Raw Reactions: A Special 3 Hour Go-Home Show…Shazam!!!

Seeing as how this week was a 3 hour edition of Raw, Mike and I decided to deliver a super-sized reactions post! Enjoy! 

MM: The Miz opened the show with the WWE’s second Anthony Weiner joke in the past four days, which is certainly not a complaint. He didn’t waste much time in calling out Stone Cold Steve Austin, who promptly made his way to the ring to meet the Miz’s request. Austin berated The Miz, and in my opinion, kind of made him look bad. After being owned on the stick by Stone Cold, The Miz retreated without a fight, but will be a part of a special Piper’s Pit along with Alex Riley later in the night. Shortly after Miz’s fleaing, an exceptionally brazen Alberto Del Rio interrupted Stone Cold to address his destiny. Before he could say much, Austin introduced Del Rio’s opponent for tonight’s opening match, Kane. Even though The Miz didn’t come off too well in this segment, I believe that if Austin comes out of retirement for one more match, it will be The Miz who opposes him.

RS: With Austin at the helm of this week’s Raw, it was not a surprise to see him run the proverbial verbal gauntlet against WWE’s top heels. What did come as a surprise was Austin putting over Alex Riley so emphatically. He spoke pretty highly of the young man who only weeks ago was nothing more than the Miz’s lackey.  Prior to Austin entering the ring, the Miz made a direct reference to the Attitude Era which is something that is rarely done on WWE programming. Upon Austin’s arrival, the disparity between the Attitude Era and WWE’s current PG iteration was glaringly evident. The Miz and most of his modern day counterparts speak very slowly and softly whereas Austin and the other Superstars who dominated the Attitude Era are loud, quick talking, vulgar badasses. This variation in styles seems to be what gave Austin the upper hand throughout the segment.

MM: Kane defeated Alberto Del Rio by disqualification when Del Rio refused to release the cross armbreaker after Kane reached the ropes. Post-match, The Big Show hit the ring to take out Del Rio. The increasingly involved Ricardo Rodriguez got in the way, allowing Del Rio to escape mostly unscathed, but at the cost of his own well being. The Big Show dismantled Rodriguez, and was showing no ill-effects of being ran over by a car a few weeks ago. Quick recovery, no? The Big Show vs Alberto at Capitol Punishment is made official by Stone Cold, although I wouldn’t be surprised if we see Alberto & Ricardo vs Show & Kane in the near future. Wishful thinking, perhaps.

RS: Big Show’s reemergence seems a little lackluster. A run-in at the pay-per-view would have been predictable, no doubt about it but the feud between Show and Del Rio is really limited to a few encounters and Del Rio running his mouth. Kane’s attempt to avenge his partner’s injury came weeks after the initial incident which is odd. Kane isn’t the greatest on the mic, but there should have been at least a little confrontation at week or two prior to Show’s return. There also seemed to be a quick tease at split between the former tag team champions when Kane was forced to choke Big Show to prevent further damage to Ricardo. Alas nothing came of that and we’ll see Del Rio and Big Show this Sunday.

MM: Ezekiel Jackson, Daniel Bryan, & Sin Cara went over Wade Barrett, Cody Rhodes, & Ted DiBiase in 6-man tag team action after Sin Cara landed a springboard cross body on the Intercontinental Champ. Not much to see here, just a way to squeeze a couple feuds onto the show leading into Capitol Punishment. There are few people in the company that I enjoy watching more than Cody Rhodes or Daniel Bryan, so this was by all means a welcome inclusion on the show.

RS: Jackson’s use of Daniel Bryan was the highlight of the match. Seeing those 6 men in the ring was really a pleasure despite how short the match ran. Judging by the amazing work all of them are doing on Smackdown, it’s not a stretch to say one these men will enter the World Title picture within the next 6-12 months. Furthermore, I think this match featured one or two future Wrestlemania main eventers!

