RAW Superthread

beakerjoe · 04-08-2020 11:14PM

I watch it out of habit, though in the last 2 years I have only watched big events and clips of Raw or SD.

But my god, its getting harder and harder to watch. I comment here as I am a WWE fan who optimistically has hoped for the best over the years.

Covid done it no favors and the low ratings have not been used as a catalyst for deep change.

Vince gives us what he thinks he want. In 2020, I dont think he knows how to give people what they want.

This latest attempt for change for me, will not make me tune in nor will it bring in new fans long term.

Change needs to happen and as long as he is in charge, the reform wont happen.

Look at NXT, it thrives on aspects that work and is held back my being a third fiddle to Raw or Smackdown.

If Raw was booked like NXT, it be ten times more watchable.

Loughc · 04-08-2020 11:17PM

The frustrating thing is they can do it when they want to. Remember when they reintroduced the brand split. The draft was cool.

The first raw was brilliant with great matches new camera angles less camera switches and even interviews post match in the ring.

It felt fresh and exciting and they made Balor a star in one show.

But then 2 weeks later it was back being the same Raw as always.

beakerjoe · 04-08-2020 11:24PM

Loughc wrote: »

The frustrating thing is they can do it when they want to. Remember when they reintroduced the brand split. The draft was cool.

The first raw was brilliant with great matches new camera angles less camera switches and even interviews post match in the ring.

It felt fresh and exciting and they made Balor a star in one show.

But then 2 weeks later it was back being the same Raw as always.

Over the recent years, while negatives out weigh the positives, there has been great programming.

I loved SD when the brand split happened back in 2016, I think. Talking Smack, Bryan, Miz, AJ, Ambrose, Ellsworth, Orton, Ziggler, Wyatt..... all booked very well.

So much bad decisions recently, before Covid...... the Kofi squash, Too much Corbain, Wyatt jobbing to Goldberg, it is a different show completely, with most of the same personalities.

The White Feather · 05-08-2020 12:16AM

Loughc wrote: »

Well here you go.

It wasn’t even meant to be a thing. They’ll drop it like a hot snot.

I know what ypu mean but hopefully not

https://twitter.com/WWE/status/1290786185397317634?s=19

Agent Coulson · 05-08-2020 12:22AM

I wonder will it be a stable of April releases looking for "Retribution"

ThePott · 05-08-2020 12:23AM

That's what I thought before alright could also see it being forgotten superstars

Furious-Red · 05-08-2020 12:24AM

ThePott wrote: »

That's what I thought before alright could also see it being forgotten superstars

Forgotten Sons?

Pentecost · 05-08-2020 12:25AM

Agent Coulson wrote: »

I wonder will it be a stable of April releases looking for "Retribution"

Most have gone elsewhere at this point haven't they?

ThePott · 05-08-2020 12:29AM

Furious-Red wrote: »

Forgotten Sons?

God forbid, bringing back a group that got condemned for was taken off for political reasons and bringing them back as rioters would seem a bit thick.

Pentecost wrote: »

Most have gone elsewhere at this point haven't they?

I was thinking of this and that's why I was worried because the people left would be pretty lacklustre. No Way Jose gonna lead them :pac:

Pentecost · 05-08-2020 12:30AM

More likely a bunch of soon to be forgotten, disposable NXTers.

J. Marston · 05-08-2020 12:32AM

Great, a bunch of jobbers. That'll put buts in seats.

CastorTroy · 05-08-2020 12:43AM

ThePott wrote: »

I was thinking of this and that's why I was worried because the people left would be pretty lacklustre. No Way Jose gonna lead them :pac:

Reminds me last week's Impact had a quick joke with his name (at about 2:55)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_iK-DzTqOI

It will probably be NXTers that they have nothing for on the weekly shows.

Agent Coulson · 05-08-2020 12:44AM

So kayfabe cinematic shoot fighting is the future of the WWE.

Genetic Jackhammer · 05-08-2020 12:53AM

That was just so bad steal a good idea from the indys and then make a total WWE balls of it by tying to make slick and shiny instead of making it gritty and cheap looking like a real underground fight scene would be.

Agent Coulson · 05-08-2020 12:58AM

CastorTroy wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_iK-DzTqOI

That is the greatest thing I have seen ever!

PTH2009 · 05-08-2020 01:05AM

Retribution is Nexes part 2 with Nia as the leader

:)

Remember a time when we thought Joe was going to attack Dominik ?, time does wonders and the 2 seem to have put there differences aside to beat the real baddy Seth Rollins

J. Marston · 05-08-2020 01:22AM

PTH2009 wrote: »

Retribution is Nexes part 2 with Nia as the leader :)

Remember a time when we thought Joe was going to attack Dominik ?, time does wonders and the 2 seem to have put there differences aside to beat the real baddy Seth Rollins

She was punished by WWE last night, she was in that all black get up.

Fúck, you're probably right but I'm praying you're wrong.

