Post by Admin on Sept 20, 2016 23:47:01 GMT -6
WWE is always at least a little fun if not a lot. It suffers greatly from shitty writing, plots that go nowhere, non-writing, injuries effecting the storylines, creative ego amongst some of the creative staff and bosses, etc. But at the end of the day, there are some pretty epic confrontations, solid performers and fantastic matches that keep me in its orbit.
ima try to keep up with it and make specific comments each week.
this week so far (this'll be longer than usual because as I write about performers for the first time in the thread, I'll have more to say about them):
Raw 9/19: Show opens with Roman Reigns, which - there has been a glaring disconnect since he went solo between Reigns and the audience. I personally believe it has everything to do with his lack of mic skills and packaging as some kind of megastar/monster talent. With taglines like "Roman Empire". He doesn't come across as an aggressive monster megastar type person. nor does he come off to me as a person who is that talented an actor. If they wanted him to succeed, they should therefor have crafted a character for him that was more in tune with who he was. A character he could more easily represent. As it is, he flounders every single time there's a mic in his hand, and yet they continually shove mics into his hand. He comes across as a nice, kind of quiet guy. Yet they insist he plays some kind of dominating character that he can never quite muster whatever it takes to fully jump into. I believe if creative had reacted to the audience reaction soon in Reigns' solo storyline, they could have easily made necessary adjustments to get him over. Instead they just stuck with what wasn't working, and completely ruined a character and a performer, and a company asset (to put it in WWE terms).
Also I have to say his Naruto catchphrase "Believe that" irritates the holy fuck out of me.
But I think, with better handling, he could have been a very successful face. If they'd just concentrated on - his look, and there's no real reason his character couldn't have been just a laid back man of few words that was a good guy, but you don't want to make him mad type character.
Anyhow - so luckily Reigns no sooner opens his mouth than Stephanie interrupts. Stephanie McMahon is great with those "good guy/bad guy" characterizations. She knows what to do in either direction with her gestures, inflections and facial expressions to make an angle work.
Mick Foley joins them. He's really into this character and he's been a huge plus to the "brand split" storyline. Represented as an exec with grassroots ties, they appear to be using that internal struggle and it's playing out well in the show.
Once again though - as often is the case, Reigns is out there with a character he doesn't seem to identify with in any way, fumbling on the mic, trying to keep up with the likes of Stephanie and Mick Foley, both of whom are great on the mic. And he just comes off horribly. The audience sees it. They smell it. and with that comes a tacit understanding that Reigns is no good (whether that's true or not) and is being propped up by managerial elements that just like his look so much they want to continually push him over other talent that the audience prefers.
Foley does an excellent job of bringing the story back around from the Reigns hating, with a few distractions of - like every time he mentions Reigns' name the crowd boos. To placate Reigns, Foley makes a match between him and Universal Champion Kevin Owens for tonight and gives him a match against Rusev for the US title at Sunday's Clash of Champions.
Owens comes out and complains. Kevin Owens, from the minute his feet hit the mat in NXT, has been a fantastic performer. Both in the ring and on the mic. When he won the title, in spite of the fact that he's a huge heel in the storyline, fans were chanting "You deserve it" and I think on many levels they're definitely right about that.
Foley decides to make it a steel cage match to prevent outside interference. The crowd approves.
Rollins comes out for his match before the ring clears out. He and Owens exchange scowls. Reigns and Rollins exchange a hard stare. Reigns breaks into a seemingly involuntary smile as he leaves the ring. Another one of those little details that says to me he'd be happier in a character that was more attainable to him, and moments like that.
Rollins is another rock-solid performer. In WWE you have to be able to run in different modes. Some performers can do them all, some excel at one or two. Rollins is one of those performers who excels at all of them. A fantastic heel, inventive on the mic, solid with his characters and rhetoric, and fantastic in the ring.
backstage, Steph and Foley discuss the booking, they are interrupted by an irate Rusev (and Lana). Rusev has become crazy good with that character. He's great at playing the belligerent heel, and equally good at the moments of clueless humor that sometimes get injected into his dialogue. He can be genuinely funny as well as coarse and threatening. Lana has wilted into the background. When she first came on the scene, she was magnificent. But lately when she's on at all, she speaks and performs very little. Which is a waste of her talents. There's no reason, especially with the brand split, that any performer, especially one as good as her, has no storyline to advance.
