By Luke Parks on August 5th, 2008
Pre-Show Notes:
It’s no secret that I wasn’t happy with the decision of making Mike Adamle the new General Manager of RAW. I thought there could have been a host of other people that could have taken the position. I thought William Regal could have taken back the position. I felt that Teddy Long could have been “promoted” to be the new GM of RAW. I even thought Eric Bischoff could have been the GM. We’ve seen Ric Flair as Co-Owner of the WWE and the first GM of RAW and that could have worked also. They could have even taken a Superstar who wasn’t having the best of careers, like Val Venis (remember Chief Morely?) or Tommy Dreamer and made them GM. Of course, Dreamer would be the ECW GM (like I suggested) and Long would come to RAW. However, I, along with a lot of other people, was not expecting goofy Mike Adamle to be the GM.
Last week, I was ready to burn Adamle at the stake. They will need to do something to get his character more “heel-ish” if they want him to be taken seriously. Adamle reminds me of a goofy teacher I had in high school and when she would try to get serious, people would just laugh. The difference between Adamle and Vickie Guerrero is she worked & transitioned into her role. Adamle has been plopped down into the role and it’s going to take a while for him to transition. If I were them, I would keep Adamle on a short leash. The fans already hate him but for the wrong reasons. Over the next few weeks, they need to have him do things that will garner him true heel heat.
I received some e-mail last week concerning my thoughts on the Batista-Cena feud. So, I figured I needed to elaborate. I feel this feud is being rushed. Summerslam is less that two weeks away. This feud deserves a larger amount of build. This is a Wrestlemania-type feud. I’m not saying Summerslam can’t handle it. It’s just they’re rushing it and it won’t reach it’s money making potential in my opinion with two weeks of build.
Hopefully this will be the last time I will have to address this. This blog is an opinion blog, just like the other blogs on this site, except for the UFC blog I write. We give our thoughts on the shows we cover. As I’ve said before, I’m not going to blow smoke up anybody’s butt concerning a show. If I think a show/segment is good, I’m going to praise it. If I think a show/segment is bad, I’m going to rip it. That’s how it is. I’m not going to sugarcoat this for anybody. My final ratings are out of 4 ring posts because I wanted to incorporate a wrestling theme into it. I don’t see many people bitching about movie critics using two thumbs. As I’ve said before, if you don’t like what I say I have a simple solution for you: don’t read or comment on it. I don’t like some programs on TV, so I don’t watch them. I don’t sit their & watch it (or in you guys’ case, read it) just so I can whine about it. I watch RAW. I give my opinion. I praise the stuff I think is good. I rip the stuff I think is bad. If anybody has a problem with that, just don’t come read my stuff.
One more pre-show note I wanted to throw in is Eric Bischoff’s book, Controversy Creates Cash. I just got finished reading this book. As Richard Gray has stated, most of these books only contain one side of the story and they tend to be biased. Now, I’m taking Eric Bischoff at his word on how things went down in WCW. I’ve heard the WWE’s side from the “Monday Night Wars” DVD. I’ve heard other accounts, either from other writers or Wikipedia or whatever else. I won’t delve into the book too much because I wouldn’t want to ruin it for anybody that may consider reading it. It gives a good picture on how things went during the days of WCW from a business standpoint. He explains things like a guaranteed contract, creative control, etc. I recommend picking it up if that’s something you’re interested in.
One more thing, the Mick Foley-Edge promo on Smackdown this past Friday was pure gold!!!
Now, let’s get to RAW is Blogged!!!
RAW is Blogged:
RAW is live from Volunteer Country in Knoxville, TENNESSEE!!! (I’m a Tennessee fan!)
Opening Segment: Mike Adamle, JBL, Chris Jericho
Starting us off this week was our new General Manager Mike Adamle. It reminded me of how Smackdown would start except with Vickie Guerrero saying “EXCUSE ME!” Adamle was reading from a script, which isn’t exactly a confidence booster, and he talked about first impressions. He mentioned how Ronald Reagan (one of my all-time favorite Presidents) went from being a movie actor to being president. I guess they forgot the time he was governor of California. What’s up with actors and being the governor of California? Wait. It gets better.
He mentioned about calling Jeff Hardy “Jeff Harvey” and how everyone makes mistakes. He said us fans would not let his time on ECW go. He said he just wants an opportunity and he then says there will be 3 title matches tonight on RAW. He mentioned that the Rhodes-DiBiase match against Cena & Batista would be for the tag titles. He never mentioned another title match for RAW the rest of the segment.
JBL came out sucking up and lobbying for a title shot at Summerslam. Chris Jericho came out, to a nice surprising pop, and wanted the same thing. He then made a 2-on-1 match with JBL & Jericho taking on CM Punk. Whoever got the pin would get a title shot but if Punk won, nobody got a shot. So, Punk’s not winning. If the 10-minute time limit expired, it would be a triple threat match.
