ReadArticles • Blogs • Opinions • Reviews
Share This Article
Knee-Jerk Reaction (RAW 1000)
By: Derek X | Posted: 07/24/12


raw1000


It's been a while since I've done this. I only decided to write this blog about an hour before the show began because I felt like I had to. RAW has been a huge part of my life over the past 20 years and a monumental occasion like this cannot be overlooked.


WHAT I LIKED:
D-Generation X: If anyone didn't know, or couldn't figure it out, I adopted my online moniker from this stable... the greatest stable of all time in my honest opinion. And in my opinion, DX was never better than when all of these guys were together. It was great to see the band back together one more time. Adding Damien Sandow to the mix was a stroke of genius. He's an excellent heel in the mold of CM Punk's 'Straight-Edge Saviour' character; he only needs more exposure. Placing him in the ring with D-Generation X at the top of the show can only help get him over.

Six-Man Tag Match: I figured we might see a lot of six-man tag team and/or battle royal matches tonight just so everyone can get some screen-time. I'm okay with it... tonight. But going forward in the three hour RAW shows, there should be plenty of time for a plethora of matches. I like WWE finally putting Mysterio & Sin Cara in a match together - albeit with both of their suspensions and injuries, I guess it's not really WWE's fault. I'm hoping WWE puts the two of them together, not necessarily in a tag team (although that was be awesome) but as a teacher/student relationship. I think Sin Cara can benefit from that as he's not receiving the best ovations these days. I also liked the team of Jericho, Ziggler and Del Rio because for the three of them to be heels, there's a lot of enmity between Jericho & Ziggler and Del Rio & Ziggler. Nice way to expound on a simmering feud without making it painfully obvious.

Rocky!: I never knew how much I wanted to see Daniel Bryan in the same ring with The Rock until right now. I only wish Daniel Bryan wasn't wearing the monkey suit during the promo. Also, I wouldn't have hated if the promo was more of a match. I'm not too happy about The Rock receiving a WWE Championship match at the Royal Rumble. What did he do to deserve that? Beat John Cena three months ago? Whatever. It's all about business. WWE just earned themselves about 200,000 buys for the Royal Rumble PPV. In the business world, it makes good sense. I'd be lying if I said I'm not curious who will be WWE Champion come January 2013. I'm pretty certain it won't be Daniel Bryan. WWE basically just told their entire audience that the WWE Championship will only revolve around CM Punk and John Cena for the rest of the year.

Intercontinental Championship: Canadian connection! You'd think they could have found something else for Bret Hart to do other than introduce Christian and The Miz, but it's great to see him anyway. I'm not exactly happy that the only way we get an Intercontinental Title defense is by voting for on social media, but I'll take it as I can get it. Personally, I think an Intercontinental Title reign and a feud with a professional like Christian could be exactly what The Miz needs to reinvigorate his fallen status. He made his bones as the United States Champ, so IC Champ isn't too much of a stretch. I don't even see it as a demotion. It's time to earn that AWESOME! moniker again, Miz.

HHH/Lesnar/Heyman/Stephanie: HOT DAMN! Stephanie is still a fox! Her voice is still as grating as nails on a chalkboard, but I'd still hit it. I suppose I should comment on the actual match being made between HHH and Brock Lesnar, but was there ever any doubt that it would happen? All this posturing and talk of lawsuits was nothing more than fluff. And there's gonna be even more fluff between now ans Summerslam because I strongly doubt Brock will make any more than one appearance on RAW between now and then. I don't really see myself being hyped for this match, but that might change in a month.

Heath Slater vs Lita: Speaking of a voice like nails on a chalkboard... Lita looks to be in good great sexy shape. I miss divas like her and Trish. I have to give Heath Slater a lot of credit for making all these legend matches work. He deserves something in return for being the glue that pulled all of this together. It's easy to say that anyone could have done what he did considering that he mostly just got squashed, but he played his role very well. Kudos, Slater. I hope there's something in this for you.

The Undertaker: Kind of a weak setup for someone of his legacy, but I'll take it. Just think, if not for this 1000th episode of RAW, we probably wouldn't see him for another seven months... and we probably won't again after tonight for
those seven months.

WWE Championship: Good Guy Cena... he just had to do the "right" thing and cash in his Money in the Bank contract the "right" way. Ugh. How much longer can this schtick actually go on? Another eight years of SuperCena? That can't possibly happen, can it? I was hoping for some type of 'shocking' conclusion for RAW 1000 but instead, it's just the same old same old. Cena wins (albeit, thankfully by DQ) and nothing changes. He's not going to go down as the first superstar to lose the Money in the Bank match, but he will go down as the first one not to win the championship title. I can live with that. While I was hoping for a Cena heel turn, I'm more than happy for a Punk heel turn. Heel Punk is that best Punk there is. Oh, as much as I loved babyface Punk just so the casual fans could understand why he's so great, I'm ecstatic that he's going back to what he's best at. To me, of all the legends and greats who made their appearances tonight, this is the return I'm most happy to see. When Punk is a heel, that is when he truly is the Best in the World!