Rusev though, is the polar opposite of Reigns on the mic. And he didn't even fully speak English when he started with WWE. On the mic - he's just always "in the zone". I've never seen Rusev deliver a bad promo. Whereas I can't remember Reigns every delivering a good one. Rusev just flat-out commits to what he's saying on that mic. And he has the range to play it for laughs when he has to. But never breaks character. And is just as committed in his ring performance.
First match of the night: Seth Rollins Vs Rusev.
Rollins' gum chewing is distracting to the point where it's taking me out of the match/story. And probably not the safest thing to be doing in a wrestling ring. Part of me hopes he bites his tongue off.
Otherwise, this is one of those solid matches between two solid performers. They're executing moves/stunts well, but also both can tell a story with a match. Which is an ability that makes good matches into great matches. They're both good at recognizing that element of arcs. That it's not just a series of moves. Each match is kind of its own chapter in a larger ongoing story.
The match travels around the arena, ending up at the announce table.
Corey Graves is a fantastic addition to the announce team. He's a great heel announcer, and has a working knowledge of NXT talent as they come up. Great choice. Michael Cole isn't somebody that gets enough credit. People notice when he gets something wrong or misspeaks, which considering he's on the mic literally for the entire show every week, isn't that much. But basically he's great at being that "voice of raw" that's identifiable, but cedes the floor to the talent. Just recognizable enough, but not overwhelming. And Byron Saxton is a decent enough third party to that pair. He's laid back, with good comedic timing and blends well with both of the other announcers styles.
Rollins wins the match, leaving Rusev lying on the floor at the head of the entrance ramp.
Backstage, Charlotte and Dana are asserting that the match to determine the #1 contender for her title ended in a double pin (Sasha Banks and Bailey both actually simultaneously pinning the other). Something Dana says gives Foley an idea, he makes the title match at Clash of champions a three way: Sasha Vs Bailey Vs Charlotte. Charlotte blames Dana.
Charlotte has been vastly improved as of late on the mic. Really getting into her heel role. She has kind of eased into it. Some of her earlier promos were a bit uneven on noncommittal. But she's coming into her own on the mic. Dana Brooke is playing that flunky character really well. She's funny and she puts her whole self into it.
Jericho and Owens complain about Foley backstage. Jericho decides he's gonna make a list.
Braun Strowman is out to the ring to face Sin Cara. Sin Cara is a proven talent. Strowman is another one of those gigantic monsters that WWE likes the look of so they'll push him probably no matter what. This match has all the hallmarks of why WWE is on the decline I think. Feeding skilled performers to greener and less skilled talent for basically superficial reasons in matches that tell no story and are way too short.
I like Braun Strowman though. He's not bad in there. But when WWE books matches like this, they do just as much harm to the talent they're trying to push as they do to the talent they feed it and the overall WWE storyline.
In short - feeding a push works less and less as what audiences are looking for broadens. Almost to the point where, that basic stock-and-trade element of Wrestling (feeding a push) seems ultimately to cause more harm than good to the end product.
I would like to see WWE evolve from "feeding the push" to "telling a story".
because "feeding the push" seems to be where they're going wrong/losing the audience every time.
Sasha and Bailey with a nice little moment backstage.
Match 3: Bailey and Sasha Vs Charlotte and Dana
All four solid performers. The WWE women's division is amazing, and if NXT is any indication, there is no end in sight. Bailey seems uncomfortable on the mic at times, but she more than makes up for that with the genuine sincerity she projects. Conversely, Sasha is great on the mic, but she plays a heel, and often breaks just by virtue of the notion that she seems to have a genuine fondness for her coworkers in the ring. That sometimes manifests in a smile here or there. But it's not the kind of character break that causes problems. If anything, I think it's enough of a nod that it makes Sasha that much more appealing.