This segment was ok at best. Having your goofy GM you want taken seriously reading from a notes script doesn’t help matters at all. Adamle probably should have read over the script a little more instead of taking it out there with him. His delivery seemed like he was giving a speech he hadn’t read over too much. It could have been much, much worse (see Miz and the Diva Search) but it was decent at best.
Match #1: Intercontinental Championship: Kofi Kingston © vs. Paul Burchill
Kofi Kingston was out to defend his title against Paul “The Ripper” Burchill. According to Michael Cole, he got that name playing rugby in England’s Premiere league. Some of you English fans need to help me out because the Premiere league I thought was just soccer. Michael Cole took on more of a Vince McMahon-type commentating role by calling few moves and putting over the competitors in the ring. That’s good sometimes but some people who are new to wrestling need to know what moves are being used. It was your typical Kofi match with him hopping everywhere and using a bunch of kicks. Katie Lea tried to distract Kofi but he hit the Trouble in Paradise for the win.
Winner: Kofi Kingston
Post match saw Katie distract Kofi while he threw Paul out of the ring. Mickie James made her way down for the Women’s title match for after the break.
Match #2: Women’s Championship: Mickie James © vs. Katie Lea Burchill
Mickie pretty much dominated the match. This match seemed like a blowoff match for the feud when you consider the ending. Both ladies wrestled well but I thought Katie should have gotten in a little more offense. Mickie hit the implant DDT for the win.
Winner: Mickie James
Post match saw Beth Phoenix come in and take Mickie out. See what I mean when I said it looked like a blowoff match. As Beth was leaving, Santino came out to pose and show off. Beth ended up touching his butt. They did their awkward stuff before Santino kind of flipped Beth’s butt. Pardon me but it jiggled a little and looked damn good. If she needs a butt massage, I’m her man. Michael Cole mentioned something about strange bedfellows and I remember that was a storyline on one of the Smackdown vs. RAW video games.
After the break, Beth & Santino were backstage talking with Mike Adamle, who was on the phone with Stephanie. He told them that there would only be one title match at Summerslam, either the Women’s or Intercontinental. Beth said there should be a Women’s title match to which Santino said he didn’t want to be Women’s Champion. Adamle made an “Adamle Original” with Santino & Beth taking on Kofi & Mickie with the titles on the line. This was a funny segment and the reactions Beth gives Santino are hilarious. Also, if I hear “Adamle Original” one more time, I might hurl. They said this every chance they got.
A promo for John Cena is shown. It was mentioned during the show that Cena was a master of the “pound and ground.” The proper term is “ground and pound” and it Cena is a master of that then I’m a muay thai specialist. Todd Grisham got Batista’s thoughts on the match later and he basically told Cena to stay out of his way.
A WWE.com exclusive was shown while Layla was dancing with Jamie Noble asking Layla out to the Waffle House later after the show. She told him she doesn’t associate with losers. Meanwhile, as Layla was dancing William Regal came down to remind everybody that he is their king. Jamie Noble came down and had a pretty good pull-apart brawl with Regal. It was one of the better pull-aparts I’ve seen.
Match #3: #1 Contender’s Match: JBL & Chris Jericho vs. CM Punk
Adamle came on the screen to say if the match ended in a draw, it would be a Triple Threat title match at Summerslam. This was your typical triple threat match with each guy laying on the outside for a while. The finish came when Jericho pulled JBL’s neck across the ropes, he fell back onto Punk and got the pin with one second to go. The finish worked it just seemed like it was TOO planned. I know it’s scripted but it seemed a little too planned for my tastes. The crowd was sorely behind Punk and he got some good offense in. My only beef is Punk’s only beaten Regal in the past few weeks. They need to do something for him before people DO look at him as a paper champion
Winner: John Bradshaw Layfield
Interview Segment: Shawn Michaels
Michaels was “live” from San Antonio, Texas. He talked about his damaged eye along with other injuries. The only thing they needed to do here was make HBK wear an eye patch. From the looks of things, his eye looked fine to me. He said he was going to be reevaluated on August 15 and he would be at Summerslam to talk about his future on August 17. This was a good segment and they added another incentive for people to buy Summerslam. If you’re an HBK fan, you’ll want to know what’s going to happen to him and that entices you to purchase the event.
Match #4: Matt Striker vs. Kane
Prior to the match, Striker reminds us all that he’s our teacher. He’s also glad that Mr. Michael Adamle is going to give him a shot at wrestling. I hope Striker will get a good program where he can excel. He really is a good talent. Kane comes down and squashes Striker.
Winner: Kane
After the match, he’s got his bag and he gets on the mic and says he’s come back from a better place and “he’s not alive. He’s dead.” Kane being from Tennessee got a big pop. I guess it’s the old Kane or Misty the rat or Dustin Rhodes’ career that could be dead.
