The SmarK RAW Supershow Rant – 07.02.12
Live from Laredo, TX
John Cena is out to talk about how UNPREDICTABLE the Money In The Bank match is, but Daniel Bryan interrupts, and gets into a war of YES with CM Punk. Jericho joins them as they have a retarded argument about stealing catchphrases (and Punk calls Jericho “Bon Jovi”, which has to be a rib on Bryan Alvarez), and then Big Show and Kane both come out as this trainwreck continues, which triggers a big brawl to set up the main event tonight.
The Primetime Playaz, David Otunga & Cody Rhodes v. Kofi Kingston, R-Truth, Christian & Santino Marella
Darren Young gets caught in the babyface corner to start, but O’Neil pulls him out to save, allowing Kofi to hit a dive on him. A donnybrook is threatened, but we take a break. Back with AW now mic’d up, as Titus gets a slam on Kofi for two. His wisdom includes “Go Titus!” and “Stay down, Kofi!”. Hot tag to Santino, who puts Otunga down for two and it’s BONZO GONZO. The Playaz take a walk to avoid any further damage, leaving Otunga and Cody on their own. And then Cody walks out on Otunga as well, just in time for a Brodus Clay run-in that leads to Santino hitting the Cobra at 7:02. So all the heels are losers and cowards. That sure makes me want to see the PPV. Total nothing match. ½*
Meanwhile, Alberto Del Rio whines to guest GM Teddy Long about not getting his World title shot, so Long announces that it’s finally Sheamus v. Del Rio at the PPV because the all-powerful Board of Directors has decided that ADR is the #1 contender. For some reason. That match is like the drum solo of World title matches. They have no real issue with each other and it’s just Del Rio’s time to get the match so there it is, like it or not. Teddy promises a big surprise for Del Rio tonight.
RAW 1000 Moment: Shane McMahon trains Vince for his match with Steve Austin.
Alberto Del Rio v. Sin Cara
Del Rio blindsides him on the slide into the ring and tosses him, and applies the armbar on the floor for an apparent no-contest. If that was Teddy’s surprise I’d say it backfired. And what was the point of that? They want to beat Sin Cara but don’t actually want to BEAT him, I guess. Regardless, that doesn’t bode well for the long term prospects of Mr. Cara.
Meanwhile, Daniel Bryan tries to woo AJ again, but she’s CRAZY.
Tomorrow night, Smackdown is live for some reason, and the main event is a battle royale for some reason. Compelling!
Paul Heyman, live via satellite, announces that Brock will be at RAW 1000 to answer HHH’s challenge. However, if Brock DOES accept the challenge, he’ll end HHH’s career so that he can retire and go run WWE. Oh man, HHH is going over.
Vickie Guerrero & Dolph Ziggler v. AJ & Sheamus
Jesus, so in addition to controlling the fate of the WWE title match at the PPV, AJ is ALSO feuding with Vickie Guerrero? And yet they have a backlog of guys in developmental that they can’t fit onto this show because they can’t come up with anything for them. Dolph dropkicks Sheamus out of the corner and works on the arm. DDT gets two and he goes to the chinlock, but Sheamus lays him out with a forearm and hits White Noise. Dolph tags out to Vickie to avoid the Brogue Kick, but Sheamus hits him with it anyway. And then AJ finishes Vickie with a Shining Wizard of all things at 3:23. I’m getting really sick of the AJ Show. They need to give her a week off or something. I guess it could have been worse and they could have had AJ pin Dolph or something. *
Meanwhile, AJ is IN THE VERY NEXT SEGMENT and stalks CM Punk, as he’s talking to his sister on the phone and she thinks he’s cheating on her.
Heath Slater v. Doink the Clown
Pretty sure that’s just some guy in the clown suit. Slater gets the advantage with a kneelift and a neckbreaker out of the corner for the pin at 1:18. Sadly for him, his celebration is cut off by DDP, who gives him a diamond cutter for some reason.
Kane v. Big Show
Show shoulderblocks Kane off the apron for a nice bump into the railing, and sends him gently into the stairs. He grabs a chair as they head back in, but Kane makes the comeback with a DDT for two. He grabs the chair, but Show spears him and chokeslams him on the chair for the pin at 3:41, looking like he messed up his shoulder hardcore in the process. *
Eve Torres returns from the dead, and Teddy gives her a nametag. And wouldn’t you know, it’s MORE AJ.
RAW 1000 Moment: Alberto Del Rio talks about the DX invasion. I somehow doubt that’s actually his favorite moment.
Tensai v. Tyson Kidd
Tensai beats on him in the corner, but Kidd gets a fluke rollup for the pin at 0:30. Well, see, they’re both in the MITB match, so they’ll trade wins and losses for a couple of weeks because none of them matter anyway, so that way instead of someone going into the match with momentum, everyone goes in with a bunch of losses.
Tensai beats up Kidd in the locker room afterwards to get his heat back. Wait, sorry, what heat?
John Cena & CM Punk v. Daniel Bryan & Chris Jericho
The babyfaces control Jericho and we take a break. Back with Jericho getting the arrogant cover on Cena before hitting the chinlock, but he misses the Lionsault. Bryan cuts off the tag and throws the kicks on Cena in the corner, for two. Jericho comes back in and they have an awkward attempt at a suplex that fails until Jericho just goes to a facelock. Wonder what the problem was there? Jericho with a DDT for two. Cena sends him into the corner and makes the hot tag to Punk, and it’s high knee and bulldog, but Bryan counters out. Punk powerslams him instead, into the Anaconda Vice, but Jericho makes the save. Cena and Jericho brawl to the back for some reason, leaving us with Punk v. Bryan. Punk gets a rollup for two, but Bryan hits the high kick and head kick for two. They fight to the top rope and Punk gets a superplex for two. And then it’s, you guessed it, more AJ. The guys ignore her and continue fighting, so she pulls a table out of the magic hyperspace under the ring. And the match just STOPS while they lie around off a collision and AJ threatens to put herself through the table. Both guys finally revive and AJ pushes Punk into Bryan and through the table. The referee is apparently unconcerned about any of this and doesn’t even call for a bell or check on the participants. Because, you know, it’s just stuff that happens on a show, so why should we care about petty concerns like wins and losses?