Bailey and Sasha are far and away two of the best talents in WWE right now in the ring. Charlotte is no slouch either. Dana is not quite at that level, but she is also good, she'd have to be to hold her own with the other three.
Charlotte and Dana end up with the win in a solid match.
Stephanie and Rollins talk in her office, Stephanie swears she didn't have anything to do with Triple H doublecrossing him in favor of channeling the title to Owens. Rollins threatens to be their worst nightmare.
Bo Dallas to the ring. Bo Dallas was a super promising performer coming up from NXT, but like with virtually every other NXT talent, the WWE creative team completely destroyed any momentum there by alternatively completely ignoring him and giving him really poorly conceived storylines.
This current push seems no different to me. They've abandoned what worked with him in favor of making him more serious and "Bray Wyatt" like. Spewing creepy poetry and such. But there's already a Bray Wyatt and he's amazing. Bo Dallas was pretty amazing in that Bo Dallas character. WWE often will change up a character that doesn't need it and then stand around scratching their heads when it doesn't work.
Again, it's feeding a push. "We'll change his character and give him a bunch of squash matches" which is doing the opposite of what they seem to want. The "push" part is so obvious it's detracting from Bo Dallas as a character and his talents as a performer. It's bad writing. So it becomes about bad writing. It just overshadows/envelops everything. Just like with Reigns.
If they want to push Bo Dallas, they should come up with a good story for him, and character-wise go with what works. I mean - if your choice is "okay, we're getting some fan reaction from this" and "let's do this thing we have no clue whether or not it'll work", build on the foundation. Build on the "okay we're getting some reaction from this". It's so utterly stupid for WWE Creative to so consistently do this. Take something that's working and end it in favor of something out of left field that smacks of "push" and bad writing that nobody cares about.
WWE creative needs to learn how to crowdsurf better.
Anyway, badly conceived squash match for Bo's new character push. Thumbs waaay down from me on that. I really like Bo Dallas. Don't like what they're doing with him.
WWE is often an exercise in wasting talent. I think this current Dallas push is just more of that. And it's not Bo Dallas' fault in any way.
Cesaro Vs Shamus best of 7. Not a terrible way to keep these two floating toward the top of the heap. But ultimately seems to be having the reverse effect. Both seem to be sinking. And again, two fantastic performers. There's just literally zero excuse whey both of these gentlemen aren't involved in a major storyline.
It's a good match, and the two are great. Again though, as an ongoing story it's just dull. It doesn't spark the way it could and should.
Foley and Jericho bit backstage as Jericho continues to build his list of criticisms of Foley. The two are really great together.
Jericho takes his beef to the people, airing his Foley grievances for the crowd. He's interrupted by Enzo and Cass, two of the most dynamic new arrivals in the WWE. Extremely creative on the mic and just plain fun to watch.
Once again interrupted, this time by Primo and Epico. Who - seem like they could do more on the mic, but again, their promo time is too short to build them up as talent. I think fans don't have a reaction to them one way or the other because in all their time in WWE so far, they haven't ever been given any time to make an impression. Their matches are way too short and their promos are usually nonexistent or cut off. And there's a spark there I can see. The angle of handing out tourism brochures is a good one. But it's not presented well and gets stomped on immediately by the New Day.
New Day was a successful WWE revolution. Just as the Wyatt Family should have been. I actually think the Wyatts had more momentum than New Day did. But New Day is definitely more marketable in terms of merch and such. So I can see why WWE would go with the flow in their direction. New Day continues to bring it in every sense of the phrase. They continue to be one of the high points of the night no matter what their role or what show they're on.
Gallows and Anderson interrupt New Day. A great acquisition for WWE these two. Talented veterans that know what they're doing. A great balance to the roster with so much talent getting called up from NXT.
Jericho attempts to leave in disgust, but is cut off by Sami Zayn.
The whole thing degenerates into a melee, and a match is made.
