Unknown
05-25-2004, 06:08 PM
I'm back with my "Last Night's" thread once again. Raw was a pretty good show last night which did a good job in advancing feuds and furthering angles while starting new ones.
The backstage segment with Evolution and Bishoff and Evolution was done well. It’s nice to see that they don’t always run around in suits all of the time and seemed like they were all about business tonight. It was especially good to see HHH looking like the HHH of 2000. All he needs to do now is workout to get rid of that gut. I might be the only one who feels this way but I think it makes Bishoff look weak as a GM having him always kiss up to Evolution. The boss shouldn’t have to suck up to his wrestlers but rather the other way around. Just a thought.
The Edge/Flair matchup was solid. I would have rather of seen this matchup going into the PPV though. A feud with Flair would do wonders for Edge’s career. The two produced some pretty good action and Flair as always was at the top of his game. It was nice to see Benjamin come out to even up the sides as it helped further his feud with Randy Orton. On another sidenote, Edge really needs to get the Rob Zombie music back. It fits his character so much better and gets you more hyped for his matchup. It would be like RVD going back to his other music. It’s just bland as is Edge’s music and no longer suits his character like the Rob Zombie music does.
I still have mixed feelings on the Kane/Lita angle. Unless it sets up the return of Jeff Hardy or ends in Kane going crazy and destroying both Matt and Lita then I don’t see the point. It seems as if they’re trying to have Kane’s question being if Lita would sleep with him, which I hope is wrong. It would be the easy way out and would just be an uninteresting climax to the angle. All of this buildup better be for something more than what I think it is for.
The HHH/Batista/Steven Richards segment was funny. I doubted that it was HBK from the beginning but they still did a good job on the segment.
The La Resistance/Hurricane & Rosey matchup was fair. It seemed out of place because neither team had anything really going for them on Raw and the announcers didn’t even say something like they would be considered tag title contenders with a victory here. Simple things like the announcers knowing the right things to say can make a matchup seem better and more important. I was kind of disappointed not being able to see La Resistance’s finisher as I find it to be one of the best tag finishers today in the WWE. Maybe next week in Montreal, they could challenge Benoit and Edge to a tag team championship matchup. They could come up closer to the beginning of the show saying that they are the best team Raw has to offer and that they beat Rosey and Hurricane last week but weren’t even considered for a title shot. They could then challenge Benoit and Edge for the belts and Bischoff could then come out and say that there would be a special stipulation added to the match being that Edge and Benoit would not get a rematch if they lost. Kane could then cost them the match maybe having the lights turning off and then seeing Chris Benoit laid out in the middle of the ring and Edge laid out outside of the ring as they were about to win the matchup. La Resistance could then pick up Benoit and give him their finisher (to get the move over) then pin Benoit and win the tag titles. Kane could then come out from under the ring and say Benoit I control your fate. I just cost you your tag titles and at Bad Blood I will destroy you and take my World Heavyweight title. This matchup would be like in the second hour of the show but not the end of it. I’d then have Regal and Eugene in Bischoff’s office. Bischoff could say that Eugene was impressive last week and scored another win last week. He could then say that he is ready for his first handicap matchup in which he will face the new tag team champions La Resistance. He could say that Regal’s job is on the line too meaning that Regal would be reinstated if Eugene could get the win against La Resistance. Bischoff could ask Regal to stay so he could talk with him for a second. Bischoff would then tell Regal that he would reinstate Regal next week. He would then say that all he has to do is watch La Resistance destroy Eugene and make sure that Eugene doesn’t get a fluke victory then he will help La Resistance destroy Eugene and put him out of his misery. If he could do that he would have no problem reinstating him. Regal could then say he knows exactly what to do and that they are both on the same page shaking Bischoff’s hand smiling walking off. The next week La Resistance could bump into Eugene backstage and Rob Conway would say that he would make sure Eugene pays for pinning him a few weeks back. When the match takes place, it would look like Regal is going to help La Resistance but change his mind and help Eugene to win the match. He could then get on the mic and say that he wouldn’t let Bischoff sabotage Eugene’s career no longer and thanks to him stupidly making that stipulation he is now allowed to return as an active superstar. He could then say that his first match back will be at Bad Blood where he and Eugene will challenge La Resistance for the tag team titles if they accept. La Resistance would accept saying that Regal has made a big mistake and that La Resistance would make him and Eugene pay. They would then say to prepare for the tag match of your lives. Not only will this get the belts on a real tag team but it would advance Regal’s role in the Eugene storyline, would get a new feud on the Bad Blood card, and would give the tag titles a chance to be defended by and against tag teams.