The Pulse
So yeah, that was a show. And another HOUR is coming in three weeks. Guess AJ will have to be in 20 segments instead of her usual 12.
Damn AJ has two feuds going at once? I haven't seen Raw in a while but my question is this: Why not have her WRESTLE? I've seen her wrestle in FCW and surprise surprise, she's pretty damn good. Why not give her the Divas title?
ReplyDeleteOh come on Scott, no mention of the catchphrase off between Bryan and Jericho? I don't care what anyone says, that was hilarious.
ReplyDeleteMy guess is they'll build to that soon, if they're already writing her into so many segments.
ReplyDeleteAccording to the newz sites, it was Steve Lombardi playing Doink tonight.
ReplyDeleteI really don't mind The AJ Show. It's not like this show is going to get good without her in every segment, so might as well put her in everything since she's endlessly entertaining (for me). This is gonna be some kind of car wreck when they go three hours; I pretty much watch RAW trying to imagine Scott's eventual reaction in mind...
ReplyDeleteImpossible, Doink WON!
ReplyDeleteSable.... Trish Stratus.... Sunny.... I can't think of a diva in the modern era that they've built the show around quite like AJ.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it always?! (for these one-off appearances anyway)
ReplyDeleteI'd rather see AJ in multiple segments than John Cena. Do you really want to see more Cena, Scott? DO YOU????
ReplyDeleteI gotta say the latest Raw 1000th commercial is funny as fuck.
"That match is like the drum solo of World title matches. They have no real issue with each other and it’s just Del Rio’s time to get the match so there it is, like it or not."
ReplyDeleteThat is the main problem with the WWE right now. Why are Daniel Bryan and CM Punk feuding? Why are Cody and Christian feuding? Why are Cena and Jericho feuding? I hate the "you have the title and I want it" or the "you took my title and I want it back" feuds. At least Punk and Jericho had a reason. All of the great feuds have a reason behind it. None of these other feuds have a reason for them to be fighting except that they both want the belt; that's why they won't be remembered in 2-3 years except if they have an all-time great match (like Flair-Steamboat).
No. He did not.
ReplyDeleteThis pic is a little late, but it sums things up pretty well.
ReplyDeleteThe first 3-hour Raw should start with a Bryan match where AJ skips round the ring to distract him. Then a Punk match where the same thing happens. Then a Kane match. Then a Vickie match. Then a Heath Slater match. Do that 15 times. Then have her interrupt an intense HHH/Brock promo in the same way. And make them acknowledge her. Just three hours of skipping, with everyone getting slightly more embarrassed and confused each time.
ReplyDeleteAs entertaining TV, it would suck. As a post-modernist surreal experiment, it'd make me laugh.
Honestly? AJ for DAYS. I couldn't give a damn about anybody else on the roster, and that's actually starting to be CM Punk at this point. I mean, I watch on delay anyway so having her in every segment doesn't really bother me, and honestly, she's about the only reason to watach anymore. So, yeah.
ReplyDeleteCome WM time, Unless AJ is a clear cut heel, she will be boo due to backlash.
ReplyDeleteI have spoken. this aj shit is out of control.
wwe does nothing in moderation.
im goin to say it again. aj backlash is starting. and when she is used up, she will be released.
Could not disagree more. I think wanting the belt (no, sorry, championship!) is one of the best and simplest reasons to have a feud.
ReplyDeleteRemember Ric Flair's promo after RR '92? "This is the belt that proves that you are number one! Razor Ramon MIchaels? Over the IC belt. Hogan-Andre? Over the WWF belt. Flair-Steamboat? Over the belt. I remember (and yes, I'm now way too old) when the whole point of being a professional wrestler was to get the belt that proved to the world that you were the best.
Maybe I'm in the minority but I'm completely fine with how AJ is being used.
ReplyDeleteSo she's in a lot of segments? So what? She's absolutely nailing her character, her performances are good (by wrestling standards) and the storyline is evolving week on week.
I mean since WM she's gone from costing Bryan the title, to getting dumped by him, to trying to win him back, to tying up with Punk, to teasing Kane, to Bryan trying to get back on her good side, to where we are now where who knows if she's part of a plot by Bryan or Punk or just certifiable.
AJ should be on TV a lot at the moment as this whole story is clearly about to hit the end game. In story telling terms all that I wrote above is a fairly well constructed Act 2 with the stakes constantly being raised & the character relationships changing. MITB is the natural point for this to reach a denouement & move off in another direction to start building all over again.
I don't hate AJ and it's good to have a new, fresh & different character in & around the main events.
My only frustration is that they can't achieve this kind of plotting & character development with more of the guys on the roster
I'm fine with the AJ stuff for 2 reasons:
ReplyDelete1. she's awesome
2. I don't see it lasting for too much longer. Once the Brock-HHH build really gets going, as well as Punk/Cena, I don't see her being the focus of the show anymore. So I'm enjoying it while it lasts.
I felt great seeing Kidd get another win. Guy busts his ass and is a great lower card wrestler to have around and make others look good. Nice to see a guy like that get some of the spotlight.
ReplyDeleteWow Slater actually won? Holy crap!
ReplyDeleteI wholeheartedly agree, that ending makes me want to watch next week.
ReplyDeleteI will say, though, that it's time to put her over for the Divas title. I mean, build to it yeah, but Layla's not doing anything with the championship, so give it to someone who's over. Then Kharma can come back, and honestly AJ vs. Kharma at this point would be so goofy that I actually want to see it.
ReplyDeleteThing is, though? The Bryan-Punk feud isn't actually *about* the title. It was initially about nothing and now is peripherially about AJ, but principally still about nothing. Neither guy has really expressed much interest in the title either way, even though I know I could. I mean, imagine what Bryan could say this means to him if he had free reign to talk about it in relation to his career. 'Cause, I mean, Bryan winning this title WOULD be huge for Bryan. He should be treating it as a much better deal, but he isn't.
ReplyDeleteIf it *was* about the title, that would be totally fine. I mean, brief a program as it was, even if it had been extended, what would Hogan-Goldberg had been about? Right, the World Title. What was most every Austin feud about? How much he wanted to be champion. What was the Cactus/Triple H feud, or Mankind's stints as WWF Champion, about? How much winning the title meant for his career.
Im listening to Meltzer and Alvarez on the observer radio show shit all over this show and I love it.
