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CALDWELL'S TUESDAY CHAT w/GREG PARKS: Raw & Smackdown discussion - Low expectations for Raw, WWE's writing on the fly approach, C.M. Punk's development
Dec 1, 2009 - 3:47:14 PM
James Caldwell: This is Torch assistant editor James Caldwell joined by Torch contributor Greg Parks talking last night's Raw and Friday's episode of Smackdown. Greg, I thought there were two positives from last night's show (Orton-Kofi advancement and the DX vs. JeriShow build-up strictly in the main event), but I thought it was surrounded by some really bad TV. What's your evaluation of the show?
Greg Parks: Honestly, I had such low expectations for the show that even THIS Raw passed them. Verne Troyer wasn't nearly as bad a host as I had expected (thanks in part to the writers holding back on too many short jokes) and, while the amount of in-ring action was absurdly low, I though the opening segment and the long talk with Cena, Carlito, and Sheamus had some positives hidden in there.
JC: I liked Carlito's involvement with Cena, but I thought it distracted from building up Cena vs. Sheamus. I also thought using Santino's comedy with Sheamus was out-of-place for continuing to make Sheamus a threat to Cena. Going into the show, I didn't really establish any expectations, but I strongly disliked that opening segment due to its length and how boring Jericho's character has become. I think that segment probably drove a lot of people to their remotes during such a long, boring segment. Do you think the lack of in-ring action took away from the show or was it just standard Raw booking?
GP: I think it may have taken away from the show, but only if people found the other stuff going on as uninteresting. I didn't mind the comedy with Sheamus because he himself didn't take part in it - he simply destroyed Santino. And the fact that I was able to tolerate actually listening to DX without wanting to throw something through my TV (and JeriShow actually getting the last word) made it worthwhile, in my view.
JC: In trying to evaluate this show, I've been balancing several different elements in play. I can tolerate - as you said, an absurdly low amount of in-ring action - if the talking segments are good. I thought they failed for the most part. On the other hand, I liked the TLC PPV build-up overall. Anything that gets DX away from the comedy when trying to build up a PPV match is a bonus in my book, even if the talking segment in the opening was drab. It's a tough show to evaluate when WWE is trying to serve their TV master with "entertaining content" and trying to entice people to buy PPVs.
GP: Hey, don't forget the good news of not having to sit through Hornswoggle taking DX to court - that's addition by subtraction right there.
JC: Absolutely, that's true. Yet, that was the only thing they advertised for the show and they didn't deliver that. I didn't want them to deliver it, but why they advertised that and didn't advertise Orton-Kofi or Hunter-Jericho - at least on their website on Monday - is beyond me. Viewers want to feel there is a sense of importance or hype behind these matches so they don't come across like they're just thrown out there at the last second. I get very frustrated when there isn't a sense of importance to what's happening in the ring. That frustrated me more than having one wrestling match - a divas match! - in the first hour of the show.
GP: It's just another example of what would seem to be the unorganized nature of the creative team at this point.
JC: Agreed, especially when they scrapped the little segments (haha) they had for the Little People's Court and had virtually no fallback plan. And then scripted DX with a "was it just a dream?" promo to acknowledge the only thing they advertised for the show was just silly. Anyways, I'm frustrated with this show again. What else jumped out at you from Raw worth talking about?
GP: Let's look at another positive, that being Kofi vs. Orton. Kofi took the pinfall loss, but it was all about getting Orton some heat back on him after Kingston has gotten to him seemingly at every turn. And Kofi's loss won't mean much since he was already injured-twice- by the other members of Legacy.
JC: Good positive there. I thought they could have gone another route other than having the match (and giving it away for the first time even under the circumstances), but the end result of Orton back to his menacing heel ways and the crowd really getting behind the gritty babyface worked very well. I'm just wondering why they haven't booked this match for the PPV yet. I don't see them holding off until the Royal Rumble, as I'm sure both will be in the Rumble match. Do you see WWE booking them for TLC?
GP: I would guess so, unless the writers aren't sure what, if any, stipulation to go with. Do a straight match at first, says I. There's only four matches announced for TLC right now, so they certainly have room for two or three more matches.
JC: Yeah, I don't think there's any need for a stipulation here. Perhaps they're not sure about how Kofi would fare or how the crowd would react in a straight-up 15-minute match with Orton. The other option would be Kofi finding two friends and having a six-man tag. Does Kofi have two friends in the storylines?
GP: It doesn't appear so, since no one helped him last night. But I'm sure they could conjure up something next week. Hell, they'll probably just put him with Henry and MVP to take on Legacy.
JC: Oh yes, I tried to forget about that. *sigh* Anything else from Raw or shall we talk Smackdown?
GP: Let's go to Smackdown, though that show wasn't much better this week.
JC: We got the official word on The Undertaker vs. Batista for the TLC PPV on Smackdown. Also, the show seemed to feel like filler/repeat material. What's your overall impression of the brand right now? Do they need DX on the show to give it some life assuming DX wins the tag titles at TLC?
GP: That's gotta be a trick question, James. No brand deserves to have DX thrust upon it. It seems like Smackdown is in a holding pattern, or at least, in an in-between stage, getting their ducks in a row of who they want to push and who they want to send down the card right now.
JC: Haha, I'm just waiting for DX to show up on ECW and bury the entire show via promo starting with Zack Ryder, then working down to Intense Vance Archer. Anyways, yeah, it seems like a holding pattern also trying to figure out who's healthy, who's injured, who's in trouble, who's not in trouble, who's in favor with management, who can run with the ball, who won't be allowed to touch the ball, etc. Meanwhile, WWE seems to be moving to another phase of how to use C.M. Punk's straight-edge character. Now he's seemingly a cult leader. What's your take on how they're utilizing him with Festus v.2?
GP: I like it. I remember hearing about this possibility months ago, and now, I think it's a positive development. This gives a new wrinkle to Punk's character, not to mention breathes new life into Festus. I just hope they follow-up in coming weeks with details of how the two men got together, what Punk did to help him, etc.
JC:,/b> Six months from now, we'll probably see Punk administering Wellness with whomever he's feuding with forced to pee in a cup. Mark it down right here on Tuesday, December 1. Do you think Punk's program has main event potential down the road or is it something for him to do while he's at the mid-card level right now?
GP: Well, he did the Straight Edge stuff with Jeff Hardy, and that certainly held up well in the main events, so I have no reason to believe they wouldn't stick with it. It's also easy heat for the fans. I don't see this feud with R-Truth lasting much longer, the question I have is where does he go from here in terms of a feud?
JC: It looks like Matt Hardy, at least in the short-term to help sell that Jeff Hardy DVD. After that, it might depend on our big questions of who WWE decides to push. The babyface roster is a little thin, but if Rey is healthy, WWE could also incorporate Rey's prescription pill issues last year and have a nice little feud between Punk and Rey. I'd like to see matches between them. Greg, any final thoughts on this week's Smackdown before we wrap?
GP: NO MORE CRYME TYME VS. HART DYNASTY! FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, JUST STOP ALREADY! I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE! ... And that about does it for me.
JC: Oh, the humanity! But, just think, if DX wins the belts, we could be looking at some #1 contender matches between Cryme Tyme and Hart Dynasty. It...must...continue. Thanks for the chat, Greg. Good talk as always.
GP: Thanks James. 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.