The Highlight Reel segment was done very well. I liked Jericho’s exchange with Orton very much. It gave Orton a chance to establish himself better as an arrogant heel, gave the Intercontinental Title recognition, made Shelton Benjamin seem like a threat to the Intercontinental title, and made Jericho look like a true main event face. It was great when Orton tried to shut Jericho up but in turn ended up being shut up by Y2J. The exchange lead to an excellent tag team matchup in which I felt Benjamin got to shine and benefited from the most. He showed just how athletic he is and how good he is in the ring. It seems as if his powerslam-belly to belly to suplex thing is his new finisher. It seems kind of weak but it could work. It fits with his in ring style and is just as devastating looking as the chokeslam. This week he got his wrestling skills over so next week I would like to see him cut a promo on Orton to establish that part of his character. As for Jericho, I don’t think this ongoing feud with Trish is doing anything for him. Hopefully he’ll have a matchup with Tomko next week and that will be it. This feud should have been finished a while ago and continuing it isn’t helping Raw one bit. It made more sense for him to move into a feud with Batista. Hopefully he will. Maybe Batista will use a match between the two as a chance to attack Jericho and challenge him to a match at Bad Blood. His reasoning could be that he was part of the reason HHH didn’t win the Battle Royal because he eliminated Batista and that he didn’t stop there. He not only insulted Randy Orton, but also helped Shelton Benjamin score a pinfall victory over him. Batista could say that he has been sticking his nose in Evolution’s business and that you don’t mess with Evolution without going through Batista. This feud would be much more beneficial to Raw and both guys than Jericho continuing his feud with Trish.
Kane’s in ring promo nothing special but it did establish some direction for his World title feud. I would have liked to see the matchup hyped more maybe with a video package and an exchange between the two men. Maybe in the coming weeks it will. I just hope it gets more exposure and doesn’t take a backseat to the HHH/HBK feud. It should get equally as much buildup if not more. The World Title has gained too much credibility over the past few months to be pushed into the background. Hopefully that won’t happen and the match will receive much more hype along with the feud developing more to make it seem like a must see encounter.
The HBK/HHH/Bischoff backstage segment was very entertaining and I knew right away that HBK was alluding to the HIAC when he said to Bischoff if he will have the match the way he wants it. After this matchup, I think the HIAC should take a break for atleast a year in a half to two years. It doesn’t seem as special being done every year. Maybe even let SD be the next to use the match.
The Victoria/Molly matchup was solid. I was kind of disappointed when I heard her new entrance music but as long as she dances like that to it all of the time I’ll forget all of my disappointment. It looks as if it might just be a three way match between Gail, Molly, and Victoria at Bad Blood with the way things have been going.
The Eugene/Regal backstage segment was pretty entertaining. Johnny Nitro did a good job in the segment but looked and sounded a little goofy when he tried to talk. Maybe after a while he’ll become more comfortable in his role. The tag matchup was pretty good and it was nice to see Benoit the rub to help and get him over more.
The HBK/HHH segment to end the show was done pretty well and the locker room having to be cleared to separate them was a nice touch. The HIAC matchup should be the matchup to end this feud for good. They have fought every matchup possible and the HIAC match would be a nice climax to one of wrestling’s greatest feuds of all time. While I don’t like that this feud was pushed so heavily, I do like that it showed how important the feud was that much more. I hope Benoit and Kane get a buildup equal to his match, which would only be fitting.