ReplyDeletethe problem to me is: WWE is treating her like a "flavor of the month" as well. "oh, she's over right now? well, than milk this cow dry as hard as we can." ... when instead, they could easily spread it out over several more weeks (or even months) and don't totally kill anyone's interest in her.
ReplyDeleteI mean, I am sure she loves every second of this right now. but let's say she is so overexposed she turns into something like Jack Swagger 2.0 with her no getting hardly any reaction in the future?
exactly.
ReplyDeletethe reason why it doesn't draw me in anymore most of the time is because they use the belt more like a prop instead of something they REALLY want. the Austin heel turn might be the best example for the declining meaning of the championship. Austin wanted the title more than ANYTHING in the whole world, so he would even consider allying with his biggest nemesis. that's importance!
YES x how ever many times AJ wants to say it.
ReplyDeleteJust like that John Cena guy that they tried to push down our throats for awhile?
ReplyDeleteAJ's ceiling is Divas champion and being the most over Diva on the roster. But nobody cares about women's wrestling so your using 2 of your main eventers and the WWE title to build up someone who will never draw a dime.
ReplyDeleteAfter Punk retains at MITB, AJ will probably move on to the Divas title because her sticking with Punk won't happen because neither of them need it. And she won't go back to Bryan because they won't put the title on him yet. So again, you just spent all this massive amount of tv time to make someone the Divas champion. Congrats.
Former Intercontinental Champion!
ReplyDeleteEh, what does it matter if she "will never draw a dime"? I can understand people like Scott shitting on it cause they think she's overexposed, but this sounds like a weak reason to not enjoy the angle.
ReplyDeleteI wanna be entertained, period. This angle *is* entertaining, plus it's featured some great wrestling to boot. And when it's all over AJ (and Daniel Bryan) will be much more over than they were before it started (which was back in like November!!!). Sounds like win-win-win to me.
Wow, yeah. Kidd gets a fluke roll-up then has the shit kicked out of him in the locker room. Way to give that hard working young man a reward and totally not make him look like a complete geek...
ReplyDeleteTo be fair this AJ angle has been going on for like 8 months, when you think about when she and D-Bry first got together. I think they *have* done a good job stretching it out. I think it feels like it's on fast forward now cause they want to finish the Punk business so he's ready for Cena.
ReplyDeleteI think this angle is gonna leave her "perma-over" (by Diva standards), it's been that good. Compare her reactions now to back before she ever hooked up with Bryan. She's a star with a clearly defined character, something guys like Swagger lack(ed).
"im goin to say it again. aj backlash is starting. and when she is used up, she will be released"
ReplyDeleteI disagree. I mentioned this in another post but I think this angle has been so great that the girl will be "perma-over" and has basically bought herself a roster spot for the next 5 years. It's like when a guy wins the Masters and gets a Tour exemption for "x" amount of years. She'll be coasting off this shit for a while, even when she's feuding with Layla over the Divas title, cause they've given her a clearly defined and identifiable character.
P.S. I just realized what your "Stuart_Chartlock" line meant. Congrats, and I'm looking forward to watching you achieve that boyhood dream and overtaking Chin in 12 years.
Currently, AJ is feuding with:
ReplyDelete* CM Punk
* Daniel Bryan
* Vickie Guerrero
* Eve
* Layla
* Anyone else that doesn't pay attention to her.
He won his blowoff match with McGillicutty on NXT, and beat Swagger on Smackdown last week to qualify for the ladder match. And tonight he pinned a guy who has pinned John Cena and is treated like a legit threat. For a guy in Kidd's postion, who never has actual angles on Raw, I'd say that's a good couple weeks. I'm not saying they're strapping the rocket to his ass (hell, he's probably gonna be forgotten after MitB), but it's nice to see them throw him a bone.
ReplyDeleteSo you don't think it matters that your investing all this time into a character who will be off tv in 3 months?
ReplyDeleteOr how about Hogan-Andre? The whole reason Andre turned on Hogan in the first place was because he felt like Hogan was ducking him for the title.
ReplyDeleteYou know, so many attitudes like this are self-fulfilling prophecies. "Oh, no one cares about women's wrestling, so we shouldn't care about it 'cause no one cares about women's wrestling, so we shouldn't care about it 'cause no one cares about women's wrestling..." It's total circular logic. WWE women's wrestling sucks because the company doesn't give a damn, not because people just will never ever care about women's wrestling. They did once: it can happen again.
ReplyDeleteAlso, there are a myriad of counter-examples, excluding independents like SHIMMER. Take Lita and Trish, two women who got incredibly over and were able to both draw in their own right *and* enhance other talents as valets. I mean, are you going to claim that Lita never drew a dime? That's absurd.
Or, hey, how about the entire TNA Knockouts division? Sure, it's not perfect, but their segments are frequently the highest-rated segments on their shows. There's a reason they feel they can stick Tara vs. Mickie James or Mickie James vs. Madison Rayne out there (in CAGE matches no less) as TV main events.
Sure, if you just throw a bunch of models out there who literally do one move while shaking their ass (Eve), then yeah, no one's going to care. Toss a woman out there who can wrestle and looks even halfway decent, or even one who sucks but can fake moonsaults and hurricaranas well enough, and you definitely have a property with at least some value.
If they used this angle and AJ to kick start a renewed push for the division, I wouldn't bitch. But I don't see it happening. AJ will get the title, WWE will remember they like Beth Phoenix and have AJ drop it to her and rotate her off tv because they only get 5 minutes of tv time a week. Rinse and repeat.
ReplyDeleteI doubt there is anyone in more need of a rebooted Cruiserweight division than Kidd.
ReplyDeleteThat picture makes me wish oh so badly it was next Sunday night already.
ReplyDeleteAre they sure it wasn't Jericho?
ReplyDeleteAnd European Champion! And Hardcore Champion! And cuckhold to Stephanie! The man had it all, I tells ya.
ReplyDeleteI won't even make a smartass comment; I'll just leave it at I disagree with all the praise for TNA (Total Nonstop AJ). It does nothing for me and building the show around someone who will be, at best, an ancillary part of CM Punk or Daniel Bryan is quite silly.
ReplyDeleteI hope you are right.
ReplyDeletethis.
