match. The opening segment just wasn't good. The crowd seemed into Ozzy, which was good to see. Sharon was decent on the mic, while Ozzy came off as totally uninformed. There were several screw-ups on the mic, but still it wasn't that much worse then what we've already seen from guest hosts in the past. What really frustrated me was DX. Why do they get to make the matches every week? Maybe they should have announced that DX was guest-hosting Raw tonight, as it came off like Ozzy and Sharon were just there to promote their book and enjoy the free food in the back. They got better later, but this opener just didn't vibe with me. Then we get an unpromoted, unadvertised U.S. Title match! Oh great! Why is it being made out like Evan Bourne beating The Miz is an "upset?" Did The Miz get elevated that much, or did Bourne just get pushed that far down the totem poll? WWE needs to put a real effort into making ALL the titles relevant again. Sheamus squashed some no-body, oh wait wasn't that Jamie Noble? Former Cruiserweight champ? Well I guess that doesn't matter. That aside, the powerbomb on the outside was nasty looking. The pre-match promo by Kofi before facing Randy Orton was a great touch that the WWE needs to do more often. Kofi-Orton was good while it lasted, but you knew that wasn't going more then a few minutes. The six-man tag match that followed was fine. WWE needs to learn to build up tension between two guys for a few weeks, and then finally let them go at it instead of letting them get physical a week after their rivalry just started. That buildup to the fight is what makes rivalries matter in the eyes of the fans. Instant payoff does nothing to elevate stars or make matches feel special. Overall, this show was filled with the usual issues Raw has had for months now. However, it did have its bright spots like Jericho over Cena, good elevation of Kofi and Sheamus, and Cole getting trashed by everyone! The major flaw of this show was the real lack of hype for Survivor Series. This is one of the "Big Four" and should be treated as such. I am praying that next week we get the rubber match between Cena and HBK.

We welcome your 0-10 score and comments on this show for a "WWE 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.

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MORE "Torch Feedback" ARTICLES
WWE Raw Reax #4: "The run-ins by Legacy on Kofi Kingston reminded me of the Midnight Express jumping the Rock & Roll Express"
WWE Raw Reax #3: "Is anyone looking forward to seeing DX on both shows after they win the tag belts?"
WWE Raw Reax #2: "I now have more interest in seeing Carlito challenge Cena then Sheamus"
WWE Raw Reax #1: "The worst thing of all this week was Mark Henry rapping and the Divas later dancing"
WWE Smackdown Reax #1: "I can't remember when I last saw a less inspiring and less imaginative WWE show"
RADICAN'S WWE SMACKDOWN REPORT 5 YRS. AGO (11-25-04): Thanksgiving Edition with The Miz on Tough Enough, JBL vs. Eddie, Sound familiar? - Pilgrims vs. Indians divas match
WWE Raw/Survivor Series PPV Reax #7: "I'm not sure how I feel about a ladder match with the Big Show involved"
WWE Raw Reax #6: "The opening exchange between Orton and Ventura was fantastic and allowed WWE to finally acknowledge one of their biggest problems"
WWE Raw Reax #5: "Jesse Ventura's cockiness, smugness, vindictiveness, and arrogance made Vince McMahon look good by comparison"
WWE Raw Reax #4: "I hope fans get behind Sheamus because if Sheamus fails, how long will it take for WWE to promote a new star again?"
WWE Raw Reax #3: "Some fans may have a beef with WWE's decision to greenlight Sheamus ahead of other young stars, but not me"
WWE Raw Reax #2: "Vince McMahon and Jesse Ventura should be the new announce team permanently"
WWE Raw Reax #1: "Sheamus is a good young wrestler, but this is the most premature push I have seen in a long time"
WWE Survivor Series Reax #6: "Two months ago, fans never would have bought Kofi vs. Orton because Kofi wasn't in Orton's league"
WWE Survivor Series Reax #5: "This PPV would have been so much better if the build-up wasn't so bad going in"
WWE Survivor Series Reax #4: "I love the irony - Rey's love for Batista has never been more obvious than humbling himself to get his best friend over"
WWE Survivor Series Reax #3: "I have been rather critical of WWE in the past few weeks, but this blew me away"
WWE Survivor Series PPV Reax #2: "I'm starting to get offended at the way Rey keeps using Eddie as a way to generate crowd favor"
WWE Survivor Series Reax #1: "Michael Cole said this year's Survivor Series was unforgettable, but the only thing I'll remember is Christian's rap"
WWE Smackdown Reax #1: "This show being a last-chance for Survivor Series hype left a lot of room for improvement"

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