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Pro's from the Palace (#31) - Another RAW for the record books... |
» Reported by Mike Siciliano of WrestleView.com
» On Monday, June 20, 2005 at 11:56 PM EST
Ok, I have to begin this column with a quote. I'll explain why later, but it's perfect as an opening line. The quote was from my wife during the main event of Raw last night, when Triple H and Ric Flair interfered in the singles contest between the World Champion Batista & Kurt Angle. The quote is as follows:
"What the hell is up with those freaking mutton chops?"
Now, a Raw that I wasn't looking forward to, a Raw that quite frankly, I was expecting to suck, turned out to be one of the more enjoyable pieces I have seen in a while. I have a lot to discuss about this show, so let's get down to business.
First, Carlito is the 3rd draft pick. Man, can Smackdown lose any more charisma from their show? They lose their champion, they lose possibly their top heel, or arguably, their top heel since the show's birth, and they lose the heel of the future, all in the span of three weeks. I still stand by my previous statement: the brand extension is dying a slow, painful death. When UPN changes Smackdown to friday, expect WWE to do something to try and get out of the contract, or just let it run out, and figure out some other solution for the blue and white brand.
I tried, and really thought hard of a prediction as to who would go to Smackdown tomorrow. I can't come up with a name. The predictable part of the draft is complete with Orton on Smackdown and Angle on Raw. I still think the winner of Hell in A Cell goes to Smackdown to fix the title situation. Outside of that, I haven't a clue what to think of what's going to happen next.
But, anyway, back to tonight, Carlito is introduced, in a Taboo Tuesday style, as Shelton Benjamin's next opponent for the Intercontinental title. If you remember, back when Carlito debuted on Smackdown, he took out John Cena for the United States championship. Now, you've seen Raw, you saw the result, Carlito defeated Shelton Benjamin to end his nearly eight month title reign. Personally, I think Shelton beat himself tonight. That plancha he tried when Carlito was outside the ring, he didn't run for it, he barely got off the ground when going over the ropes, and then when he hit the rope with his foot on the way down, the bump he took was body-jarring, and honestly, he never recovered. I expect the match at Vengenance to be very intense and hard fought, but it's obvious that the IC title is going in a different direction. I know I am contradicting myself, when Carlito beat Cena back then, it drove me nuts, because I didn't think Carlito earned the title. Now, I do. Carlito was turning in to a major player on Smackdown, and this title win immediately cements him as a major player on Raw. It's depressing for me, as a Shelton Benjamin fan, but that's how the ropes are held.
Now, about the segment that I quite frankly couldn't listen to. The wedding. Number one. Is Lita purposely trying to look like a porn star? Could she have worn less? Six months ago, I would've loved to see her in that dress, now, it just makes me sick.
But, let's talk about the one part of the segment that I expect the internet to talk about for the next six months.
When the priest asked if anyone objected, and that music played. The pop for that music made the pop for John Cena seem small. The pop thinking that the WWE brought back that superstar that got royally screwed by the idiot from Canada, and the girl who made some serious mistakes from Sanford, North Carolina was unreal. Both my wife and I combined said "Oh My God" when that music played. Then to find out it was a tease. I said to my wife immediately after Edge told the world that "it was my bad" when that music played, I said to my wife, "the internet is going to crucify the WWE for pulling this kind of a stunt."
Since then, I've tried to think about this, and I have to say this. I CANNOT believe that WWE would slap the fans in the face by playing Matt Hardy's theme music on Raw for a 'tease' involving Edge, Lita, & Kane. I have to believe that there is a secondary meaning for Hardy's music being played. I know that TNA has a whole setup that seemingly is going to bring in both Jeff and eventually Matt within the next couple of weeks, and leading up to the No Surrender pay per view. WWE has to have something in the works. I don't know what it is, I have nothing to show or prove that my theory has merit, but I cannot think that WWE would slap their fans in the face, whether intentionally or not, by playing the theme music of a superstar that the fans are still calling for, months after his release.
Attempting to move on, with the wedding segment, I thought the priest comment finding the head of Kane inside the canvas was absolutely top notch. I was on the floor, laughing my head off hearing "JESUS........." in that accent from that old man was priceless. And then seeing the eventual destruction of both Edge and Lita was definitely needed for the Big Red Monster, simply because anything less would have destroyed his character in the eyes of the storyline and in the eyes of the fanbase.
But, if Kane's character ever needed a boost, and a cement foundation, the promo he had after the wedding segment with Coach was it. The promo he had, the simple two sentence promo that he had was absolutely first rate. Edge does not have a prayer in hell in winning that match with Kane this weekend in Vegas. I expect Kane to resort to violence that we haven't seen him perform since the days of the Shane McMahon feud back around 2000. A segment I expected to suck, truly was one of the better ones that I have seen in some time. I still believe WWE needs to get away from the weddings, but this one wasn't badly done. At all.