ReplyDeleteI mean, 35% to 40% of their audience is female. you would think that at least a pretty huge chunk of those girls and women watching would prefer a "real" womens division over what we get at the moment (and that doesn't even include all those male viewers - which might be the minority at the moment, but still exists - that also would like to see better female wrestling instead of the promotion wasting their time).
absolutely. if the WWE really installs a serious Cruiserweight division in the upcoming months (like the rumors claimed), I am pretty sure Tyson Kidd will be definitely one of the main guys.
ReplyDeleteAny man that bags both Stacy Kiebler *and* Kelly Kelly deserves our respect and admiration.
ReplyDeleteWTF is this the emergency broadcast system?!!
ReplyDeleteThey still do those?!
I know it's stupid, but this really is a case of "let's see how it plays out.". if it's the usual trading wins crap the promotion does so often before ppvs, it won't help him. but maybe they are trying to build him up as that "talented underdog" (Cole even mentioned that Kidd hasn't won a match on Raw in two years) which would be great (especially now that their "little guy" spot seems vacant).
ReplyDeleteJohn Cena: Is a draw... moves merch and does too many good things off camera (including fucking other divas) to be released and warrants his spot.
ReplyDeleteAJ: skips.
We have all fucked with a "off center" broad a time or two in our lives. Sometimes at first it was cute, but once you figure out that its gonna lead nowhere and/or you find other pussy it becomes annoying.
ReplyDeleteShe is getting annoying.
Negrodamus has spoken.
I think this overexposure is gonna her more harm than good. Sure the fans eat it up now, but let it continue and she goes to MSG Chi or Philly. I wanna see her reaction there.
ReplyDeleteIf she could work like Gail Kim did in 07 during her run with TNA against Kong, then Im all for it.
ReplyDeleteBut Im sure she is more Taylor Wilde than Gail Kim.
IBID
ReplyDeleteNo it wasn't. Andre felt like he wasn't getting enough respect for his accomplishments.
ReplyDeleteI promise* to eat my hat if this is still The AJ Show while HHH/Brock and Cena/Punk are building their matches.
ReplyDeleteThis is the "dead-zone" time of the year. Remember, Cena/Tensai was the plan as the main Spring/early summer angle. I'll gladly take what we're getting.
And what is NYC/Chi/Phi going to do? Boo her? She's a heel! (well a tweener).
*not a promise
it was really both.
ReplyDeletehe claimed hogan wouldnt give him a title shot and also hogan gotta bigger trophy than him.
youre lucky you put that asterisk there or i was gonna hold u to it.
ReplyDeletehat eating is nothing to play around with.
and i dont consider aj anything as far as face/heel os concerned cuz she has no clear motivation for her actions... yet... but given how creati e works im sure if they throw her out and do CRAZY things every now and again people will gloss over that.
They could do the angle they did with Spike Dudley when he won the CW title and bossed DeVon and Bubba around. Put the Diva's title on her and make those dudes chase HER.
ReplyDeleteIf she's the flavor of the month I wouldn't mind getting a taste of that before the months over..
ReplyDelete..sorry, that was my OUTSIDE voice.
I just wish she'd cary this over into the Diva's division. Now that she's popular (pr at least known) they could put her in some matches with women other than Vickie.
ReplyDeleteIf by "but once you figure out that its gonna lead nowhere" you meant she starts hiding in your bushes, going through your garbage, calling you at all hours of the night and slashing your tires I agree.
ReplyDeleteYEah. When there are stoms around my way, they run that test.
ReplyDeleteHas the Zombie apocalypse started? I'd better get my shotgun.
ReplyDeleteThe only good payoff is AJ aligning with Bryan and helping him win the title. I just don't see it happening with Summerslam around the corner. The only work around is Bryan winning the title and Cena cashes in on him that night. Do Punk/Cena 3 at SS and pick up the Bryan/Cena feud after. Don't see it happening though.
ReplyDeleteThis was actually a pretty entertaining show.
ReplyDeleteEh womens "wrestling" is terrible. I'd rather the wwe just scrapped it all. Also lita never drew one dime nor did trish stratus. I know Scott used to be a minor trish fan but no one else really cared about her, and I'm not so sure scott was even that big of a fan. Imo too much aj fucked up an otherwise good episode of raw.
ReplyDeleteI've always felt guys challenging due to wanting the title was a great way to begin a feud. That's supposedly why they're all wrestling in the first place. Not every feud can be built off hatred or personal issues. The problem is WWE can't make any of these feuds mean anything because they just randomly insert upper midcarders into title matches without any rhyme or reason. Guys no longer build up to a title shot by, ya know, WINNING MATCHES. It's more like "Is it July? Time for Wrestler X's title shot!"
ReplyDeleteThe cutter on Slater was pretty much visually identical to the one DDP put on Hall when he declined to join the nWo. Thought that was cool. And the Diamond Cutter is still awesome. The RKO doesn't look as effective because of Orton only using one arm.
ReplyDeleteYeah I was just about to post that. They are fucking killing it. I didn't think it was that bad
ReplyDeleteShit it's a bigger push than I thought I'd live to see Tyson kidd get. I won't look a gift horse in the mouth
ReplyDeleteAJ sure has a better attitude than Gail Kim.
ReplyDeleteWell, it's hard for me to admire a dead guy.
ReplyDeleteNew York and Chicago will like her well enough. The Philly crowd will want to see her piledriven through a table, (note; thats not a comment on AJ)
ReplyDeleteI thought the jericho bryan interaction was cool. It was the veteran heel showing the new heel a bit of respect but still being cocky and dismissive. "See kid you just need some more arrows in your quill" also i loved seeing y2j doing his catch phrases. I'm so over aj and her shitty acting but I liked that opening segment
ReplyDeleteI'm a HUGE mark for Kidd, have been since he debuted on (WWE's) "ECW", so I'll take whatever I can get at this point. The guy is FANTASTIC in the ring and seems to have a good head on his shoulders, so I really hope that he's going to be rewarded for it.
ReplyDeleteHe even gets props from some of his co-workers: A few months ago, Ziggler said on WWE.com that Kidd would be his dream opponent for "WrestleMania" (citing that they always have great matches together), and just last week Jericho tweeted that Kidd "never has a bad match". I'm pretty sure Cena and JR have given him similar praise, as well.
I said this last night but if Monday Night Raw was Melrose Place then AJ would be blowing up the arena any day now.