Sami Zayn, New Day, Enzo & Cass Vs Jericho, Gallows & Anderson and the Shining Stars
Very lively and fun match. Matches like this work in the new era of wrestling I think. They potentially advance multiple storylines, give talent a chance, and create opportunities for longer matches without any one performer having to be in for a long period of time.
The good guys win as Enzo pins a Shining Star for the victory.
Foley comes out to introduce the new Raw Cruiserweight Division.
Born of the recently concluded Cruiserweight Classic and some of the best matches I've ever seen, the Raw CW division, as presented, is something I have mixed feelings about.
Part of it is the nature of the CWC, which was spectacular. But for me ended in a whimper not a bang, with TJ Perkins winning the tournament. And don't get me wrong, TJ Perkins is very good. But it was quite the stretch for me, I guess I'll say too big a stretch for me, that of all these stellar performers, that's who wins? so eh.
I get the necessity involved in not going with the obvious choice Kota Ibushi. If he'd signed with WWE, I'm sure the title would have been his no question, and deservedly so. He's one of the best performers period in wrestling. so it had to go to somebody who had actually signed with the company.
But again, it just feels like - Gran Metalik would have been a better choice for a new division for a number of reasons.
But all that aside - four of the new CWD members are announced. The thoroughly entertaining Rich Swan, the amazing Cedric Alexander, the legendary Gran Metalik and former WWE tag champ Brian Kendrick.
All are decent performers. But I would say, if there's a weak link there it's definitely Kendrick.
And guess who creative decided to push?
I bet you can guess.
yep.
So - the unlikely CW champ coming out of CWC (TJ perkins) will face the latest victim of a WWE push Brian Kendrick for the CW championship at Clash of Champions. And so - a thing that I was super super pumped about coming out of the CWC has, in literally a single episode of raw, been completely transformed by Raw creative into something I literally could care less about.
Wake me up with Kota Ibushi signs. Or Zack Sabre Jr. Or Rich Sawn or Cedric Alexander, or literally any of a dozen or so other CWC performers steps into the ring.
It's not that Perkins and Kendrick don't have it in them to put on a decent match.
But of the talent that emerged from the CWC, they are possibly the two performers I'm least interested in seeing more of.
All that aside - the CW match was exciting and amazing. Cedric Alexander is just unbelievable in the ring. And Rich Swan is entertaining as hell. And Gran Metalik is clearly deserving of the CW championship. And Brian Kendrick is - just - barely good enough to be there. But still a good match in spite of the disappointing outcome.
Again, I don't want to come off as anti-Kendrick. I loved him back in the day, and I do think he could be cool in WWE. But - this push at this time, among so much MEGAtalented performers, is just a glaring example of how WWE can wreck everything for everyone by pushing the wrong dude at the wrong time in the wrong place.
Announce team talks about a pre show match for Clash of Champions: Nia Jax vs Alicia Fox. They had a match on Raw which was too short and too squashy. Alicia Fox is every bit as good as the new talent from NXT, but has never gotten her due. Nia Jax is learning, and I think will do well and is doing well. But I don't think she's quite up to the level of some of the other performers. Yet Fox is put in this squash match against Jax because it's push time for Jax. The reality is - this notion of the craziest girl on the block vs the biggest girl on the block is a great foundation for a story. instead it seems to be just about getting Jax over. Which is a shame. It would be amazing to me if these two stepped it up and blew everybody away in the pre-show. Fox could really be a draw. Jax is well on her way to being that as well. If these two could go out there and compete with previous women's matches like Bailey vs Askuka, Bailey Vs Sasha, Charlotte Vs Natalya and other epic memorable matches, it would be fantastic. They should be encouraged and empowered to do that.
WWE would be better off for it. Fox is another wasted talent in WWE that should be given more opportunities.
the finale is the cage match between Owens and Reigns. It's a decent match, with Reigns scaling the cage to victory. Rusev attacks Reigns after the match, locking him in the cage with Owens and himself. The two beat on Reigns until Seth Rollins comes to the rescue.
