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GOALS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR THE 6/25 RAW

RAW - 25/06/2012 E: revinsamuel@rogers.com

What this show needs to accomplish?
•Money in the Bank hype. As I predicted last week, WWE was unable to multitask promotion of Raw 1000 with Money in the Bank hype. The upcoming pay per view got almost no mention and hopefully that changes this week. This could be a great show based on past show patterns so I really want the company to give this show the respect it has earned
•Chris Jericho returns and just in time to breathe some life into the product. It will be interesting to see where they go with Jericho. The way they did that video package last week, I question whether he will be returning as a babyface
•Vickie Guerrero as Raw GM. This isn’t fresh to me since Vickie is on television every week. I hope the Raw GM doesn’t continue to be one of the focal points of the show, but I fear that isn’t changing. I just hope WWE Creative can resist writing too much for her and I would really love it if her only dealings on the show are with Dolph Ziggler and Jack Swagger
•John Cena has a “history making” announcement. That’s a big word to use and it better live up to the hype
•Punk-Bryan-Kane-AJ. After the pay per view and last week’s television we have more unanswered questions and with this storyline that’s probably a good thing. I have no idea where it’s going, but I hope WWE has some kind of plan mapped out and the angles from last week isn’t them just stalling to figure it out. On a side note that song “Call me maybe” by Carly Rae Jepsen is pretty popular right now with everyone parodying it from Jimmy Fallon to Miami Dolphin cheerleaders and I think it would be a great idea for WWE to jump on board this fifteen minutes of fame song by having AJ parody it as well. It would work perfectly with her storyline as a video package highlighting what she’s done with each individual in recent weeks and then have her lip singing “call me maybe” in between shots. It’s hard to describe, but watch the YouTube video and visualize it, it could be pretty entertaining
Show Breakdown

1. I’m shocked that the video package to start Raw would be centered around the AJ-Punk-Bryan-Kane storyline. A refreshing change of pace. It’s interesting that in that video package they left out what happened on Smackdown last week. Acknowledge the B show WWE!

2. WWE needs to change the formula of the camera just being backstage perfectly panned in on the performer. In 2012 it’s very hard to suspend disbelief with that. All that being said an intriguing cliff hanger to start the show with AJ talking to a mirror pretending to tell all three men that they should go their separate ways.

3. To no surprise WWE starts the show with a promo and the Raw GM. I guess if you have sixteen writers they want to write scripted dialog, but at least it was to the point.   

4. I noticed that Lilian Garcia is ring announcing for Raw tonight.

5. Michael Cole says AJ cost Kane a couple matches, but doesn’t recognize that AJ helped Kane win on Smackdown last week. If WWE doesn’t want Smackdown to be recognized as a D show they better start acknowledging what happens on Smackdown.

6. Vickie didn’t tell us who the participants would be in the three way match and when Bryan and Kane came out, I feared that Punk’s music might play next and of course it did. What asinine booking by WWE. An elimination triple threat match one week after they just had this as the WWE title match at No Way Out. In addition the World Title match at No Way Out was on the Smackdown following that pay per view. Way to make your pay per views feel meaningless WWE! I wonder if this was a rewrite on the fly today since it should have been advertised at least on last week’s Raw.

7. The one thing you can say for Kane since this feud with Punk and Bryan began is that he’s doing some of his best work wrestling wise.

8. Love that Michael Cole is once again mentioning the length of Punk’s title reign.

9. I’m not sure how I feel about Punk being pinned clean after Cole just mentioned the length of his reign that being said Bryan needed a victory.

10. Are they turning Dolph Ziggler into Christian with this one more shot thing?

11. The pole match? Is Vince Russo back?

12. I guess the Brodus exclusive to Smackdown lasted about two weeks. Maybe Russo really is back. At least Michael Cole explained that Laurinaitis is out of power and Vickie overturned the decision.

13. Big Show-Brodus first lengthy match should be on pay per view, but we know that’s not important to WWE.

14. Brodus continues to be beaten by Big Show and just like Sheamus and Dolph, we get the point, Brodus is slotted.

15. Another tribute to John Cena video package. It’s sad WWE has to use these packages to try and get Cena to be over with the full audience, because his on air character can’t get it done. All that being said all the props in the world to John for doing this stuff as much as he does.

16. At least Bob Barker is a better celebrity to use for a Raw flashback then Seth Green.

17. Show knocks out Brodus during the commercial break and I am not sure I’d be leaving young Brodus this unprotected to solidify Big Show. In 2012 WWE booking I highly doubt Brodus is getting a win over Big Show anytime soon so all it’s doing is making Brodus look weak to a guy who’s been around for 20 years.