ReplyDeleteForgot RAW was on last night. Too busy playing Skyrim's DLC Dawnguard.
ReplyDeleteWe shall see.
ReplyDeleteIf they keep her at this pace, the fans will burn out on her. Im with Scott, im tired of her.
Its nice that she is keeping the Bryan/Punk fued going but... its still an upper mid card fued. What happens when AJ is gone from the fued? Will it still have legs? Will you still cheer AJ skipping around like a goof? Will anyone care?
Smh...
ReplyDeleteIs she fuckable? Hell yes.
Is she Trish? No.
Will I take what i can get? I wouldnt turn her down. But on the flip, i wouldnt go out my way to stomp down on her either. She is cute... thats it. Monkeys and kittens are cute.
She sat on her hands for two years after being the top mainstream wrestler in North America, and coming off a classic series with Kong.
ReplyDeleteId be a lil pissed as well.
Bryan being a heel, he shouldn't give a big speech about how much the title win would mean to him because that's a face thing to do. But I agree with you that he could at least say something like how the title signifies you're the best.
ReplyDeleteShe's different than the other cookie cutter divas. TBH if Layla was at the end of the hallway and was giving up the box and AJ was standing in the way I'd run her little ass over like Adrian Peterson in his prime.
ReplyDelete"If he's so great how come he's dead?"
ReplyDeleteNow thats a WOH-MAN!!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEIzkLr7JzQ
I thought it was bad, but more in an uninspired and boring way than outright terrible. The 8 man tag thing was embarassing though.
ReplyDeleteTyson would really benefit from a jump to TNA and compete in the X Division. I have little faith that the WWE will be serious about the cruisers.
ReplyDelete"I can understand people like Scott shitting on it cause they think she's overexposed, but this sounds like a weak reason to not enjoy the angle.I wanna be entertained, period. This angle *is* entertaining, plus it's featured some great wrestling to boot."
ReplyDeleteWhat is entertaining to you is not automatically entertaining to everyone.
While I agree with your statement and think it's nice to see Kidd getting some wins, I think saying Tensai is a guy treated like a legit threat is a stretch. He had his 3 week push and it's over now.
ReplyDeleteI meant cult's complaint about the focus being on AJ, a character who won't draw a dime, is a weak reason to not enjoy the angle. I have no problem with Scott's issues cause he *is* looking at it from an entertainment standpoint, as opposed to a financial one (which IMO is not a good reason to dislike a wrestling program... what does it matter to us if AJ makes the company money?).
ReplyDeleteSorry, I could've definitely phrased it better.
That trophy really was a slap in the face. I'd be pissed too if I was Andre.
ReplyDeleteIn a perfect world, the WWE would create a partnership with SHIMMER, where they use it as a developmental pool to bring up women who can actually wrestle while sending their eye candy down to get some basic training. You could even do it as a storyline where the SHIMMER girls "invade" to prove how lame the Divas are, destroying them and taking over for a good while before the "new and improved" divas launch their own little war after some time away.
ReplyDeleteOf course, in real life the WWE would just buy out SHIMMER, cherry pick one or two of the prettiest chicks with no talent and leave the rest to flounder.
"[...] but no one else really cared about her."
ReplyDeletewtf are you talking about?
I'm with Scott. There's too much AJ on the show and I just don't give a damn about her. I'd much rather see them call up some young blood that can inject some life into these shows rather than seeing some crazy broad skipping around the ring all the time.
ReplyDeleteOh I mean no one gives a fuck about womens wrestling. It's a joke. If they didn't need a act to throw out between hot matches at a ppv or sell calendars to little kids with these useless bimbos in bikinis vincr would have scrapped it years ago. It's bathroom break shit. Maybe I wasn't clear enough. I meant to say even the supposed "great" trish never drew a penny and no one gives a fuck about her. Hope that clears things up.
ReplyDelete"35-40% of their audience is female" bwhahahahahaha. You win the award for most incorrect "fact" stated on any non-racist website in the history of the internets. Where do I mail the trophy. Unless you meant to say 3.5 to 4% of their audience is female. In that case I will merely agree with you and not give you a trophy.
ReplyDeleteI agree wholeheartedly that just because its a draw doesn't make it good. In fact most shit people on this blog would like might not draw at first. (I still don't get the cm punk ratings thing) personally i would like a little less aj. Maybe just the eve, and bryan segments and then the end of show.
ReplyDeleteI was glad the prime time players got a little run on raw but yeah that was a trainwreck
ReplyDeleteMaybe with that third hour on raw they could find some time? I'd love to see it. They could raid tna to fill it out a bit.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to see a split opinion about aj on here to dispel that stupid shit about everyone having a hive mentality. I agree to disagree with you sir!
ReplyDeleteIn hindsight that trophy presentation and hogan refusing andre a title shot were people heelish moves to pull on a living legend like andre. Speaks to over hogan was and how bad the fans hated bobby heenan that went as smoothly as it did. If cena ran that same angle with say undertaker today cena would get booed out of the markiest of buildings.
ReplyDeleteAgree. There is so much talent that is underutilized in the company.
ReplyDeleteAJ does a good job with the character but she has nothing to work wtih at this point.
We didn't get those warnings on Friday before they came through and took out the electricity. Then again, I was out being social rather than watching TV.
ReplyDeleteThat's not why I don't like AJ.
ReplyDeleteI swear the WWE is just fking with us at this point.
ReplyDelete"Oh really, smarts, you like AJ? Let's see if you like her after 18 segments! Muahahaha! You'll be begging for the Big Show!"
I've been sayign this alot on this board lately but its the turth. Heath Slater has been the best thing about RAW the past month. I am really enjoying his work, and there letting him develop some character as well.
ReplyDeleteI've never got the point either. I like hot chicks as much as the next guy, but I'm really not interested in seeing them stumble their way through a match blowing half the shit they try. Even Heyman had the sense to limit the girls to 20 second catfights and beating the shit out of Bill Alfonso. Either find someone to train them properly, or go back to having them be valets. Or Vince could just buy out Shimmer and make that the women's division.
ReplyDeleteNow don't go introducing logic into this debate. Not when AJISJUSTTOOCUTE! Let it play out, and see where it goes...
ReplyDeleteAnother hour probably means more "Comedy segments"
ReplyDeleteMan, I disagree with a lot of this review.