Main Event: World Tag Team Championship: Cody Rhodes & Ted DiBiase vs. John Cena & Batista
For those that know the result of this match, you probably know how I feel. Except for after the commercial break, they made the tag champs & the titles look weak. The Priceless Dream is over. With Batista saying earlier in the show he’d rather be a world champ than a world tag team champ just accentuates the fact. I don’t get why they decided to take the titles off of Rhodes & DiBiase. Is it because they just wanted to feed them to Cena? Is it because they’re getting suspended? We’ve seen this stuff before when Cena & HBK won the titles. I don’t really get why they’re doing this. From a creative standpoint, it’s dumb. I guess from a business standpoint, they needed to get rid of some tag title belt toys so they gave the belts to Cena & Batista. I like Rhodes & DiBiase. They were pissing me off in the good ways they supposed to piss off fans. Why they did this is beyond me. On a parting note, if anybody has a clear version of DiBiase’s theme music, e-mail it to me.
Winners: John Cena & Batista
I give this RAW:
3 out of 4 ring posts
This was a good RAW. They did a lot of things right and just one or two questionable things, like the tag titles & Adamle’s script reading. Other than that, they had good build towards Summerslam and I’m interested in seeing what happens next week. I know some people will pick out the two things I bashed & ignore the positive stuff I said and say I’m being negative.
“RAW is Blogged” Power Rankings
1. CM Punk +1
2. Triple H -1
3. Mark Henry
4. Batista +1
5. John Cena +1
6. Edge -2
7. Kofi Kingston +1
8. JBL -1
9. Matt Hardy +1
10. Shelton Benjamin -1
Honorable Mention:
Hawkins & Ryder, Mr. Kennedy, Mickie James, The Great Khali
“RAW is Blogged” Match of the Week
Wrestlemania 13
Submission Only Match
Bret Hart vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin
“RAW is Blogged” YouTube Clip of the Week
Edge & Christian vs. the Mini Hardys/Dudleys - http://youtube.com/watch?v=oy4YsS92Hbk
RAW - Mondays at 9PM on USA Network
Summerslam - August 17 - 8PM - Only on PPV!
Tags: Match of the Week, Mike Adamle, Power Rankings, SummerSlam, YouTube Clip of the Week
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August 5th, 2008 at 3:52 pm
FIRST!
August 5th, 2008 at 4:10 pm
I swear if Batista and Cena keep those titles for too long I’ll throw my neighbor’s TV into my window.
August 5th, 2008 at 4:11 pm
This was one of the best RAWs I’ve seen in quite a while. That’s not saying a whole though. Adamle reading from a script was ok. I thought it kinda fit his gimmick (if it even is a gimmick) better.
Kofi rules. He’s one of the reasons RAW still has potential to be worth watching.
JBL/Jericho vs Punk match was good, but I also agree it was waaaay too scripted. JBL wins with 1 second left. Although I do like JBL vs Punk for the title at SS. Hopefully, we see the Wrestling God take that title from Punk.
Kane’s bag is getting old. I’m glad Adamle said he’s gonna find out what’s in the bag next week.
Main event was stupid. That’s the kinda crap that makes RAW suck and not worth watching. Cena again is a tag champ and it’s not even funny that they pulled the same story line from a few months ago except using Batista instead of HBK.
Also, think DiBiase is/was the one carrying that team.
August 5th, 2008 at 4:26 pm
Wow. You know something is extremely wrong when you actually have to include a paragraph complaining about how a lot of people rip your blog. Wrestlingnewsworld.com, I say fire him. -RJ
August 5th, 2008 at 4:46 pm
I liked Adamle as GM. He has potential, however he was slow when he spoke which made him boring. He didn’t seem like he was in total control of RAW which is bad.
Kofi Kingston is one of the reasons why I like watching RAW. You could never get tired of watching the guy. Paul Birchall is a fantastic mechanic in the ring and is certainly beginning to look credible.
Mickie James was solid tonight (as she always is) and this was in my opinion one of the better matches that Mickie and Katie have had. I liked how Beth came and beat down Mickei after the match. Funny stuff with Santino and Beth as well. I was confused with the Summerslam match that was made because Birchall and Katie have been the only contenders for the titles but somehow they don’t get to be on the card at Summerslam? And everyone can pretty much see where its going to go at SS, Mickie and Kofi are going to lose their belts. They may twist the title change so that Santino is the womens champ and Beth is the IC champ but either way we’ve got new champs. But hey at least the IC title is being defended on PPV other than the NOC!!!
Ever since Jamie Noble came to RAW he’s been made to look like a fool. Part of me liked it when he was getting beaten up but the bigger part of me wanted HIM to be the GM so that he could get revenge. Anyway, I’m glad to see that Regal came out and that Jamie picked a fight with him, I shall enjoy their feud as I have done with the Layla/Noble love thing.
The suspense has gone now about Kanes bag. Its either, something to do with his mask, The Undertaker, Mr Mcmahon or Paul Bearer.
Sad to see Striker get squashed.
Jericho just doesn’t look right in trunks. And the finish was pathetic, if you’re going to do it like that then at least practice it before you do it.