I like where this is going. Rollins at odds with HHH and Stephanie, vowing revenge, coming to the aid of Reigns, Ambrose losing the belt on Smackdown. We could indeed be hurtling toward a Shield reunion, which I think could work.
ima try to keep up with it and make specific comments each week.
this week so far (this'll be longer than usual because as I write about performers for the first time in the thread, I'll have more to say about them):
Raw 9/19: Show opens with Roman Reigns, which - there has been a glaring disconnect since he went solo between Reigns and the audience. I personally believe it has everything to do with his lack of mic skills and packaging as some kind of megastar/monster talent. With taglines like "Roman Empire". He doesn't come across as an aggressive monster megastar type person. nor does he come off to me as a person who is that talented an actor. If they wanted him to succeed, they should therefor have crafted a character for him that was more in tune with who he was. A character he could more easily represent. As it is, he flounders every single time there's a mic in his hand, and yet they continually shove mics into his hand. He comes across as a nice, kind of quiet guy. Yet they insist he plays some kind of dominating character that he can never quite muster whatever it takes to fully jump into. I believe if creative had reacted to the audience reaction soon in Reigns' solo storyline, they could have easily made necessary adjustments to get him over. Instead they just stuck with what wasn't working, and completely ruined a character and a performer, and a company asset (to put it in WWE terms).
Also I have to say his Naruto catchphrase "Believe that" irritates the holy fuck out of me.
But I think, with better handling, he could have been a very successful face. If they'd just concentrated on - his look, and there's no real reason his character couldn't have been just a laid back man of few words that was a good guy, but you don't want to make him mad type character.
Anyhow - so luckily Reigns no sooner opens his mouth than Stephanie interrupts. Stephanie McMahon is great with those "good guy/bad guy" characterizations. She knows what to do in either direction with her gestures, inflections and facial expressions to make an angle work.
Mick Foley joins them. He's really into this character and he's been a huge plus to the "brand split" storyline. Represented as an exec with grassroots ties, they appear to be using that internal struggle and it's playing out well in the show.
Once again though - as often is the case, Reigns is out there with a character he doesn't seem to identify with in any way, fumbling on the mic, trying to keep up with the likes of Stephanie and Mick Foley, both of whom are great on the mic. And he just comes off horribly. The audience sees it. They smell it. and with that comes a tacit understanding that Reigns is no good (whether that's true or not) and is being propped up by managerial elements that just like his look so much they want to continually push him over other talent that the audience prefers.
Foley does an excellent job of bringing the story back around from the Reigns hating, with a few distractions of - like every time he mentions Reigns' name the crowd boos. To placate Reigns, Foley makes a match between him and Universal Champion Kevin Owens for tonight and gives him a match against Rusev for the US title at Sunday's Clash of Champions.
Owens comes out and complains. Kevin Owens, from the minute his feet hit the mat in NXT, has been a fantastic performer. Both in the ring and on the mic. When he won the title, in spite of the fact that he's a huge heel in the storyline, fans were chanting "You deserve it" and I think on many levels they're definitely right about that.
Foley decides to make it a steel cage match to prevent outside interference. The crowd approves.
Rollins comes out for his match before the ring clears out. He and Owens exchange scowls. Reigns and Rollins exchange a hard stare. Reigns breaks into a seemingly involuntary smile as he leaves the ring. Another one of those little details that says to me he'd be happier in a character that was more attainable to him, and moments like that.
Rollins is another rock-solid performer. In WWE you have to be able to run in different modes. Some performers can do them all, some excel at one or two. Rollins is one of those performers who excels at all of them. A fantastic heel, inventive on the mic, solid with his characters and rhetoric, and fantastic in the ring.
backstage, Steph and Foley discuss the booking, they are interrupted by an irate Rusev (and Lana). Rusev has become crazy good with that character. He's great at playing the belligerent heel, and equally good at the moments of clueless humor that sometimes get injected into his dialogue. He can be genuinely funny as well as coarse and threatening. Lana has wilted into the background. When she first came on the scene, she was magnificent. But lately when she's on at all, she speaks and performs very little. Which is a waste of her talents. There's no reason, especially with the brand split, that any performer, especially one as good as her, has no storyline to advance.