I give Raw a 8.75/10. The show did a good job of progressing and pushing current angles while putting plans in motion for new ones. I look forward to next week’s episode as Raw has been on a roll for a while now.
The backstage segment with Evolution and Bishoff and Evolution was done well. It’s nice to see that they don’t always run around in suits all of the time and seemed like they were all about business tonight. It was especially good to see HHH looking like the HHH of 2000. All he needs to do now is workout to get rid of that gut. I might be the only one who feels this way but I think it makes Bishoff look weak as a GM having him always kiss up to Evolution. The boss shouldn’t have to suck up to his wrestlers but rather the other way around. Just a thought.
The Edge/Flair matchup was solid. I would have rather of seen this matchup going into the PPV though. A feud with Flair would do wonders for Edge’s career. The two produced some pretty good action and Flair as always was at the top of his game. It was nice to see Benjamin come out to even up the sides as it helped further his feud with Randy Orton. On another sidenote, Edge really needs to get the Rob Zombie music back. It fits his character so much better and gets you more hyped for his matchup. It would be like RVD going back to his other music. It’s just bland as is Edge’s music and no longer suits his character like the Rob Zombie music does.
I still have mixed feelings on the Kane/Lita angle. Unless it sets up the return of Jeff Hardy or ends in Kane going crazy and destroying both Matt and Lita then I don’t see the point. It seems as if they’re trying to have Kane’s question being if Lita would sleep with him, which I hope is wrong. It would be the easy way out and would just be an uninteresting climax to the angle. All of this buildup better be for something more than what I think it is for.
The HHH/Batista/Steven Richards segment was funny. I doubted that it was HBK from the beginning but they still did a good job on the segment.
The La Resistance/Hurricane & Rosey matchup was fair. It seemed out of place because neither team had anything really going for them on Raw and the announcers didn’t even say something like they would be considered tag title contenders with a victory here. Simple things like the announcers knowing the right things to say can make a matchup seem better and more important. I was kind of disappointed not being able to see La Resistance’s finisher as I find it to be one of the best tag finishers today in the WWE. Maybe next week in Montreal, they could challenge Benoit and Edge to a tag team championship matchup. They could come up closer to the beginning of the show saying that they are the best team Raw has to offer and that they beat Rosey and Hurricane last week but weren’t even considered for a title shot. They could then challenge Benoit and Edge for the belts and Bischoff could then come out and say that there would be a special stipulation added to the match being that Edge and Benoit would not get a rematch if they lost. Kane could then cost them the match maybe having the lights turning off and then seeing Chris Benoit laid out in the middle of the ring and Edge laid out outside of the ring as they were about to win the matchup. La Resistance could then pick up Benoit and give him their finisher (to get the move over) then pin Benoit and win the tag titles. Kane could then come out from under the ring and say Benoit I control your fate. I just cost you your tag titles and at Bad Blood I will destroy you and take my World Heavyweight title. This matchup would be like in the second hour of the show but not the end of it. I’d then have Regal and Eugene in Bischoff’s office. Bischoff could say that Eugene was impressive last week and scored another win last week. He could then say that he is ready for his first handicap matchup in which he will face the new tag team champions La Resistance. He could say that Regal’s job is on the line too meaning that Regal would be reinstated if Eugene could get the win against La Resistance. Bischoff could ask Regal to stay so he could talk with him for a second. Bischoff would then tell Regal that he would reinstate Regal next week. He would then say that all he has to do is watch La Resistance destroy Eugene and make sure that Eugene doesn’t get a fluke victory then he will help La Resistance destroy Eugene and put him out of his misery. If he could do that he would have no problem reinstating him. Regal could then say he knows exactly what to do and that they are both on the same page shaking Bischoff’s hand smiling walking off. The next week La Resistance could bump into Eugene backstage and Rob Conway would say that he would make sure Eugene pays for pinning him a few weeks back. When the match takes place, it would look like Regal is going to help La Resistance but change his mind and help Eugene to win the match. He could then get on the mic and say that he wouldn’t let Bischoff sabotage Eugene’s career no longer and thanks to him stupidly making that stipulation he is now allowed to return as an active superstar. He could then say that his first match back will be at Bad Blood where he and Eugene will challenge La Resistance for the tag team titles if they accept. La Resistance would accept saying that Regal has made a big mistake and that La Resistance would make him and Eugene pay. They would then say to prepare for the tag match of your lives. Not only will this get the belts on a real tag team but it would advance Regal’s role in the Eugene storyline, would get a new feud on the Bad Blood card, and would give the tag titles a chance to be defended by and against tag teams.