ReplyDeleteJericho was AWESOME in the opening segment. I thought that whole bit was funny, as was Jericho's interaction with Bryan backstage.
And sorry, but there's no such thing as too much AJ. She's hot, she's entertaining and she's over.
Yeah, lets not comapre Cena to AJ. That is a ridiculous comparision.
ReplyDeleteThe best was when Jesse said Andre's trophy was like "rotten, old led."
ReplyDeleteHe might be the greatest jobber of the 21st century.
ReplyDeleteOh, and she does a damn fine job of playing her character.
ReplyDeleteDiamond cutter blows the rko away
ReplyDeleteLegitimate non-snarky non-rhetorical question: is anybody in Pro Wrestling (and I mean televised pro wrestling as in WWE or TNA, not ROH, Shakira, Mijaijah or NOAH's ark or whatever) cutting lamer promos than John Cena?
ReplyDeleteRevisionist Cena history says that Cena started off cutting edgy, entertaining promos and then suddenly stopped doing so in 2005 and hasn't been entertaining since. Sure, he stopped his rapping around that time (well, probably more like in 2004)......but the fact is, he was actually cutting some of the best promos in wrestling in 2007. Remember that run he was on when he was getting solid matches out of everyone from Umaga, to Khali, to whomever? His promos were also awesome during this time. Were they the best EVER? No. Were they the best in WWE at that time? Damn right. Mainly because he seemed to care. Now he comes to the ring and it's HAR HAR HAR GOLLY GEE SHUCKS, STAR WARZ !!!1111
Then we have this more-boring-by-the-week AJ/ Daniel Bryan / CM Punk storyline. I was about to cut Raw off until I read a spoiler that DDP was gonna be there. After DDP I cut it off and said "I'll read the results tomorrow, doubt I'll miss anything". I hate being right sometimes.
In conclusion, can we please get Lesnar on TV again? This shit ain't cuttin' it.
No wonder they had to pay Rock a million to drag all that dead weight to a decent buyrate.
Wow an invasions by womens wrestlers would probably be all it would take for me to never watch a new episode raw or ppv again.
ReplyDeleteAt least he didn't do the job. I'll be more interested to see what happens to kidd after mitb
ReplyDeletePersonally I really like adr and would love to see him work a real feud with shameus
ReplyDeleteHis moobs distract. Dude needs to lay off the juice or get the Rocky surgery.
ReplyDeleteEh at least cena is a wrestler whose angles could pay off in actual wrestling matches
ReplyDeleteAgreed. The opening segment was actually pretty cool. And it wasn't too long either - rare these days.
ReplyDeleteSheamus and ADR have been feuding for 3 months now, ADR has attacked Sheamus, Sheamus has attacked ADR, they have issues, maybe not interesting ones, but still issues.
ReplyDeleteThis show wasn't nearly as bad as this recap reads. I'm enjoying the AJ stuff, and it feels fresh to me. All I can ask for.
Maybe Stephanie? But even with her it was never like this
ReplyDeleteOh and they say Yes all the fucking time now so I hope most of you are now finally happy.
ReplyDeleteOr maybe they can actually get a woman's wrestler over and try something new!
ReplyDeleteI'd pay to watch AJ at this point.
Lol I missed that too. I ffwd from when doink came out until ddp came out
ReplyDeleteDamn, it's times like this I wish I had a sub to WO. The only reason I don't is because I already subscribe to another website and just don't want to add to my bills right now. Maybe I need to reconsider one of these days.
ReplyDeleteYou know this how? She is getting pretty over and she might actually be able to draw. Her character has more layers to it than a one note trick like Zack Ryder. It is obvious Vince thinks very highly of her and she is knocking it out of the park.
ReplyDeleteIt's free on itunes, unless you guys are talking about something else. Scott mentioned a few months back that he listens to it to work so I looked into it expecting to have to pay, but it's free.
ReplyDeleteDDP looked better than Sid OR Vader last night and hasn't gotten the proper level of praise. Dude looked in great shape, and the Diamond Cutter looked roughly 100 times better than Sid's Powerbomb.
ReplyDeleteI think there are more benefits to yoga than people realize. You're right, he was in great shape.
ReplyDeleteI am so sick of people saying "never drew a dime," as a way of evaluating wrestling talent. Lita was hugely over as a babyface and a heel, and was a major contributing factor to Edge becoming a main event level heel. But she "never drew a dime," so fuck her, right?
ReplyDeleteThe Big Boss Man never main evented a ppv or put in a position close to doing so, guess he "never drew a dime." Nevermind his longevity in the business and having a character so popular that he's easily recognizable to pretty much everyone. But "never drew a dime..."
Or Lance Storm. Sure he worked for all of the top promotions in his era, won numerous titles, earned the respect of the die-hard fans by having great matches, and was able to retire at a young age with enough saved to support a family. But he "never drew a dime" so I guess he was a failure
I would love to see ddp get one last run
ReplyDeleteNo, I want Zack Ryder to get pushed too.
ReplyDeleteWow did you just compare lita to bossman and lance storm. Those were both legendary mid carders. They had awesome feuds or matches and enhanced the show. Lita was a sideshow act. She was an atrociously sloppy worker and her only gimmick was that you could see her thong. She helped edge by fucking him while matt was out with an injury and then having everyone find out. Honestly vickie Guerrero did more for edge than lita. At her best she was a valet and not a wrestler plus she never drew a nickel.
ReplyDeleteThere really are. I've been doing it for two years. The combination of flexibility and strength you get from it are insane and unlike any other form of exercise I've tried/participated in. Granted, I do a power yoga class, but you'll gain benefits from any style.
ReplyDeleteAfter watching that video of the disabled vet doing DDP Yoga... seriously, I've been recommending it to people who've complained of back problems, may even start myself.
ReplyDeleteWas she ever in a position to "draw money?" Did she ever headline a ppv? No, but she had an entertaining act (as a valet, agree on her wrestling), and people liked her. That's enough.
ReplyDeleteSkyrim has DLC? Shit, I just started Diablo 3.
ReplyDeleteMaybe in TNA?
ReplyDeleteShe just acts crazy and is unpredictable. Its not really that deep of a character. She does a fine job with the material but that is about all.