18. Didn’t Paul already deny the challenge for Brock vs Hunter? Now we need Brock’s official response? Whatever...

19. If that backstage segment with Kane and AJ was a blow off to Kane’s part in this feud, I must applaud WWE creative for handling this without taking it down some whacky route of weirdness. AJ’s acting continues to be top notch for diva standards.

20. “The floundering Jack Swagger” – Michael Cole. Guess who’s turn it is to take on the losing streak gimmick?

21. Michael Cole tells us the US Championship hasn’t been defend on Raw since the middle of April and I wonder if it was defend period since then.

22. BTW how did Jack Swagger earn a title shot after losing last week in five minutes to Dolph Ziggler?

23. A plug for a divas battle royal later. I noticed AJ was advertised as part of that battle royal.

24. Zack Ryder pounding fists with John Cena backstage once again shows the storyline holes of WWE as Ryder forgets all about Cena kissing Eve and looks the fool again!

25. Cena out for a promo and let the bad comedy begin...

26. Star Wars jokes. Good god this promo so far is the epitome of everything that is wrong with John Cena. I’m sorry John, I’m sorry Stephanie, I’m sorry Kevin, I’m sorry Vince and I’m especially sorry to you Brian Gewirtz that John cannot pull off this garbage comedy that the once and a lifetime performer that is The Rock could do. Get over it and modify the character!

27. Cena did do a pretty good Yoda impression, which I believe was the punch line of all the bad Star Wars comedy.

28. Jericho making a great point about Cena wasting time.

29. John Cena’s historic announcement is that he’s entering MITB. Right up there with Tony Schvonia’s biggest Nitro ever claims as the WCW similarities continue to grow.

30. Cena then uses the word “Fudging”, “PG” and notes that most of the viewers are nine years old. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, it might seem outlandish or like I’m in my own bubble, but John Cena does not understand the wrestling business.

31. Chris Jericho telling the truth about John Cena and I guess this is when the Bubble of Kevin and Vince wish most of their viewers were nine so that what Jericho says would go right over their heads.

32. Only former WWE Champions in the WWE Title MITB match, where do Miz and Rey fit in with this? I hope they up that to six guys, because the stench of four ways isn’t a good draw for pay per view, although as a ladder match it might not matter.  

33. Michael McCole burying Mick Foley and Roddy Piper for being old and decrepit on Raw last week. Talk about insecurities.

34. The return of Psycho Sid, I didn’t think he got quite the reaction Vader did, but once his music stopped, the crowd seemed into him.

35. Raw “Social Media” Celebrity that will tweet during Raw’s 1000th’s episode and I was going to bury this, but then I see that the celebrity is Charlie Sheen and I’m okay with that one! BTW does Charlie appeal to that nine year old demographic that John was talking about?

36. Ah yes the pole match, lots of Russo and WCW similarities on this show.

37. Crowd heavily behind Ziggler again and one wonders if the audience will allow Vince to keep Ziggler heel, which means either Vince listens or he gets angry and buries Dolph.

38. I actually like this finish with Dolph and Alberto and neither man controlling the contract, thus it’s up for grabs...and of course it’s all for not when Sheamus comes out and just announces that it will be a triple threat match for the title on Smackdown.

39. Punk and Bryan one more time at MITB, I can dig that and now we know that Kane’s insertion into this storyline was to prolong the feud!

40. I like that backstage segment with AJ and Punk. The AJ delusional character continues to develop and with that more questions.

41. Another great Raw flashback moment with Mick Foley and This is your life for The Rock.

42. Vickie doesn’t actually look bad in a swimsuit. I’m glad Vince didn’t have Lawler go overboard on the fat jokes.

43. Jericho and Cena looked like it was just picking up steam as Big show came down. Last week Raw ended with Cena standing tall over Laurinaitis, tonight it’s Show with another beat down of Cena, boring. Here’s an idea WWE, how about when Show asks Jericho if he wants some and Jericho just bails out that Show attack Cena and that either A) Jericho comes back with a chair and lays out Show so it’s Jericho left standing or Kane comes out and takes Show so it’s Kane left standing instead of making the WWE Title, money in the bank match all about Cena and Show. I guess the audience is only nine years old though so they can only handle so much...