Agent Coulson · 05-08-2020 03:59AM

This would have been better if it came from Shane's old drinking partner Johnny Polo however it still did make me giggle from Dreamer.

https://twitter.com/THETOMMYDREAMER/status/1290483159495143424?s=20

CastorTroy · 05-08-2020 08:20AM

Agent Coulson wrote: »

That is the greatest thing I have seen ever!

I posted all 3 parts in the Impact thread of you want to watch them.

As for Nia being in the group, I think it's safe to say she wasn't caught on camera. I know they say black is slimming, but it's not that magical

Lord TSC · 05-08-2020 09:07AM

Seems to be two schools of thought with regards the group.

One is that Rusev, Maria & Mike Bennet all were tweeting anti-Shane stuff at the same time, with Bennet also posting about how underused Ali is, and that they could form a part of the group. A group who want retribution for being fired or not used properly. I thought Rusev had joined TNA though?

The other is a few NXT guys seemed to wipe their twitter recently; Ciampa and dijakovic have both wiped their twitters and replaced their header images with a black box, and Dijak fits the profile of one of the people seen in the video. This one feels way more likely. A group of NXT guys who feel they've been overlooked in call ups, etc.

CastorTroy · 05-08-2020 11:24AM

Ciampa jumping around like a teenager excited about doing something rebellious doesn't seem right. There were 5 with at least 1 being a woman, I think?

Haven't watched this week's Impact yet but no sign of Rusev. Bennett and Maria were on Talk n Shop at the weekend.

A group with Ciampa and Dijak would be pretty good. Problem is though they risk being Nexused unless HHH really puts the foot down. Funny both those guys were beaten by Kross.

DM_7 · 05-08-2020 02:02PM

I 'watched' RAW this week.

Well I used fast forward for most of it tbh but only watched to see what the underground stuff was about. It felt like them trying to use the cinematic type matches in a new way and it was an interesting idea but not well executed.

I think WWE is crying out for a more back to basis approach.

In the end they will never have a good weekly show on a regular basis, three hours is just far too long to ever be able to achieve it and as posters here said at the time it was going to kill the tv shows in the long run.

PTH2009 · 05-08-2020 02:42PM

scared myself for a second there

Maybe there doing the hacker again with this group and Nia is the hacker

They poison people too

beakerjoe · 05-08-2020 03:42PM

DM_7 wrote: »

I 'watched' RAW this week.

I think WWE is crying out for a more back to basis approach.

Couldn't agree more. AEW kept it simple at the start and it allowed them to get a foothold. Nothing too wild, but they did the basics of story telling with a very talent group. WWE can easily do this but they dont have the patience.

CastorTroy · 05-08-2020 03:48PM

But they were solely responsible for the Daniel Bryan slow build, according to that video package they did.

Speaking of Bryan, I think he poisoned Montez due to all the plastic cups he goes through, polluting the environment

The White Wolf · 05-08-2020 04:01PM

CastorTroy wrote: »

Speaking of Bryan, I think he poisoned Montez due to all the plastic cups he goes through, polluting the environment

Good enough for him for coming up with that prancing cup holding nonsense.

Lord TSC · 05-08-2020 04:27PM

John Pollack: Hour 3 of Raw feat. Raw Underground compared to last week's third hour (which was an all-time low):
Adults 18-49: +24%;
Females 18-49: +54%;
Males 18-49: +9%;
Adults 18-34: +82%;
Females 12-34: +237.5% (not a typo);
Males 12-34: +86%;
Adults 25-54: +15%;
Adults 50+: -6.5%

beakerjoe · 05-08-2020 04:28PM

Lord TSC wrote: »

John Pollack: Hour 3 of Raw feat. Raw Underground compared to last week's third hour (which was an all-time low):
Adults 18-49: +24%;
Females 18-49: +54%;
Males 18-49: +9%;
Adults 18-34: +82%;
Females 12-34: +237.5% (not a typo);
Males 12-34: +86%;
Adults 25-54: +15%;
Adults 50+: -6.5%

How much will be here to watch next week though

I dont think what we saw makes people keep coming back. Id reckon the hype job pushed the numbers

Lord TSC · 05-08-2020 04:41PM

Probably. But it's probably a bit of a positive sign that they generated enough buzz over hours 1 and 2 to get people in. Especially, apparently, young women (is Shane a hot draw? lol)

It shows there is actually a market there. People WANT to watch.

Just that when they do, they tend to get chased off again quickly.

beakerjoe · 05-08-2020 05:13PM

Lord TSC wrote: »

Probably. But it's probably a bit of a positive sign that they generated enough buzz over hours 1 and 2 to get people in. Especially, apparently, young women (is Shane a hot draw? lol)

It shows there is actually a market there. People WANT to watch.

Just that when they do, they tend to get chased off again quickly.

Oh there sure is people who want to watch, myself included.

Lets say, for example, Rusev Bennett etc return as a stable. Its a great idea IMO, but usually in the first few weeks, like most storylines, their execution is usually poor to abysmal. Then they job them out or drop them.

And I go back to not watching.

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