Rusev though, is the polar opposite of Reigns on the mic. And he didn't even fully speak English when he started with WWE. On the mic - he's just always "in the zone". I've never seen Rusev deliver a bad promo. Whereas I can't remember Reigns every delivering a good one. Rusev just flat-out commits to what he's saying on that mic. And he has the range to play it for laughs when he has to. But never breaks character. And is just as committed in his ring performance.
First match of the night: Seth Rollins Vs Rusev.
Rollins' gum chewing is distracting to the point where it's taking me out of the match/story. And probably not the safest thing to be doing in a wrestling ring. Part of me hopes he bites his tongue off.
Otherwise, this is one of those solid matches between two solid performers. They're executing moves/stunts well, but also both can tell a story with a match. Which is an ability that makes good matches into great matches. They're both good at recognizing that element of arcs. That it's not just a series of moves. Each match is kind of its own chapter in a larger ongoing story.
The match travels around the arena, ending up at the announce table.
Corey Graves is a fantastic addition to the announce team. He's a great heel announcer, and has a working knowledge of NXT talent as they come up. Great choice. Michael Cole isn't somebody that gets enough credit. People notice when he gets something wrong or misspeaks, which considering he's on the mic literally for the entire show every week, isn't that much. But basically he's great at being that "voice of raw" that's identifiable, but cedes the floor to the talent. Just recognizable enough, but not overwhelming. And Byron Saxton is a decent enough third party to that pair. He's laid back, with good comedic timing and blends well with both of the other announcers styles.
Rollins wins the match, leaving Rusev lying on the floor at the head of the entrance ramp.
Backstage, Charlotte and Dana are asserting that the match to determine the #1 contender for her title ended in a double pin (Sasha Banks and Bailey both actually simultaneously pinning the other). Something Dana says gives Foley an idea, he makes the title match at Clash of champions a three way: Sasha Vs Bailey Vs Charlotte. Charlotte blames Dana.
Charlotte has been vastly improved as of late on the mic. Really getting into her heel role. She has kind of eased into it. Some of her earlier promos were a bit uneven on noncommittal. But she's coming into her own on the mic. Dana Brooke is playing that flunky character really well. She's funny and she puts her whole self into it.
Jericho and Owens complain about Foley backstage. Jericho decides he's gonna make a list.
Braun Strowman is out to the ring to face Sin Cara. Sin Cara is a proven talent. Strowman is another one of those gigantic monsters that WWE likes the look of so they'll push him probably no matter what. This match has all the hallmarks of why WWE is on the decline I think. Feeding skilled performers to greener and less skilled talent for basically superficial reasons in matches that tell no story and are way too short.
I like Braun Strowman though. He's not bad in there. But when WWE books matches like this, they do just as much harm to the talent they're trying to push as they do to the talent they feed it and the overall WWE storyline.
In short - feeding a push works less and less as what audiences are looking for broadens. Almost to the point where, that basic stock-and-trade element of Wrestling (feeding a push) seems ultimately to cause more harm than good to the end product.
I would like to see WWE evolve from "feeding the push" to "telling a story".
because "feeding the push" seems to be where they're going wrong/losing the audience every time.
Sasha and Bailey with a nice little moment backstage.
Match 3: Bailey and Sasha Vs Charlotte and Dana
All four solid performers. The WWE women's division is amazing, and if NXT is any indication, there is no end in sight. Bailey seems uncomfortable on the mic at times, but she more than makes up for that with the genuine sincerity she projects. Conversely, Sasha is great on the mic, but she plays a heel, and often breaks just by virtue of the notion that she seems to have a genuine fondness for her coworkers in the ring. That sometimes manifests in a smile here or there. But it's not the kind of character break that causes problems. If anything, I think it's enough of a nod that it makes Sasha that much more appealing.