ReplyDeleteHmmm...I think we might be close to agreeing. She was solid as a valet. I was just saying womens wrestling is awful and doesn't draw. Lita had a better run as valet then most. (Including trish and the test and Albert team)
ReplyDeleteYes. The New DLC is pretty good.
ReplyDeletePhilly is basically New York lite. They'd have the same reaction.
ReplyDeleteUnpredictable is interesting to me. I don't know what AJ is going to do next but her motives have made sense, and you wonder whether she is crazy or working us all. That's pretty deep for wrestling.
ReplyDeleteI don't think all women's wrestling is awful but yeah, no one's buying WWE PPV's for the women's match. I agree with you. Just people saying "so and so never drew a dime" as a way of undercutting talent is a huge pet peeve. It is definitely the "comparing someone to Hitler to win an argument" of wrestling discussions. B/c really hardly anyone is put in a position to draw, and in the grand scheme of things there were maybe 20 true draws in wrestling, period.
ReplyDeleteMan, if this was the Atittude era Russo would swerve us all by having AJ and Eve end up as a couple. About the only reason I sort of miss the guy.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry. I laughed at that.
ReplyDeleteThey need to have the Divas scared of her creepy stalker ways ala Mickie James/Trish Stratus.
ReplyDeleteWWE certainly valued her if you believe her rumored 2006 salary of $600k+.
ReplyDeleteThe divas division probably wouldn't be a wreck if she'd stuck around full time to carry it instead of taking Jericho's advice to invest and save her money. Much like him, she's free to do as she pleases nowadays.
Sure RAW is nowhere near as good as it should be but come on, the stuff with Y2J/Bryan was awesome!
ReplyDeleteI know this because they do it every single time they push a diva. That's not hyperbole. Every diva push lasts a month or two and they get rotated off tv for while they push the new flavor of the month.
ReplyDeleteim just waiting for cena/taker.
ReplyDeleteThese shows sound absolutely abysmal lately. Like, 'the worst thing on TV' kind of bad.
ReplyDeleteThis isn't a negative commentary on Scott's writing, but I can tell a lot of these rants were/are written with his daughter lurking in the background either while writing or while he was watching. The rants seem rushed and distracted, especially when you compare them to pre-married/pre-father Scott rants from as recently at a few years ago.
But, when you have kids, a wife and a home to maintain, suddenly you have less time for everything that once was so important. Stupid shit like wrestlers trading wins/losses, 45 AJ segments or nonsensical storylines start to seem less important and their stupidity magnified by 100x. I sympathize my friend.
I'm a big fan of The Rock, but I never wanted to see him in six segments.
ReplyDeleteAnd AJ being attractive isn't justification, either. I'm assuming every wrestling fan between the age of 14-50 has high-speed Internet. If you need to be titillated, there are places for that.
If either one of them could back it up on the mic it'd be more compelling.
ReplyDeleteYeah, and with all of them, there was a very good reason. AJ is something special. Trish was too, although she grew into that. Sable was, is, and always will be a Barbie (ad a stuck up bitch), and I missed the Sunny Days so I can't comment. They're going to see where this AJ thing goes, and while that might lead to some over exposure, it means giving talent room to breathe and improve.
ReplyDeleteJust my two pennies on the whole AJ thing again: there's always room for dramatic elements in pro wrestling, but this is a bridge too far. It's crossed into Kane-Undertaker-Paul Bearer/Katie Vick/AJ-Dixie-"Claire" silliness because it detracts from what I personally feel should be the spotlight. Obviously there are ways to implement these soap opera moments into the angles, but this has nothing to do with wrestling because who really cares where AJ ends up? She isn't going to make anyone better in the ring.
ReplyDeleteNow, a couple of disclaimers:
1. If you plan on saying "then don't watch" just STFU and don't even bother replying
2. I am very aware that WWE does not have to fit my idea of what professional wrestling should be.
shakira... lol...
ReplyDeletenice ass
You aren't in the minority nearly as much as you think. This angle is giving us all the things we clamor for but the years of bitterness have built up I suppose.
ReplyDeleteSome people actig like this is pregnant Mae Young or something.
Alex Riley was pretty damn over with the live crowds last year and for a few weeks they were giving him a lot of airtime and they still proceeded to bury him for no reason whatsoever, thus rendering all the TV time they spent on him completely pointless.
ReplyDeleteIn a few months, AJ will be back to trading losses with Alicia Fox and Kaitlyn and no one will care.
The reason why everyone is claiming this AJ push is pointless is because of WWE's long track record of stopping pushes for absolutely no reason. Realistically, Jeff Hardy is the last person to have not suffered from the constant "start and stop push" syndrome. Test (R.I.P.) practically made a career out of getting pushed one month and then mysteriously jobbing on Heat the next month.
People care where AJ ends up for the same reason they cared where Elizabeth ended up or where Lita ended up or where Baby Doll ended up or any number of stories in wrestling history. Pro wrestling is BUILT on stories, and for once they have a woman manipulating men rather than the other way around.
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't need "justification," any moreso than your personal belief that six segments is too much airtime for her character.
ReplyDeleteIt's not the primary reason I enjoy her, but yes, her attractiveness contributes. There's also her performances, which are tremendous.
Meh, both moves are great and distinct.
ReplyDeleteI think Scott is down on WWE as a whole right now and they could do just about anything and it would still come off like this.
ReplyDeleteValid point, this feels different to me for some reason but we... will have to let it play out.
ReplyDeleteYou make good points.
ReplyDeleteI honestly think Riley started getting buried after he and Swagger had that really awkward exchange on a pump handle slam on RAW.
Savage and Liz is NOT the same as where AJ ends up! Dear god man, are you even aware of why that was such a big deal? How can you even compare the two?
ReplyDeleteYeah, let's agree to disagree.
ReplyDeleteI think people are over-reacting to the AJ overexposure thing. How long exactly has she dominated the show? 3 weeks? That's a blip in Raw's history, and in our memory down the road. This angle, which began last November, is reaching it's conclusion. After MitB (and the 1000th episode) we're going to move onto Punk/Cena and HHH/Brock as the focus of the company. I'm sure AJ will still be around (a 3 hour show necessitates it), and will still be crazy, but it won't be the main program.