The tag titles match for me was all wrong. Dibiase was made to look like a second rate jobber, I know Cena and Batista are big guys but Ted isn’t small, don’t throw him round like that, Cody is good but he’s a little slow in the ring, the match was slightly too long, and we shouldn’t have had new champs. It should have been messed up so that Cena and Big Dave could brawl afterwards.
August 5th, 2008 at 4:47 pm
Beavis you truely are a butthead. You want JBL to win over Punk? Granted JBL could be a good leading heel but Punk deserves to hold onto that for much longer. And RJ your the exact type of person that makes Luke writes those paragraphs. So until your writing a weekly blog shut up.
August 5th, 2008 at 4:52 pm
For crying out loud, the blog is HIS opinion.
Back to RAW: what the hell was Jericho wearing and why o why did they pick JBL to be no.1 contender. They have totally wasted Jericho since his return. The only good thing about jericho right now is his promos. When are they going to give the title to jericho????
Giving the tag team titles to cena & batista makes no sense at all. Whats wrong with the writers these days?? Instead of builidng a fued between these two rather than having them praise eachother all the time. To hell with summerslam, this is a WRESTLEMANIA match and everyone knows it.
After a few good years as being the no.1 show, the tables have finally turned for RAW because Smackdown is definately the better show now.
A couple ideas for RAW:
- Make Jericho the Champ
-Hold off cena vs batista until wrestlemania
-Make Santino win ONE match
-Hell, BRING BACK VINCE
August 5th, 2008 at 5:30 pm
Well there you have it. Much better Luke. Maybe its because the show was good or maybe all the drama last week touched a nerve but this was the blog I said it used to be. I know its an opinion, I never said it wasn’t, all I said was you’ve been doing alot more bashing than anything. Either way. Awesome analysis this week. Personally I’d like to see Cena and Batista make an actual run with the titles but with them both being top card guys, its doubtful. They both been in the title picture on both brands for so long that it would be nice to see them run with this, might give the tag titles the rejuvenation they deserve. Again, not likely; but would still be great to watch.
August 5th, 2008 at 5:33 pm
Seriously, shut the hell up about Luke’s Blogs. If you don’t like them, then don’t read it. Your not being forced.
Y2J did look really weird with his trunks. Also, with the Hell in a Cell match and the Batista vs Cena match, you have to make your world championship matches not that credible.
Next Week, We all better see Kane chokeslam someone through a damn table.
Cena, Cena, Cena. Seriously, that was completely unnecessary having them put the tag belts on them. God Help Us.
August 5th, 2008 at 5:57 pm
“they made the tag champs & the titles look weak.”
Losing quickly and getting in no or next-to-no offense makes you look weak. Kicking Cena’s ass for most of the match doesn’t. Priceless will be fine.
August 5th, 2008 at 6:00 pm
I have been reading Raw Is Blogged since last year,and the other blogs since they began.I think that Luke,Anthony,Chris,and Adit are all good bloggers.We all have different opinions on things.We can all comment on them too.BUT if you are just gonna bash the writer…DON’T COMMENT/READ IT.Nobody should have to write a paragraph explaining himself each week.My Raw thoughts:Adamle wasn’t as bad as I thought he’d be.I hope within time he could”hire”someone to”assist”him.Striker imo,would be a good choice.Have Striker”write his promos,and match making ideas”.What do you think of that idea?
August 5th, 2008 at 6:14 pm
haha nice jokes anthony, with the “neighbors tv” and beavis being a butthead. i actually dont mind cena and batista being the tag champs. they both single handedly get more pop and priceless dream combined, so putting the straps on them makes really big pop, therefore building up their ss match.
August 5th, 2008 at 6:26 pm
matt, you suck. the dude’s been praising the blog for quite some time now. he doesnt give a show that sucks a good review. even a moron like you should get that!
August 5th, 2008 at 6:38 pm
I enjoyed pretty much the whole show. No problem with Adamle reading from his notes, I’d rather have him take a look at notes than stop cold and really make himself look like more of a fool than he already has.
I was actually impressed with the former tag champs for the first time, they looked pretty good in the ring, up until that point they have had one real tag match against a few jobbers and how good can you look in that.
Kings funny comment of the night was when Jericho hit the fist from the second rope and he said “That looks familiar.”
JBL has looked better in the ring over the last few weeks, his match on SNME he looked good and I think the best part of the match was when he hit those 6 or 7 elbows in a row and was really getting into it.
SS used to be huge people I think we are all forgetting it. When they showed that package of old matches big matches happened at SS.
The PPV is starting to look rather grand but both title matches are being dwarfed by other matches from there show. I’m looking more forward to seeing Hell in a Cell than Cena/Batista but its going to be interesting to see who they let win here.
And now what does Jericho do? He’s had great promos and a nice fued with HBK now hes not even on the PPV card as we know it.
August 5th, 2008 at 6:44 pm
I guess some of you didn’t understand Adamle. That is his new gimmik, being a nervous GM and trying to do everything the fans want even though noone likes him.
Luke, you complain (again) about Adamle reading from a script but I guess you missed the segment with Kelly Kelly on how he was writing what he wanted to say on a peice of paper and how glad he was someone liked what he did. You even saw his hand shaking a little from being nervous.