WHAT I HATED:
Jim Ross: You bring Jim Ross back to call a match - just one match - and it's just a stupid six-man tag team match? Are. You. Serious? JR should have been calling the WWE Championship match, goddammit! Okay, yes Chris Jericho was a part of that match and he's been a HUGE part of RAW's history. And Sheamus was part of the match and he's the World Champion,. But the outcome of that match was never in question. Jim Ross deserves to call the most important match of the night. That's how you celebrate his contributions to RAW over the years.

Tout/Twitter/Facebook: Oh, this shit is gonna bother me. I understand social media is 'in' these days, and Vince only wants to keep up with the times. I get it. But this overexposure of social media is annoying to say the least. They post Twitter updates during the matches and show Twitter handles during entrances and have Twitter polls during programming and they show facebook pages in between matches. And now these goddamn touts. I know they're just fifteen seconds long, but I facepalm everytime I have to watch one of 'em. They just show that the WWE Universe, as we're called now, aren't the brightest people in the world. I think I might start my own social media site called Facepalm, or something of that ilk, where people can post the most inane, obtuse and embarrassing things written, posted or filmed on other social media websites. Hey, that might not be such a bad idea... patent pending.

Product Placement: Okay, before I rant, I've noticed a lot of television shows are doing this lately. With the growing amount of people using TiVo, DVRs and/or downloading television shows, its hard for the programs in question to make the amount of money they are accustomed to from their advertisers. Sonic and the... uh... 'Brawling Buddies' were kind of blatant tonight, but WWE has actually been doing this type of advertising for a while now. What do you think Alberto Del Rio's cars are? It's product placement, but it's integrated very well into his character. I can't blame WWE for doing this, even if I don't like it. It's just business. I only wish they'd find more fluid ways to do it where it isn't so obvious.

Brodus Clay & Dude Love: Wow. Was there really no better way to integrate Mick Foley into the the show than by having him play spectator to a squash match? And Dude Love is Mick Foley's least memorable character. If nothing else, this is a sleight against Brodus Clay because his dancing character has a history in WWE of being easily forgotten.

Austin vs Cena: Who the fuck voted for this as the ultimate fantasy matchup? Austin vs Punk, anyone? Punk vs Hart? Bryan vs Hart? Bryan vs Angle? Angle vs Hart? The possibilities are endless. There are thousands of matches and matchups I'd give an appendage to see happen before I ever even give a thought to Cena vs Austin.

Randy Orton: It's gotta suck for Randy Orton to be left off this historic show in his hometown just because he can't get his fucking act together.


PUSH:
The Wedding of Daniel Bryan & AJ: First of all, AJ looked beautiful. I mean, she always looks beautiful, but in her wedding gown she was down right gorgeous. I wasn't a fan of Slick being the minister, but then again, neither was anyone else. I was hoping for Ted Dibiase, Sr. He is a real-life minister after all and much more well-known than Slick. WHAT THE FUCK!? AJ is the general manager of RAW? Don't get me wrong, I love AJ in more ways than one, but I never figured her for GM of all people. I can literally think of a hundred people better than her for the GM position. I guess WWE just wanted to capitalize on her popularity - for which I can't complain because she's been killing her role. I won't judge before I see her in the GM role. Plus, aside from everything else, this means I will be able to see her on a weekly basis which is always a good thing. She's so pretty!

Charlie Sheen: Does Vince know what cognitive dissonance is? WWE tries to portray itself as a family-friendly program, yet they invite Charlie Sheen to be the Social Media Ambassador? Or he would've been if he hadn't quit social media a week or so ago. Hilarious. Instead he's just around to be what, an outside commentator? Do the kids that WWE appeal to these days even know who Charlie Sheen is? Would their parents even want them to know who he is following his much publicized breakdown last year? Cocaine, hookers, winning... yeah, that's fun the whole family can enjoy. Please don't ruin Daniel Bryan's growth by putting him in any kind of program with Charlie Sheen...
- Derek X
Want to comment on what you've just read? Tell us all about it over on the forum!

Click HERE to read more articles by Derek X.

Check Out More From TWF!

TWF Events

Babe of the Year
Winner Announced - Click Here To Read More!

Best Wrestling Themes Ever
Complete - Click Here To View!

Top Team Tournament (MLB)
Ongoing - Click Here To Join In!

2013 TWF SuperCup 1st Round
In Progress - Click Here To Vote!

PPV League: Extreme Rules Round
Weekend beginning May 17

Visit The Event Center