What this show accomplished?
The Good
•Daniel Bryan-CM Punk announced for MITB. They are going one on one again and Kane appears out of the picture for now.
•Kane’s removal from the program was executed beautifully. No weirdness or Kane stalking AJ. He just said it’s not a good idea and poof, he’s gone!
•Hype for Raw 1000. The flashbacks were great and it was good to see Sid again even if I never want to see him unless he’s fully clothed again. The added touch of Charlie Sheen is very cool
•Raw is AJ. This show seemed like it was all about AJ. She opened the show, she won a battle royal. She had a great reaction to Kane ending things. She seems delusional about her relationship with Punk; meanwhile she’s still doing the Yes gimmick. She’s all over the places and the questions continue. It’s not the most compelling thing, but I dig love triangle storylines and I think most of the audience does too.
•Money in the bank promotion. They managed to fit some hype in for MITB on this show and announced two matches officially.
•Smackdown and Summerslam hype. WWE likes to call themselves a marketing machine and tonight they were, as they also managed to hype this week’s Smackdown and a Summerslam tease with Brock’s “official” response to Hunter’s challenge next week
•Chris Jericho...dude was shooting when Cena was making an ass of himself with that promo
The Bad
•John Cena. Where to begin? The writers don’t get it, Vince doesn’t get it and John doesn’t get it for sure. I assume John does alot of adlibbing and man he has no awareness of how ridiculous he comes off and this is why he will never be genuinely supported by the entire WWE fan base. The Yoda impersonation was good, but the rest of it was just terrible and all I kept saying to myself is man, Rock would make this crappy material work, but Cena can’t do it and it’s no knock on him, because there’s only one person who can pull it off and Brian Gewirtz and company never seem to have accepted that. I’m not sure who to blame for the PG line and the “most of our audience is nine year olds”. I’ll assume Cena adlibbed those ones, but I’m holding it against the company, because Vince should be scolding John to shut the “fudge” up with stupid lines glorifying PG, mocking your audience for being nine and using stupid words like “fudging”. It’s just a friging asinine strategy when it comes to John’s character and to say it as the franchise player of WWE. Stupid, Stupid, Stupid!
•Raw is Nitro. On the brink of going to three hours Raw showing tons of signs of Nitro near the end with a pole match, a pole match that apparently had no reason to happen since the GM changed her mind and Cena’s let down of a historic announcement
•Brodus has been slotted. Has Brodus joined the ranks of Slotted Rhodes? Should I call him Slotted Clay now? He’s somewhat protected in defeat, but he’s a babyface being used as a Dolph Ziggler like heel and that just makes no sense
•Speaking of Dolph Ziggler, why would he get another title shot after losing four straight matches to the World Champion? There has to be some sports aspect to this sports entertainment company...right?
•Speaking of sports aspect why is the floundering Jack Swagger according to Michael Cole getting a US title shot?  You can check out wwe.com to find out how.
•Ending to Raw. What a boring and standard ending to Raw. Shake things up. You have four people announced for that MITB match so perhaps spotlight Jericho and Kane especially Jericho since this was his return it would have been nice to have him standing tall to end the show
•WWE title MITB match. I like the concept, but I hope they add at least two more guys and they have that option with Del Rio, Miz and Rey waiting in the wings as former WWE Champions. I hope they don’t do this on Smackdown, because that would mean Khali could be an entrant!
•No Raw GM announced for next week. If the GM for next week’s show is Sgt. Slaughter, William Regal, Mike Adamle, The anonymous Raw GM or Coach, I’m fine with them not plugging it in advance, but if they are saving it for online buzz and it’s Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels or any other top name that would really irk me
•Unadvertised Punk-Bryan-Kane elimination style. They made people pay for this match on pay per view just over a week ago and here they are giving it away for free to start Raw. This isn’t a great strategy if you are a long term thinker, apparently The Bubble is not and they have no issue setting the precedent that they will deliver matches on pay per view only to give them to you for free within the next two weeks
•Zack Ryder pounds fists with John Cena backstage. Storyline continuity at its best...
•Brock’s official response to Triple H...what was last week then?
Overall Thoughts
• I have alot of stuff in the negative column this week, but I actually didn’t mind this show outside of John Cena’s work
What next week’s Raw needs to accomplish?
•Money in the bank hype and hopefully this includes making the Raw match more about all of the guys involved and not just John Cena and Big Show
•Bryan-Punk. When they did this match at Over the Limit they didn’t give it nearly enough focus and hopefully this time the two contestants get to build their story and it isn’t totally focussed on whose side is AJ on
•Details and predictable television. When was the last time Raw opened with a match? They almost did tonight, but Vickie cut a short promo before the first match. In addition, WWE needs to tighten up their storylines. This has been an ongoing issue for several years now, but tonight it was more evident than ever. Dolph can’t beat Sheamus, you’ve established that yet were getting that match again. Brodus is no match for Big Show, Zack Ryder pounding fists with John Cena? John Cena’s historic announcement is not very historic? AJ talking to the mirror with the camera perfectly panned in on her. Bryan-Kane-Punk in the opening match after being the title match at the pay per view
Feedback: revinsamuel@rogers.com