Bailey and Sasha are far and away two of the best talents in WWE right now in the ring. Charlotte is no slouch either. Dana is not quite at that level, but she is also good, she'd have to be to hold her own with the other three.
Charlotte and Dana end up with the win in a solid match.
Stephanie and Rollins talk in her office, Stephanie swears she didn't have anything to do with Triple H doublecrossing him in favor of channeling the title to Owens. Rollins threatens to be their worst nightmare.
Bo Dallas to the ring. Bo Dallas was a super promising performer coming up from NXT, but like with virtually every other NXT talent, the WWE creative team completely destroyed any momentum there by alternatively completely ignoring him and giving him really poorly conceived storylines.
This current push seems no different to me. They've abandoned what worked with him in favor of making him more serious and "Bray Wyatt" like. Spewing creepy poetry and such. But there's already a Bray Wyatt and he's amazing. Bo Dallas was pretty amazing in that Bo Dallas character. WWE often will change up a character that doesn't need it and then stand around scratching their heads when it doesn't work.
Again, it's feeding a push. "We'll change his character and give him a bunch of squash matches" which is doing the opposite of what they seem to want. The "push" part is so obvious it's detracting from Bo Dallas as a character and his talents as a performer. It's bad writing. So it becomes about bad writing. It just overshadows/envelops everything. Just like with Reigns.
If they want to push Bo Dallas, they should come up with a good story for him, and character-wise go with what works. I mean - if your choice is "okay, we're getting some fan reaction from this" and "let's do this thing we have no clue whether or not it'll work", build on the foundation. Build on the "okay we're getting some reaction from this". It's so utterly stupid for WWE Creative to so consistently do this. Take something that's working and end it in favor of something out of left field that smacks of "push" and bad writing that nobody cares about.
WWE creative needs to learn how to crowdsurf better.
Anyway, badly conceived squash match for Bo's new character push. Thumbs waaay down from me on that. I really like Bo Dallas. Don't like what they're doing with him.
WWE is often an exercise in wasting talent. I think this current Dallas push is just more of that. And it's not Bo Dallas' fault in any way.
Cesaro Vs Shamus best of 7. Not a terrible way to keep these two floating toward the top of the heap. But ultimately seems to be having the reverse effect. Both seem to be sinking. And again, two fantastic performers. There's just literally zero excuse whey both of these gentlemen aren't involved in a major storyline.
It's a good match, and the two are great. Again though, as an ongoing story it's just dull. It doesn't spark the way it could and should.
Foley and Jericho bit backstage as Jericho continues to build his list of criticisms of Foley. The two are really great together.
Jericho takes his beef to the people, airing his Foley grievances for the crowd. He's interrupted by Enzo and Cass, two of the most dynamic new arrivals in the WWE. Extremely creative on the mic and just plain fun to watch.
Once again interrupted, this time by Primo and Epico. Who - seem like they could do more on the mic, but again, their promo time is too short to build them up as talent. I think fans don't have a reaction to them one way or the other because in all their time in WWE so far, they haven't ever been given any time to make an impression. Their matches are way too short and their promos are usually nonexistent or cut off. And there's a spark there I can see. The angle of handing out tourism brochures is a good one. But it's not presented well and gets stomped on immediately by the New Day.
New Day was a successful WWE revolution. Just as the Wyatt Family should have been. I actually think the Wyatts had more momentum than New Day did. But New Day is definitely more marketable in terms of merch and such. So I can see why WWE would go with the flow in their direction. New Day continues to bring it in every sense of the phrase. They continue to be one of the high points of the night no matter what their role or what show they're on.
Gallows and Anderson interrupt New Day. A great acquisition for WWE these two. Talented veterans that know what they're doing. A great balance to the roster with so much talent getting called up from NXT.
Jericho attempts to leave in disgust, but is cut off by Sami Zayn.
The whole thing degenerates into a melee, and a match is made.
Sami Zayn, New Day, Enzo & Cass Vs Jericho, Gallows & Anderson and the Shining Stars
Very lively and fun match. Matches like this work in the new era of wrestling I think. They potentially advance multiple storylines, give talent a chance, and create opportunities for longer matches without any one performer having to be in for a long period of time.
