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VALENTINO LIVE AT RAW: Notes & Observations from Raw in Los Angeles, including crowd reception to top stars

Feb 14, 2014 - 10:30:44 AM
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Live at WWE Raw 2/10
By Shawn Valentino, PWTorch specialist


The road to WrestleMania 30 has officially begun, and I will be there in New Orleans for the Grandest Stage of Them All. This will be my 12th WrestleMania that I have attended live. Ironically, I have been so disenfranchised by the product that I did not even bother purchasing tickets to Raw in Los Angeles, so I went to the Staples Center on Monday to see if I could get some last minute seats. Luckily, my friends had a connection within WWE, and I was able to get a free ticket. Here are some live notes from this week’s Raw, live and in-person.

(1) One of the most interesting moments was when a "C.M. Punk" chant broke out during the dull return match between Mark Henry and U.S. champion Dean Ambrose. Seth Rollins grabbed the microphone and said, “C-M Who?” Then he proceeded to put Ambrose over as the guy every guy wants to be and every girl wants to be with.

(2) Batista was surprisingly over after the recent backlash. He was book smartly as the strong, silent animal.

(3) I was sitting fairly closely to the dry-run taping of the pre-show with Booker T, Albert, etc. My friends originally had seats in that location, but they were moved to the floor. That is not necessarily a good thing because they struggled to see whenever fans in front stood up.

(4) The post-Raw dark match was John Cena, Daniel Bryan, and Batista versus The Wyatts. It ended in a DQ finish, and it did not add anything to the show.

(5) The arena was legitimately sold out, and only a select few tickets were available on the day of the show.

(6) The highlight of the show may have been that my friend bought a sheep mask and he was told to remove it because it was a security threat.

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(7) My friends spotted Steve Austin and Rob Van Dam backstage. Additionally, they saw rehearsals, so they told me about The Wyatts-Shield confrontation. They said Cody Rhodes was exceptionally friendly, and they got a photo with the New Age Outlaws and the Tag Team Championship.

(8) The crowd was cold again for WWE World Hvt. champion Randy Orton, and I largely blame WWE Creative for that one. I am not sure if I am alone on this, but I think one of the dumbest things is when champions lose these non-title matches. I grew up in an era of very strong champions, so when the World Champion loses repeatedly with no consequences and no sense of resonance, then why would it matter when he loses the belt for real?

Just imagine if Hulk Hogan was pinned by Ultimate Warrior, Randy Savage, and Mr. Perfect in the weeks leading to his match with Warrior. Or, imagine if Shawn Michaels lost to Austin, Owen Hart, and Ken Shamrock the month before WrestleMania 14 when Steve Austin won his first World Title. How about if C.M. Punk lost to The Rock, John Cena, and Daniel Bryan the weeks before his Rumble match with Rock to end his 434-day title streak? It does not make the champion look vulnerable. It just makes him look weak.

Will booking improve and will WWE get their act together before the rest of the Road to Mania kicks off?


We suggest these recent related articles...
VALENTINO'S MAGIC, MEMORIES & MANIA: Live at WrestleMania 31 - A Mania With No Great Matches But Many Great Moments
VALENTINO'S MAGIC, MEMORIES & MANIA: WrestleMania Weekend Log - The Afterparty
VALENTINO'S MAGIC, MEMORIES & MANIA: Why C.M. Punk Should Have Been Fired
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