ReplyDeleteLook what they did. They took a fresh face, a no-name Diva, and made her a STAR. They've built a compelling story that was unpredictable, but still flowed logically. I honestly believe this was one of the best long term angles they've ever run, and I think we'll remember it fondly years from now. It's also helped give Punk another signature feud in his long title reign (which some people had been complaining lacked them).
Now if you're one of the people that just flat out hasn't enjoyed it, and thinks AJ's a terrible actress and the whole thing is soap opera bullshit, then I have nothing to say. We'll just have to agree to disagree. But I feel there's some people on the other side of this issue that *are* fans of this angle, and just feel like it's been overkill the last few weeks. I understand the feeling, but like I said, it's almost over so it's understandable. Now if Punk/Cena are feuding over AJ in the summer then feel free to call me a moron.
Yeah I agree. The aj thing was cool as a nice little twist on things. But as the main thrust of the show its quickly become unbareable. There were aj segments I liked but Jesus christ enough is enough
ReplyDeleteBryan and aj initially had a little liz-savage vibe to it but this who does aj want story reminds me a lot more of when big show, edge, and cena were trying to woo vickie
ReplyDeleteGive me a break, you know exactly the point the guy was making, he explained it in the follow up (and also used other examples besides Liz/Savage). He's not saying they were equal in importance or quality (he may think that, I don't know him personally, but that's not what he said). Either argue his actual point or leave the comment alone.
ReplyDeleteOr just don't watch.
I'm almost thinking that the guys on the side of more aj are the people who want a dramatic soap opera element to the show. Not just cliff hangers and swerves but more of a whole tv show where its not just wrestling. Its stories and drama and action!
ReplyDeleteBut I think people like you and me watch the show for the wrestling and for drama etc between the guys who actually wrestle. I would rather see promos about whose better or why they don't like each other and then see it paid off in the ring. I think we like exaggerated sports theater while the other group wants traditional tv concepts applied to wrestling (applied in a good way, not saying people on the pro aj side want Cole in bbq sauce or contract disputes between heyman and hhh etc)
The thing I don't get is that most wrestlers aren't good enough to pull off the acting part, (ex. Eve and ryder) and lets face it, ajs acting blows. Shes just making faces, its awful imo
Well it was better than last week. Plus the opening segment was solid.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad someone else is saying that. I loved their interaction when jericho came out to the ring and the bit backstage. It was as if they both respected each other as similar shit bag heels but were dissmisive and cocky at the same time.
ReplyDeleteShameus isn't much on the mic but c'mon man adr isn't that bad. He cuts a nice slimy heel promo and has great body language and facial expressions
ReplyDeleteI think you might be onto something, but sometimes I think it's a case of "careful what you wish for". I think a lot of people feel like you do, but when they're actually presented that type of show, they don't enjoy it as much as they expect. I remember when Scott was reviewing Smackdown last year. It was a perfectly acceptable show, with a lot of great wrestling and straight forward storylines. Very little (if any) of the outlandish "soap opera" elements. And he (and a lot of people here, myself included) found it dull. It was too paint by numbers, too formulaic, too bland. I remember Scott even contemplated reviewing Russo-written Impact cause "at least something is happening" (or something to that effect).
ReplyDeleteThose kind of shows can be good in the 1 hour format, but 2 is stretching it (and 3? Hah!).
Since he cut that awful "shut up" promo after his divorce to "show people he wasn't upset" he's just been serving up bigger and bigger piles of shit promos. Its annoying because you know he can do better.
ReplyDeleteAlso sheamus has been on a real cold streak for promos recently.
Also late 70's early 80's bob backlund promos were kind of lame (i don't care though, i love old school bb) and really he's true template for cena
Wait, I get "Shakira" and "Noah's Ark", but what's "Mijaijah"?
ReplyDeleteThat's a very good point. And there is a reason that the raw threads get 100's of comments and smackdown gets a couple dozen. Wrestling is absolutely at its best with some sizzle. I personally prefer it to be focused on characters who can ultimately pay it off in the ring. Like you could have an aj v bryan blow off but it would suck. I felt the same when the show was built around the mcmahon family or Johnny ace etc
ReplyDeleteI largely agree with you but think Smackdown gets so little attention because it is on Friday night and gets lost in the weekend. I only found time to watch Smackdown late last night, too late to really comment on it.
ReplyDeleteShe is not a star. Like you said, she has only dominated the show for 3 weeks.
ReplyDeleteMissed this show entirely, we were busy BBQ'ing and just spaced it.
ReplyDeleteWhy couldn't they have just let Punk and Bryan fight for three months over who was the better wrestler again? What was the problem with that story exactly?
I didn't quite know who to reply to here, so I'll just take a guess. AJ showed Liz tendencies. She showed insecurity and uncertainty and nervousness when her man wanted to do things she thought might backfire, or when he got himself in dangerous situations. And AJ performed those facial expressions perfectly, portraying things quite like how Liz did. But in the end, AJ's character was Liz morphing into Mickie James. And again, IMO, she's doing an excellent job of it. The big question is what will the payoff be? Who will she side with, in the end? I think that's the key to determining the success of AJ's storyline involvement with Punk and Bryan.
ReplyDeleteShe's not a star, but she draws louder reactions than most of the stars on the roster. Hmm.
ReplyDeleteReading comprehension. Learn it.
ReplyDeleteBecause AJ is more over than both of them combined.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure you were saying the same thing when Brock Lesnar was dominating the show for approximately three weeks.
ReplyDeleteSexist.
Why should we not bother replying when you don't bother to mention why not watching is not an option?
ReplyDeleteI think it's more like Robin Greene morphing into Woman.
ReplyDeleteWait a minute...AJ is turning into Woman, while Daniel Bryan is turning into Chris Benoit??
Can't agree with you on this one Scott. They can put a box in the corner with AJ eating a bowl of cereal and I'd be fine with it. And like it or not, with AJ getting more and more attention, so is the Punk/Bryan feud. When was the last time you saw John Cena clear out of there with 5-10 minutes left in the show so that they could focus on the Punk/Bryan match.
ReplyDeleteEt tu, Joe?
ReplyDeleteAre you really comparing 3 Weeks of AJ all over TV to Brock Lesnar?
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, she was in more than half of the segments last night so who else can you cheer for
ReplyDeleteHow does AJ's actions in this show make the MITB a must buy PPV?
ReplyDeleteOr you could just watch UFC.
ReplyDelete