The good guys win as Enzo pins a Shining Star for the victory.
Foley comes out to introduce the new Raw Cruiserweight Division.
Born of the recently concluded Cruiserweight Classic and some of the best matches I've ever seen, the Raw CW division, as presented, is something I have mixed feelings about.
Part of it is the nature of the CWC, which was spectacular. But for me ended in a whimper not a bang, with TJ Perkins winning the tournament. And don't get me wrong, TJ Perkins is very good. But it was quite the stretch for me, I guess I'll say too big a stretch for me, that of all these stellar performers, that's who wins? so eh.
I get the necessity involved in not going with the obvious choice Kota Ibushi. If he'd signed with WWE, I'm sure the title would have been his no question, and deservedly so. He's one of the best performers period in wrestling. so it had to go to somebody who had actually signed with the company.
But again, it just feels like - Gran Metalik would have been a better choice for a new division for a number of reasons.
But all that aside - four of the new CWD members are announced. The thoroughly entertaining Rich Swan, the amazing Cedric Alexander, the legendary Gran Metalik and former WWE tag champ Brian Kendrick.
All are decent performers. But I would say, if there's a weak link there it's definitely Kendrick.
And guess who creative decided to push?
I bet you can guess.
yep.
So - the unlikely CW champ coming out of CWC (TJ perkins) will face the latest victim of a WWE push Brian Kendrick for the CW championship at Clash of Champions. And so - a thing that I was super super pumped about coming out of the CWC has, in literally a single episode of raw, been completely transformed by Raw creative into something I literally could care less about.
Wake me up with Kota Ibushi signs. Or Zack Sabre Jr. Or Rich Sawn or Cedric Alexander, or literally any of a dozen or so other CWC performers steps into the ring.
It's not that Perkins and Kendrick don't have it in them to put on a decent match.
But of the talent that emerged from the CWC, they are possibly the two performers I'm least interested in seeing more of.
All that aside - the CW match was exciting and amazing. Cedric Alexander is just unbelievable in the ring. And Rich Swan is entertaining as hell. And Gran Metalik is clearly deserving of the CW championship. And Brian Kendrick is - just - barely good enough to be there. But still a good match in spite of the disappointing outcome.
Again, I don't want to come off as anti-Kendrick. I loved him back in the day, and I do think he could be cool in WWE. But - this push at this time, among so much MEGAtalented performers, is just a glaring example of how WWE can wreck everything for everyone by pushing the wrong dude at the wrong time in the wrong place.
Announce team talks about a pre show match for Clash of Champions: Nia Jax vs Alicia Fox. They had a match on Raw which was too short and too squashy. Alicia Fox is every bit as good as the new talent from NXT, but has never gotten her due. Nia Jax is learning, and I think will do well and is doing well. But I don't think she's quite up to the level of some of the other performers. Yet Fox is put in this squash match against Jax because it's push time for Jax. The reality is - this notion of the craziest girl on the block vs the biggest girl on the block is a great foundation for a story. instead it seems to be just about getting Jax over. Which is a shame. It would be amazing to me if these two stepped it up and blew everybody away in the pre-show. Fox could really be a draw. Jax is well on her way to being that as well. If these two could go out there and compete with previous women's matches like Bailey vs Askuka, Bailey Vs Sasha, Charlotte Vs Natalya and other epic memorable matches, it would be fantastic. They should be encouraged and empowered to do that.
WWE would be better off for it. Fox is another wasted talent in WWE that should be given more opportunities.
the finale is the cage match between Owens and Reigns. It's a decent match, with Reigns scaling the cage to victory. Rusev attacks Reigns after the match, locking him in the cage with Owens and himself. The two beat on Reigns until Seth Rollins comes to the rescue.
I like where this is going. Rollins at odds with HHH and Stephanie, vowing revenge, coming to the aid of Reigns, Ambrose losing the belt on Smackdown. We could indeed be hurtling toward a Shield reunion, which I think could work.