MM: Ugh. Hornswoggle. I hate the guy with every ounce of my being, and I fully expected him to be interrupted by Khali & Mahal, which would have been the worst segment ever. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised when R-Truth came out and cut a hilarious promo about the little Jimmy’s and Jenny’s. R-Truth’s kick to Hornswoggle’s face caused me to laugh out loud, and Stone Cold’s subsequent announcement that Truth would meet John Morrison later in the evening was an awesome surprise.

RS: R-Truth is a genius. Every time I hear “The truth will set you free!” I know I’m in store for some serious entertainment. The crowd gives him great heat, but the online wrestling community still remains split on him. The “Little Jimmy” slogan is an obvious reference to the PG-era, an era many people hate. So really, Truth is the voice of the slightly older WWE fan. Most people don’t seem to be catching onto that quite yet, but each week it’s becoming increasingly obvious. Such a unique heel is rare, so sit back and enjoy!

MM: After a mostly comedic match, Sheamus notched a win over Santino Marella with a Texas Cloverleaf?! Really strange to see Sheamus bust out Dean Malenko’s old finisher, but also very cool. I’m a big fan of both of these guys, and while it was obvious that Sheamus was in line for the win here, he earned it in an unexpected manner, so thumbs up for that.

RS: Santino Marella is a hilarious character, but lost in his larger than life persona is the fact that he’s a really decent wrestler. If you read about the beginning of his career, initial plans had him being quite a powerhouse. The comedic stuff is great but I’d love to eventually see Santino get back to some technical wrestling. He might need to be rebranded all together and I don’t see an opportunity for this anytime in the near future but it’d be nice!

MM: Maybe it’s just me, but for the past year or so I feel like Randy Orton is the most boring character in the WWE, and last night was no exception. Randy called out Christian, who obliged after a short heat-generating promo, but the anonymous Raw GM stopped them from coming to blows. The GM, who previously promised to take tonight off, threatened to strip Orton of the World Title if he didn’t comply with his demands – a little odd considering I wouldn’t think the Raw GM had jurisdiction over Smackdown’s primary Title. At the conclusion of the segment, a Keystone Light drinking Stone Cold booked a match pitting Christian against Rey Mysterio.

RS: I’m with Mike on this 100%. Randy Orton is about as interesting to me as a gardening class with Rachel Ray. Christian’s promo accurately describes how I feel about Orton: It was all handed to him. He’s the World Champ because there was no one else to put the strap around at that time. Now he’s a perennial main-eventer despite having a one-dimensional personality and a repetitive in-ring repertoire. Once his feud with Christian wraps up, the isn’t one guy who comes to mind who I’d like to see Orton against. Sure a feud with Sheamus is possible, if not probable and a feud with Cody Rhodes could come in time but Orton’s involvement with either of those guys does nothing for me. It’s a shame because Orton is so young, he’ll be around for a while and I’m already wondering when he’ll be cast off.

MM: Christian lost to Rey Mysteerio via disqualification when he failed to recognize the referees five count. It’s been ages since I’ve seen a match end like this, and now there’s been two tonight? A little excessive on the cheap ending, aren’t we? After the closing bell, CM Punk and the rest of the New Nexus approached the ringside area and Mason Ryan put a hurting on Mysterio. Christian piled the beating on, hitting Rey with a Killswitch after he was already laid out. It’s interesting how dominant Mason Ryan’s been portrayed recently, and it’s obvious that the WWE has big plans for him in the future.

RS: Mason Ryan is going to have a big career in WWE if they use him properly and are patient with his push. The only problem is: there is nowhere for him to go right now. By no means am I suggesting that some veterans or young talent need to retire or be fired, but WWE has too many guys. Orton will be at the top for a while. Rey Mysterio has been around forever and seems to be going nowhere any time soon. Cena isn’t going to be suddenly cast to the mid-card. Yet there is a wealth of young and/or deserving talent waiting in the wings with no place to go. R-Truth finally got his big push but you know he’ll be dropped as a featured guy after he loses to Cena. John Morrison, CM Punk and Christian are all guys deserving of main event status who will get little pushes here and there but can’t seem to breakthrough the glass ceiling and stay at the top. Cody Rhodes, Daniel Bryan, Alberto Del Rio and Wade Barrett all seem ready for prime-time. Then there are guys who are already former world champs like Sheamus, Jack Swagger and Dolph Ziggler (kind of) who seemed to hit the high point of their career so early on. Now suddenly Mason Ryan, Ezekiel Jackson and even Alex Riley are starting to show some superstar qualities. How in the world is WWE going to accommodate all of these guys?