August 5th, 2008 at 6:54 pm
Wow, I never thought with Adamle as GM. Raw was going to be this decent. I would laugh if next week he goes up to Kane and ask him what’s in the bag and Kane freaks out and beat the sh*t out of him and put him out for awhile.
August 5th, 2008 at 7:01 pm
Appreciate the blog (for what its worth).
BTW just thought I’d say (being an English reader) football/soccer does indeed have a premier league, but rugby also has one (sponsored by Guinness for anyone interested), also, Burchill was never a rugby player, he was a school teacher before becoming a wrestler, but I guess Striker got there first and rugby seems a great way to put over Burchill’s englishness.
August 5th, 2008 at 7:05 pm
about Adamles notes, it can seem less stupid if he just says like live on raw that he likes to write down his agenda for the evening, and outline matches he is going to make. And I liked Raw last night, it was better then last weeks show. Nothing to really take note of negatively in my view.
August 5th, 2008 at 7:06 pm
actually i did think it was wierd that cena/batista became tag champs and it looks like a recycled old storyline but lets see where it goes, just hope the belts don’t get lost and forgotten through all of this.
August 5th, 2008 at 7:06 pm
I wonder if they gave Cena and Batista the tag belts to mollify them because they aren’t in the World Title picture (even if they are main eventing the shows-don’t even get me started on that).
Anyone else notice Jericho didn’t do his pose entrance? I guess Y2J really is dead. Long Live Jericho!
I predict that Santino and Beth will win their SummerSlam Match and then Beth will claim the Intercontinental Championship.
Speaking of Beth, you can’t have her Luke. You already claimed Mickie James. I’m claiming the Glamazon (cos Amazon women are HOT!!)
Regarding Kane, I know it won’t happen, but wouldn’t it be cool if the whole angle were some how related to James Mitchell in his Sinister Minister role.
And finally, to those who keep bashing Luke’s blog and trying to tell him how he’s SUPPOSED to run it or that he’s doing better or worse, or that “this week his opinions are balanced”:
You Condescending little nothings, Who the Hell do you think you are? Seriously. I mean, let’s sit down and look at this from a realistic point of view. Luke has a blog-wait no, Luke has THE WWE: MONDAY NIGHT RAW REVIEW BLOG on one of the most popular wrestling websites on the internet -every other wrestling website I go to has links back to here. That means that he covers the Number 1 wrestling show in the world on one of the most popular wrestling websites in the world .
What the F#ck have YOU done?
Go somewhere else.
Losers.
And before you accuse me of sucking up let me just tell you, I don’t agree with everything Luke says, but I don’t go around whining about it either because I’m not a bitch and because I come here to discuss wrestling, to talk about what I like and what I don’t like. To engage in conversation and debate with others about it in an atmosphere of generally mutual respect. And you pissants are ruining that. So go the hell away.
August 5th, 2008 at 7:41 pm
Summerslam…….
HBK announces his retirement from the WWE.
Survivor Series……
Jericho wins the Title from CM Punk.
Royal Rumble…..
Cena vs Jericho for the title….HBK returns to screw Jericho leading to a Wrestlemania Epic between the two. A CAGE MATCH!
Also, did Adamle come across to anyone else as Jack Tunney type?
August 5th, 2008 at 7:52 pm
Luke you are doing a great job keep it up! For all the people trashing him shut the hell up!! However Tomas is right you did alreay claim Mickie James so i’m claiming Lalya she’s HOT!!!
August 5th, 2008 at 8:19 pm
this is to anyone who bashes Luke’s blogs: WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE??? and RJ, i suppose you think you can do a better job than Luke? lets see you write a RAW blog every single week. i write a summary of the past week blog on saturdays, so i know how hard it is.
August 5th, 2008 at 8:33 pm
Amen Tomas.
Raw this week:
It was pretty solid throughout and Adamle didn’t do too bad. I liked his Adamle originals thing and how he used it to make himself different. Adamles apparently playing the face GM which is sorta awkward. I mean he gets booed like crazy but oh well we’ll how things go.
Kofi Kingston and Paul Burchill had a nice match with Kofi winning once again and Mickie James and Katie Leas match was pretty good also. I was so happy when Beth and Santino came to the ring claiming their place in the IC/women title pictures. i love seeing these 2 together. its hilarious! i wish it was a triple threat intergender tag team match at SS with Katie Lea and Burchill in it too to make it in but oh well.
Jericho in tights? what the….. The match itself was good but the ending just plain sucked. I so wanted to see a Y2J/ Punk encounter.
The thing with Kane lost its momentum. But i think I got my excitement back cuz we’re gonna find out whats in Kanes bag. I hope WWE dont dissappoint. I enjoy watching Striker and I enjoyed his short promo before the match. SO someone fill me in. Is Kane a face a heel or a tweener?
