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WK'S WWE RAW BLOG 6/6: Random Thoughts in Chronological Order on live event including Tough Enough decision

Jun 6, 2011 - 8:13:33 PM


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BY WADE KELLER, PWTORCH EDITOR

-I didn't get the feeling listening to Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler that either had watched much or any "Tough Enough." Their lines sounded quite canned.

-Vince McMahon wears the strangest looking pants in terms of how they hang on his body. They're like clown pants, especially the way he posed on his way to the ring.

-They've gone from real people with some natural star power that needed some refining and amplifying to those over-amped scripted-sounding characters spewing practiced lines that sound rehearsed. It's like Ken Shamrock, who was real and marketable in UFC, but as soon as he got to WWE, he turned into a bad wrestler stereotype. There's a middle-ground, but tonight Andy and Luke sounded over-coached and didn't find that middle ground. Of course, they're new and inexperienced, so there's plenty of room for growth.

-Luke and Andy were so much better when the real announcement was made of the winner. They went from the put-on "characters" they think they need to be to exuding that real emotion.

-I could have done without the slap by McMahon and the Stone Cold Stunner by Steve Austin. The Stunner was better than the stiff slap. It's especially awkward that a rookie was able to get right up from the Stunner and stagger to the back. Shouldn't that hurt a little more or at least for a little longer.

-I don't know that I can listen to two hours of Michael Cole giggling at WWE-style humor.

-Imagine that! Four wrestlers argue for a few minutes, and then an authority figure books them in the main event tag match. What a novel concept!

-It sounds sooooo stupid when Michael McGillicutty is announced as a "fourth-generation Superstar" but they don't detail which family he comes from.

-Even Jerry Lawler couldn't fake being excited about this opening match between Santino and McGillicutty. The way he said "What a way to kick off Raw!" was pretty funny as he half-way through I think he realized how ridiculous that was.

-In WWE's quest to get the least possible out of any card they play due to a lack of planning and patience, they're having Booker T make his return to singles competition on the same show on which he is challenged? They couldn't figure out a way to milk that for a week or two, or save it for pay-per-view?

-C.M. Punk loses credibility when he talks about "the power of my New Nexus being unyielding." McGillicutty just lost. Nobody takes McGillicutty or David Otunga seriously. Mason Ryan maybe seems like a force, but he's green and unproven. I know heels get heat for exaggerating, but that's going a little far.

-The last two skits with Obama clips at a faked press conference have been better than that first one.

-Great to see a music video for Kofi Kingston. It's one of those tools in the tool box that WWE doesn't use very often, but really can make a wrestler seem like a bigger star, highlight they signature moves, and build anticipation for their match.

-Good to also see Dolph Ziggler back on commentary getting mic time. He and Vickie Guerrero have a really good dynamic. I loved Vickie responding to Jerry Lawler's insults by saying, "So much anger, so sad." She also said she doesn't need anyone's approval to feel good about herself. Ziggler was Tweeting during the match.

-Ziggler had the line of the night when he told Cole that Twitter is on the Internet now.

-Will Zach Ryder fans be happy he actually got a Raw match or upset that he lost in less than three minutes to Kingston in a virtual squash.

-Why did WWE decide to brag that John Cena had more Facebook fans than The Rock. Rock is on their team. I suppose it's an attempt to try to establish Cena is on or above Rock's level, or at least in his neighborhood as a mainstream star, before WrestleMania next year.

-Mark Madden's legacy in pro wrestling, the "Spinarooni!" returns to Raw.

-In a span of about 16 minutes, they had three commercial breaks with content in between equalling ring intros and the opening two minutes of the match. That's too much.

-Steve Austin and John Cena's treatment of Michael Cole just cements that Cole is the full-fledged surrogate Mr. McMahon character. Cole hams it up as much as McMahon did, too, which is good for laughs but nothing else.

-They sure underhyped the special three-hour next week. The "All-Star Night" theme is hardly a theme. It's just an dual-brand show, which would be more special if they didn't that almost every week before WrestleMana and on Draft Night.


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MORE RECENT WK BLOG ARTICLES...
KELLER BLOG: Paul Heyman alliance with C.M. Punk - where does it go from here?
KELLER'S WWE SUMMERSLAM PPV BLOG: Results and analysis throughout the show including Lesnar vs. Triple H, Cena vs. Punk vs. Show
KELLER: C.M. Punk is not best utilized as a tweener, despite a recent reader poll; he should be all out heel

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