It was expected that Trish Stratus was going to return to action, or return to Raw this week. Surprisingly, she did not. However, Christy was there, which surprised me, because I expected her to be firmly involved with the diva search, and I'll go there later. They brief about the incident between Christy and Victoria, and show Christy promoting the 'feud' with Victoria. Victoria then completed her heel turn by clocking Christy in the head with a glass object, cutting her open, and leaving her laying. Victoria is a tremendous competitor, and a terrific heel. Christy continues to improve. However, why book a PPV match for next week now off of events from nearly a month ago, with little to no buildup since 3 weeks ago? I remember the six person tag match from two weeks ago where Christy and Victoria get involved, but for the past two weeks, nothing, and now, they're booked in a PPV match? The booking here has something to respond to, I would think.
Oh, quickly, one other thing, I hope that they were not trying to work up a possible memory loss angle for Christy. I don't think it would work out, she is too raw a performer behind the microphone to try and pull something like that off. Who knows.
Now, the griping Arab-American, Muhammad Hassan, gets a WWE title shot handed to him on a silver platter by Eric Bischoff, and I expected a bit of a fight between the undefeated superstar and the WWE champion. This match, however, could have possibly won the award for the squash match of the year. We're going to be forced to listen to Hassan and Daivari scream for the next month how they were screwed in this match, and how they were predjuced against, but let's be honest here, John Cena made this so called hot commodity on Raw look like a second class citizen, it was that much of a pathetic squash from bell to bell.
Personally, I thought the match was great, but the after match activity was dangerously predictable. Jericho and Christian attack Cena, and then nearly come to blows themselves. The triple threat in Vegas is difficult to call, but that particular end of segment was dangerous predictable for a Raw that had been borderline chaotic from the word go. What's truly sad is this was the beginning of a lot of predictability for the end of this show.
At this time, I was mentioning to my wife how the Christy/Victoria match for the PPV sunday was booked kind of funny, and I was noticing that the returning Heartbreak Kid had not made an appearance yet, since his brief stint last week booking himself in the rematch from WM 21 between himself and Kurt Angle. Obviously, I was wrong in what I said at this time, and I'll talk about that in a little bit.
Now, I am going to say this. I did not like the diva search program last year. Although, they picked the right winner in Christy, in my opinion, as she has been a major asset to the company, and the others have done well in subordinate roles, I do not think it is going to do even remotely as well as last year's. Be that as it may, I am going to go out on a limb right now, and pick Ashley from Long Island to win the whole thing right here, right now. NONE of them really did knock my socks off, but honestly, I think the Long Island chick may be tough enough to get the job done and win the contest. Ok, that's all I am going to say about the diva search. It's already been about 50 words too much.
I kept saying throughout the promos for the main event that Batista vs. Kurt Angle was interesting, and intriguing. I should have known that it was going to be nothing but a workup to an attack by Triple H and Ric Flair. Now: as much as I couldn't stand the interference during that contest, the end of the show turned out to be pretty damn special with the tag team match set up by Bischoff, even with the result being one that I didn't find to my liking, with Triple H pinning the World Heavyweight Champion.
Quickly, about the quote from the beginning of the column, can we find a razor, Trips? This mutton chop look is ridiculous, man. You looked tougher when you were clean shaven. I know I am knit picking, but please, man.
I was pleased to see Shawn come out, and get some serious involvement with Kurt Angle. They needed some buildup leading up to their rematch at the PPV this sunday. Shawn's performance did show a tad bit of rust, but that's expected being the fact that he had been inactive for quite some time. Overall, the ppv card has the potential to be enjoyable. Most of it is booked right, and ready to go. I will post a prediction column for Vengenance later this week.
Raw this week was tremendous. Almost from start to finish, it was a Raw for the books. Kudos to Kurt Angle and John Cena for putting on good performances on both accords, they both had to be literally sucking fumes for air, they have to be exhausted working the Smackdown overseas tour, and then red-eyeing back from England to get to Phoenix for Raw tonight.
Quick funny note: I am going to be attending the John Cena autograph session this week at New York Sports Works in Massapequa. I have a message to tell the WWE champion that I think you guys will find funny. My five year old graduated kindergarten yesterday, and as he was leaving the stage, I saw him doing the "You can't see me" gesture toward anyone who would look his way. I literally almost fell down laughing. I can't wait to see how he's going to explain this one to John.
Debate me on these opinions ladies and gentlemen. Click here to drop me a dime via email.
Quick TNA note: I cannot believe they put the NWA World title on Raven one month after giving it back to AJ Styles. I think it devalues the NWA World title to have it change hands that much.
Ok, I'm gone for now. Kimosabe, Sumo!?!?!?!?!?
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