The ending was pretty lame and something thats been done before many times. (See MVP and Matt Hardy or HBK and Cena) I would have liked to see Batista go heel and walk out on Cena only for Cena to FINALLY get his ass kicked and lose on TV for once. Then things would get intense and the hype would start. Well for me at least. The Priceless dream team will probably be tag champs again. But the ending just plain sucked
August 5th, 2008 at 8:59 pm
unfortunately, i turned my DVR off and didnt get to see RAW.
By the sounds of it, RAW was pretty predictable. When I was watching SNML and they mentioned Batista/Cena vs. Rhodes/DiBiase, I knew that Batista and Cena were going to win. It reminds me of Wrestlemania 23 last year. I think the problem is the build to Summerslam. Its too short of time. I wish that the Great American Bash was at the beginning of July and that Summerslam came at the end of August.
I agree with Luke about the buildup between Cena and Batista but I am not worrying too much about it.
August 5th, 2008 at 9:26 pm
How’s this for an angle:
Next week, when Kane is ordered by Adamle to open the bag, it is empty. Kane then chokeslams Adamle!
After the HIAC match at SS, just as Undertaker opens the cell door after winning against Edge, Kane comes out! He stares Taker in the face and then chokeslams his borther! He then opens the bag and now its not empty. He puts on his mask and his piro hist from the top corners of the cell! Kane is back!
August 5th, 2008 at 9:34 pm
That would be cool. Kane definitely needs to put the mask back on. He hasn’t been the same since.
Rob Dib
http://www.prowrestling-gear.com
August 5th, 2008 at 11:23 pm
And by Chokeslamming the Undertaker, Kane would get his badass-ness back, and can wreak havoc on Raw.
August 6th, 2008 at 12:57 am
I was in attendance last night. A few things I liked and didn’t like:
1) Not a Cena fan, thus I really hated how they had him win the tag title with Batista.
2) Y2J doesnt look right in trunks.
3) Kane got about as big a reception as Cena and deservedly so. The crowd was awesome all night.
and 4) Please Cena, never ever sing Rocky Top again.
Had tons of fun last night, they definatly don’t need to wait another 6+ years to come back to Knoxville
August 6th, 2008 at 1:35 am
What would make it more awesome is if Paul Bearer came with him like he did during Kanes debut. Yes that would be so badass. Kane comes with his current entrance theme but when he puts the mask back on and chokeslams Taker he gets his old theme back. That was so badass. Kane could just COULD be awesome again!
August 6th, 2008 at 2:14 am
I agree with the Cena-Batista title reign. It’s way too short of a time period.
Billy-It seems that recycling storylines has become a fvorite pasttime of the RAW writing staff nowadays. They’re doing pretty much the same thing with Beth/Santino. It’s not exactly the same, but this is pretty much just like the Eddie Guerrero/Chyna storyline from a few years back.
August 6th, 2008 at 7:44 am
Brandon, Luke, and Tomas, since we’re “claiming” things around here. I’ll claim both Maryse and Kelly Kelly. They’re both insanely HOT!!!
But yeah, I should’ve known Cena and Batista would rob the Tag Champions of the gold. Really a waste of you ask me. The one title defense those two have and they lose to Cena and Batista, oh yeah, that’s a great way to make the Tag Titles mean something. I wouldn’t be so against this if I knew they would make an actual run like Kane/Mankind, Stone Cold/Undertaker, or Stone Cold/HHH did back in the Attitude Era. They only slapped the belts on those two for the sake of the feud which I hate even more. This is a first time ever for WWE, right? What would you rather have?
A) Two buddy buddy tag team champions to have a gentlemen’s match, or
B) An intense feud with some bad blood making the match even more intriguing to see?
Right now, not even the casual wrestling fan would want to see this. I want brawls to end every RAW up until SummerSlam or the “pull-apart” brawl term Luke used. Some shit like that. I hate buddy buddy feuds. Remember when HBK kicked off Cena’s head right before WrestleMania? That’s what I mean.
Anyway, my premonition came true. They’re dwarfing every match including Hell in a Cell to Cena/Batista. So help me god if that match snags the top spot on the card over Hell in a Cell. I mean there are 3 World Title Matches and it’s sad because not one of them has a decent amount of buildup to be good.
RAW was ok I guess. I really like this Beth/Santino angle. I don’t see Kofi and Mickie losing at SummerSlam though. I predict Beth and Santino get into an arguement costing them the match. I could be wrong though.
I would’ve much rather seen Jericho/Punk for the World Title. I like JBL, but we’ve seen those two wrestle and I’d rather see a Punk/Y2J match. But I guess they’re saving Jericho to interrupt HBK’s promo at SummerSlam.
August 6th, 2008 at 8:51 am
Its like I have said before, WWE is really degrading Summerslam this year. In the past, Summerslam has been a favorite of mine and actually look forward to it. Last years event had potential but it just didn’t work.
If WWE had planted the seeds for Cena and Batista back at Night of Champions then maybe this could have been a 5 star feud. I would understand if this were for Unforgiven or another PPV such as that…but this is Summerslam! This is the WWE’s original PPVs and they are just treating it like a throwaway PPV which irks the shit out of me.