MM: When forced with deciding between Vickie Guerrero or a US Title match against Kofi Kingston at Capitol Punishment, Dolph Ziggler chose the opportunity for the gold. Even though this was all revealed to be a rouse by Stone Cold (Dolph will be receiving the title match without having to drop Vickie), Dolph’s choice will probably spell trouble between he and his main squeeze, who was visibly upset with him following his decision.

RS: During my live posting on Facebook I began to write: Vickie is now in the unemployment line! The disappointment I felt when that was not actually the case still stings. I can’t bring myself to talk about it but hopefully Mike’s right and we start to see a split between that two that hopefully doesn’t occupy too much TV time.

MM: R-Truth vs John Morrison never took place when Morrison was revealed to have been attacked backstage. Truth continued the attack on camera, smashing Morrison between a wall and a storage crate of some sort. I’d be inclined to believe that it’ll be a few more weeks before Morrison is ready to return to the ring, which would explain this second attack. Meanwhile, Truth is absolutely hilarious. Exclaiming “Shazam!” at the camera after finding Morrison and stating that “Little Jimmy got Johnny!” induced audible laughter from the live crowd, and just about everything Truth is doing these days is entertaining. I don’t know how long they can keep his current character in tact without him winning over too many fans to keep him heel.

RS: Mike and I seem to be on the same page with Truth. Considering the accuracy and hilarity of his promos, he might be inadvertently winning the crowd over. Maybe it’s because I’m 24 but this definitely an ongoing trend: I like the heels of WWE so much more than the faces. From Christian and Rhodes on Smackdown to Punk, Miz and Truth on Raw, the heels are far more appealing to me at this stage of the game. People like Cole or Vickie haven’t earned my support but that’s probably because they use cheap heel tactics such a repetition and really just come off as annoying. The other so-called heels like Swagger and Sheamus really only seem to be bad guys because there is nothing inherently good or bad about them and they show no personality. But if I had the choice to sit through a Cena or Orton promo or a Punk or Rhodes promo, I’m choosing the latter 10 out of 10 times.

MM: Kofi Kingston & Evan Bourne earned a victory over Jack Swagger & Dolph Ziggler after Bourne pinned Swagger again. It’s great to see Bourne used as more than a glorified jobber, and I think that he and Swagger could have some great matches if given the platform. Swagger works best as an overpowering bully, and Bourne is small enough to accomodate that dynamic. Kingston and Ziggler have the potential to steal the show this Sunday, too.

RS: WWE seems to believe in Ziggler. Last week, Kingston got a highlight reel to remind fans just how good he is. This week, Ziggler got the same treatment. This feud was fast tracked but there is no reason to believe the match won’t deliver this Sunday. With a 7 match card confirmed and only 2 Smackdown matches listed at this time, Swagger and Bourne probably won’t get a chance to show their stuff this weekend. I’m fine with that though. Let’s let this angle develop a little more on Monday nights and maybe the two will engage in a stipulation match of some sort later on.

MM: The Miz was the highlight of Piper’s Pit, bringing his A-game in the form of insults directed at the Hot Rod. He ran down the Rowdy Scot for having never been World Champion, never winning a WrestleMania main event, and even for starring in They Live. A-Ry is insanely over right now, but I feel like his is a case of primarily being in the right place at the right time. I think anybody could have attacked The Miz the way he did two weeks in a row (and Michael Cole to boot) and gotten this kind of reaction, and I’m kind of fearful for him after his feud with The Miz comes to a close. The Miz vs Piper with Riley as the ref and $5,000 on the line is on tap next.