The Highlight Reel segment was done very well. I liked Jericho’s exchange with Orton very much. It gave Orton a chance to establish himself better as an arrogant heel, gave the Intercontinental Title recognition, made Shelton Benjamin seem like a threat to the Intercontinental title, and made Jericho look like a true main event face. It was great when Orton tried to shut Jericho up but in turn ended up being shut up by Y2J. The exchange lead to an excellent tag team matchup in which I felt Benjamin got to shine and benefited from the most. He showed just how athletic he is and how good he is in the ring. It seems as if his powerslam-belly to belly to suplex thing is his new finisher. It seems kind of weak but it could work. It fits with his in ring style and is just as devastating looking as the chokeslam. This week he got his wrestling skills over so next week I would like to see him cut a promo on Orton to establish that part of his character. As for Jericho, I don’t think this ongoing feud with Trish is doing anything for him. Hopefully he’ll have a matchup with Tomko next week and that will be it. This feud should have been finished a while ago and continuing it isn’t helping Raw one bit. It made more sense for him to move into a feud with Batista. Hopefully he will. Maybe Batista will use a match between the two as a chance to attack Jericho and challenge him to a match at Bad Blood. His reasoning could be that he was part of the reason HHH didn’t win the Battle Royal because he eliminated Batista and that he didn’t stop there. He not only insulted Randy Orton, but also helped Shelton Benjamin score a pinfall victory over him. Batista could say that he has been sticking his nose in Evolution’s business and that you don’t mess with Evolution without going through Batista. This feud would be much more beneficial to Raw and both guys than Jericho continuing his feud with Trish.
Kane’s in ring promo nothing special but it did establish some direction for his World title feud. I would have liked to see the matchup hyped more maybe with a video package and an exchange between the two men. Maybe in the coming weeks it will. I just hope it gets more exposure and doesn’t take a backseat to the HHH/HBK feud. It should get equally as much buildup if not more. The World Title has gained too much credibility over the past few months to be pushed into the background. Hopefully that won’t happen and the match will receive much more hype along with the feud developing more to make it seem like a must see encounter.
The HBK/HHH/Bischoff backstage segment was very entertaining and I knew right away that HBK was alluding to the HIAC when he said to Bischoff if he will have the match the way he wants it. After this matchup, I think the HIAC should take a break for atleast a year in a half to two years. It doesn’t seem as special being done every year. Maybe even let SD be the next to use the match.
The Victoria/Molly matchup was solid. I was kind of disappointed when I heard her new entrance music but as long as she dances like that to it all of the time I’ll forget all of my disappointment. It looks as if it might just be a three way match between Gail, Molly, and Victoria at Bad Blood with the way things have been going.
The Eugene/Regal backstage segment was pretty entertaining. Johnny Nitro did a good job in the segment but looked and sounded a little goofy when he tried to talk. Maybe after a while he’ll become more comfortable in his role. The tag matchup was pretty good and it was nice to see Benoit the rub to help and get him over more.
The HBK/HHH segment to end the show was done pretty well and the locker room having to be cleared to separate them was a nice touch. The HIAC matchup should be the matchup to end this feud for good. They have fought every matchup possible and the HIAC match would be a nice climax to one of wrestling’s greatest feuds of all time. While I don’t like that this feud was pushed so heavily, I do like that it showed how important the feud was that much more. I hope Benoit and Kane get a buildup equal to his match, which would only be fitting.
I give Raw a 8.75/10. The show did a good job of progressing and pushing current angles while putting plans in motion for new ones. I look forward to next week’s episode as Raw has been on a roll for a while now.