As for the Tag Titles, its not just them but I hate that WWE has treated their titles as props rather than an actual titles. I mean look at both Tag Team titles. Whenever a “random” pairing gets them they never defend the belts and then the one time they do defend the titles, they lose. Look at Cena/HBK, Hardy/MVP, Cena/Batista. Its like those titles do not mean anything.
The Intercontinental title is a worthless nowadays. I will admit atleast they are having Kofi Kingston defend it but it still doesn’t mean a thing.
August 6th, 2008 at 12:43 pm
so damn negative. all the time. its insane.
Luke, I’d like to get your take on this if I may. I understand what you are sayign about the tag titles. And while I would have much preferred to see a fight between Cena and Batista instead of the same tired storyline they just used what seems like yesterday, wouldn’t having Rhodes and Debiase beating Cena and Batista (mind you, two conterders for the WHC) make the two of them look weak? I mean I know they are a tag team and should work together better then Cena and Batista, but we aren’t talking about any kind of established tag team either. Who did they beat to get the titles? That right there already makes them look weak to me. And they haven’t really done anything with the titles. So while I completely understand what you are saying, at the same time its not like we had tag champs that already looked like major players. To me its just making the weak continue to look weak. If you know what I’m saying.
August 6th, 2008 at 1:50 pm
Think they could’ve easily set up having Batista Batista Bombing either Rhodes or Dibiase then Super Cena out of nowhere FUing Batista and leaving the ring causing Rhodes/Dibiase to get the win. Or Vice verse since they wanna make Batista the heel. Just have him Batista Bomb Cena after Cena hits the FU.
August 6th, 2008 at 2:26 pm
I agree. They should have left it with Batista and Cena either fighting or having one turn on the other. But my understanding is Batista doesn’t want to turn heel, and with Cena merch selling the way it does, they aren’t going to turn him heel. Its a tough spot to be in. You don’t want to make you tag champs look weak, but you don’t want two of your top guys looking weak either. I think they should have used the same thing they did a week or so back but this time have Batista “miss” and hit Cena and end RAW while the brawl is going on. Its not like its anything new for them to end a show with no official outcome to the match.
August 6th, 2008 at 2:42 pm
Kanes a heel, but he’s really over so he has to do crazy heel stuff each week to continue getting heat but they have alot going on right now in the title picture and probably got lost in the shuffle, also he is from Tennesse(Hence the welcome home sign in the back behind the announce table) so he got to do something cool for the hometown crowd and beat up striker.
The only way the IC title is going to mean something again is if people think it means something when its getting defended and worn like Kofi does. If everybody says its worthless but he’s busting his then its never going to mean anything.
I think the buddy fued thing has really emerged in the WWE over the last few years and its just a fact we are going to have to face.
August 6th, 2008 at 3:31 pm
was it jus me or did y2j look really really gay in his trunks
August 6th, 2008 at 7:13 pm
yes, hbk, he did look gay in his trunks.
August 6th, 2008 at 9:33 pm
What if this monday, Dibiase and Rhodes use their rematch clause for this Monday, and it provides a chance for Batista to turn heel on Cena and cost them the titles. First, this gives Batista major heat at SS and it gives the PRICELESS Dream the title of two time tag team champs.
August 6th, 2008 at 9:36 pm
You can easily have a title match end in a DQ and not make anybody look weak. You could have DiBiase & Rhodes win by DQ and still keep Batista & Cena looking strong. I’m still negative? My, my. They could have used a chair or something and got the win that way. Makes the heels look more “heel-ish” but shows that they cheated to win and Cena or Batista would have been fine. Either way, having them take a Double FU got them one foot in the grave.
Jericho did look funny in trunks. I have never seen him in any ring gear but tights.
About Adamle reading from a paper, if he’s “writing stuff down” it doesn’t need to look like a typed script. But, if you’re all for making a guy look foolish, let him read from a paper!
August 6th, 2008 at 9:49 pm
i have to say that this was one of the better Raw episodes that i have seen for a while. Adamle getting on stage and stating that he is crap but just needs a chance i thought was not a good idea. I think its best to ignore rather than state the obvious! The tag title change for me was yet again a waste, i would rather see a tag division than 2 guys in a feud with the titles ( may aswell retire them! ) The Katie and Mickie blow off i feel was very premmature, i thought the mickie/kofi vs. Katie/ripper match would have been a better culmination for Summerslam with Beth and Santino starting a new feud on the Raw after. But i have to say that the Womens title match was the best womens match i have seen in a few years. Both did a fantastic job and both ladies should be congratulated. The crowd was behind the match and it looked good on camera. Only thing i will pick on is there was a spot where Katie walked around the ring for a little while like a drunken sailor and then decided to go for the pin on Mickie when she was down. This interupted the flow of the match, but as i said, one of the best in a few years ( i personally give it 4.5 out of 5 stars ).