And with a quick count from Alex Riley, Roddy Piper defeated The Miz. Not really anything to see here, just your typical “retired guy beating current main eventer” affair

RS: Not to much add here. Fans chanted Riley’s name. This Miz-Riley feud is probably going to continue on for a few more weeks. Always nice to see Piper on WWE TV though I could have done without the match.

MM: A slew of face divas defeated a ton of heel divas in a 7-on-7 match when Kelly Kelly pinned Rosa Mendes. The match wasn’t even long enough for me to write down all of the competitors in it, but the face team line danced as a tribute to Broadway after they won. Seriously.

RS: In Pulp Fiction, Mia Wallace asks Vincent Vega if he’s a Beatles man or an Elvis man. At the heart of the question is the belief that you can tell a lot about a person based on their preference between those two iconic rock and roll acts. I believe the same type of conclusions can be drawn when you ask someone if they’re a Kelly Kelly guy or a Bella twin guy. Me? I’m a Bella twin guy.

MM: Earlier I said that if Stone Cold has one more match, I think it’ll be against The Miz, and I stand by that statement. If I had it my way, though, I’d rather see him tangle with CM Punk. Their encounter backstage last night reeked of awesomeness, and there’s such a natural chemistry because of the differences in their characters that even at their worst, these two would be better together than almost anybody else. It’s amazing that Punk can still impress me, as I already regard him as the best in the business today, but every week he does just that.

RS: Punk’s involvement in yet another segment speaks volumes to the opinion of him backstage and in the writers’ room. He implied that the wrestling world would soon change forever. Not sure if that was a statement in reference to his match with Cena or some other developing storyline. I surely hope it’s more far reaching that last night’s Raw. With an expiring contract looming and an relatively unhappy Punk, tonight’s broadcast went a long way towards boasting his profile within the company. More on that later…

MM: Stone Cold announced that the members of the WWE Universe would have control over next week’s Raw, and I have to assume that this means the return of a “Cyber Sunday” / “Taboo Tuesday” sort of gimmick. That’s cool I guess. After being interrupted by the anonymous GM, Austin joined Edge on the list of guys who have destroyed Michael Cole’s laptop on Monday Night Raw, running it over with his ATV. I was never a huge Austin fan during his prime, but I’ve loved his involvement in recent years. Good performances from the Rattlesnake throughout last night.

RS: In my What If column last week, I began to ponder whether we were nearing the end of the Anonymous Raw GM story. With Austin’s recent actions, one of two things seem eminent: Austin will be a focal in the reveal of the GM or Austin will put the storyline out of it’s misery with no real resolution other than some Hell Yeahs and beers. Another big indicator that we’re winding down the storyline is next week’s Power to the People edition of Raw. The GM will most likely have a limited role once again.

MM: The New York crowd was the star of Raw’s main event. Split with loud “Let’s go Cena” / “CM Punk” chants, they were absolutely electric from bell to bell. I can’t overstate their enthusiasm – I don’t remember the last time a Raw crowd has been so audible. The last time I remember any split crowd getting so loud was during the Hogan vs Rock match WrestleMania X8. Unbelievable. As for the match itself, after an awesome bout that CM Punk controlled most of, the Straight Edge Superstar was able to pin Cena with a little distraction from R-Truth and a Go To Sleep! Words cannot describe my excitement over Punk’s pinfall victory. What an ending.

RS: This Sunday, WWE will be faced with a decision that will most likely shape the rest of 2011. Last month’s Over the Limit ended with Cena looking like a super human. That did very little to add to the product or liven up the shows. Most people would assume that R-Truth isn’t going to be crowned the new WWE champion this weekend. I agree with them. But if Cena wins, it will once again take away from another wrestler they put so much effort into building up. It will also feel like a rerun of a broken record. Yes, it would be that repetitive and predictable. Something has got to give…

Let’s go to Mike for the wrap-up!

MM: Overall, I was a big fan of All-Star Raw. Stone Cold was entertaining, there was effecient build for all of the Capitol Punishment matches, and we even got a John Morrison. Most importantly, CM Punk pinned John Cena in a singles match main event! In addition to the crowd, I’d list Punk, Truth, and The Miz as the standout stars of the show. Great work from all three.