August 7th, 2008 at 5:34 am
Well the only good from Batista and Johnny C. winning the belts could be Team Priceless actually making a crediable challenge to the titles, I mean what else were they going to do over the next few weeks, fight jobbers and then go on to face Jim Duggan and Jerry Lawler at SS? Is that something that would make anybody giddy?
And like a few of us have argued since the former tag champs had the belts they had done nothing really big execpt make Johnny C. look super like his super human self. They cut one decent promo that came of nothing because no action was taken on it. If anything they got cool points cause they knocked Cole out of half of a show.
I’m glad the Burchill/James thing is over, she had a few matches with Mickie and they were rather lack luster, and Katie isn’t much to look at.
August 7th, 2008 at 10:40 am
It wasn’t the greatest Raw, But it passes as acceptable and speaking of Kane being TN my brother actually sold him a tv a COMP USA in Knoxville 5-6 years ago! And Fudge I agree WWE realy needs 2 comeback To Knoxville more than they do!!! And Luke you a great blogger but even smarter for being an UT fan in the state of Georgia
August 7th, 2008 at 6:58 pm
Well Cornholio, my uncle played for Tennessee back in the ’80s I believe. So I was raised to be a UT fan and then I just started hating UGA even more when I got older haha.
August 7th, 2008 at 7:48 pm
A lot of people have been commenting about RAW, and I haven’t seen it in a while. I am a big wrestling fan, especially in the 80s, so I’m going to get back into it. Thanks!
August 8th, 2008 at 6:12 pm
Another week, another pissy RAW and another boring tirade from you haters out there. Get a life, you guys, sheesh. We all (read: not me) envy that Luke has gotten the blog writer position, but that’s no reason to cry about like a little sissy girl. Grow a pair kids…
As for RAW, well, it was pissy. Little to no good matches, some half-decent segments and SHITTY results. Before we concentrate on the bigger part of the review, that being the negative, let’s talk about the positives of Monday Nitraw.
Santino was funny. The Intercontinental match was fun, and both Kofi and Pirate Paul have evolved as performers. I’m sure there are plenty of IC shots in the future for Mr. Burchill. Katie Lea showed how much she owns Hickie James. And that would be about it. Oh yeah, Adamle didn’t do such a crap job of being a GM. I just hope it’s a gimmick, because if not, I have a couple of two year old nephews with more brain cells.
The bad. Ah yes, where to start? Well, there was crap involved somehow. Hold the frikk’n phone; crap — On Raw? Man, before the Draft, that thought would never have even entered my head. ….Okay, so not.
A small fragment of a hope for a good match at SummerSlam shimmered forth when Jericho appeared. That shimmering torch of hope was extinguished by a bucketload of fecal matter once JBL won the match. Well, at least it won’t be as bad as Batista vs. Cena or Hunter vs. Khali. With the way Raw’s creative works these days though, the Punk vs. JBL match may even be a dark match.
Can’t remember much from the rest of the show, except being pissed at seeing Matt Striker job yet again. This guy is entertainment.
But absolutely nothing can compare with the 100% certified FUCKING BULLSHIT that was the main event. From the moment Mr. Adam-ah-le announced the match, a cold chill entered my gut. The tag champs are gonna get buried. Although the match itself was quite balanced from the 15 seconds I saw of it (I fast-forwarded it) giving the tag team belts to guys who couldn’t even have a decent Women’s championship reign is fucking ridiculous. Hats off to Raw, you’re really beginning to become the iMPACT! of WWE.
I’m not even gonna dignify this with a rating. Or maybe I am. Either way, it gets a 9/10. A solid improvement over last week’s show, but still a Eugene of professional wrestling programming.
August 8th, 2008 at 10:52 pm
I enjoy all of the blogs as an extension of WWE programming. For better or for worse, it gives me something to think about while I’m supposed to be working. =)
Given the argument that the IC title doesn’t get the attention it deserves, few people noted that Adamle made the stipulation that “whoever wins gets BOTH the IC and women’s titles.” If I understand that correctly, then whoever gets the pin gets both titles. Santino just may be the one to bring some credibility to the Women’s title, lol. Another Adamle Original, ladies and gentlemen. =)
August 8th, 2008 at 10:54 pm
What is the guy above me talking about?
August 9th, 2008 at 5:43 pm
actually i think Batista vs Cena might be a pretty good match, if given time and IF AND ONLY IF both give it their all and Batista bringing that side that u only see when heès against the undertaker. Cena knows how to make a main event match worthwhile and great (see Cena vs Michaels, Cena vs HHH, Cena vs Umaga, etc), and Batista shows glimpses of being entertaining when heès put against the undertaker. Put the best of these 2 together and it can be an exciting match… but if u get the worst out of these 2, the sloppy sides, then this will be terrible.
August 10th, 2008 at 1:43 am
Billy, HHH and HBK made those main events worthwhile. Cena had no part in it. Because simply put HHH and HBK are the best in the game. Hell, I even think Umaga carried Cena at certain points in their feud.