RAW Superthread

Lana through the table again, the new streak and even champ Asuka don't care

Agent Coulson wrote: »

Asuka deserves so much better than tagging with the generic blondes.

It’s true.. the women’s division has been dire for years, despite their best efforts to tell us differently.. nothing against mandy and Dana, but basically they’re generic and aren’t interesting in the slightest and average in the ring at best

Loughc wrote: »

I'll be honest I was not expecting THAT title change. Will be a good matchup for Roman at SS. Roman to go over I say and makes more sense not to do heel vs heel if they want to emphaise Roman as this big bad heel.

Can't see drew losing clean, could be a miz cash in or some form of interference

On a side note his highlander themed entrance was pretty cool

Happy Drew won the title back and the match with Roman could be great

Can see Orton maybe take a few weeks off and as someone else said Sheamus vs Drew could be in the pipeline

The Xmas jumper I got is a Drew McIntyre one with him holding a sword. So I'm guessing there trying to plug that

https://euroshop.wwe.com/en_GB/drew-mcintyre-claymore-country-ugly-holiday-sweater/119277567E.html?dwvar_119277567E_color=No Color#start=6

I like that Drew and Sheamus are friends despite one being face and the other heel. Usually all heels and faces hate each other for no reason in wrestling.

Loughc wrote: »

Except you know this will lead to a Sheamus double cross out of nowhere.

Of course it will. Drew needs a new challenger after Orton & Reigns.

I expect an appearance from Mammy McIntyre, who will be Brogue Kicked into oblivion.

gerrybbadd wrote: »

Of course it will. Drew needs a new challenger after Orton & Reigns.

I expect an appearance from Mammy McIntyre, who will be Brogue Kicked into oblivion.

Bit tricky, she's been dead for over 5 years.

I'd love to see Sheamus get another world title reign

caught the 2 title matches really good i though especially the tag team title match

Loved the tag match. Really felt fresh and couldnt call a winner. The pre match promo from the New Day was abysmal.

Team Raws shenanigans isnt top of the card material but it was entertaining. AJ is a likable goof.

The main event was very telegraphed so the title change didnt do much for me accept for putting it on the right man. The focus since Smackdown has been all Drew, so it was obvious IMO.

It really makes you wonder about Ortons title reign. Why on earth do it if your gonna do this so quickly. It be different if Edge cost him the gold perhaps, but to lose clean here makes his reign that more strange. Like it never happened.

Im imagining a screwy finish come Sunday or a Bait and switch. WWE really book themselves into a dead end with the year on year booking of always having it Raw v Smackdown.

How would I book Sunday..... I wouldnt. Its a money make and needs more than 2 weeks build.

Depending on how they book Mania, whether its Drew vs Roman or Edge or Big E.... both men need to come out of this strong.

beakerjoe wrote: »

The match was hotshotted but the angle was not.... I think.

I wasnt expecting a huge jump as it was all half arsed. We had already seen Drew v Randy in arguably average matches. I had no desire to see it.

Now had they hotshotted Keith Lee, Big E or a top NXT star on a weeks notice.... Id be more inclined to watch live to see if they could reach the top. Drew v Randy again after 3 previous matches.... it didnt do anything for me.

Match or angle, I don't know but hotshotted is the word. Was this title match even advertised the previous week? I'm not asking in a smart way, I really don't know. And then changing the champion the week of a ppv and changing 1 of the main matches of the ppv. For all the talk of "this is Orton's best year ever" and that he's a big star this is just another example that, outside of WWE's hierarchy, there's nothing to back that up.

But anyway, when even a big title switch doesn't sway the number very much you know there's something wrong.

beakerjoe wrote: »

But the WWE problems are there the last 10....14 years. Year after year of poor booking. Its not a new trend. The problems are deep and systematic. Their whole product needs an overhaul and a change at the top.

Oh I agree, there's far larger problems at play than just "Orton doesn't draw" or "nobody cares about Drew"

I think I said it in my original post, the proof was in the pudding this morning post title switch, 10 years ago you're talking hot major news, today I can honestly say except for a couple of mentions my bubble was completely meh to it. 10 years ago that reaction is unthinkable.

beakerjoe wrote: »

But nothing will ever improve. The basic structure of their shows is beyond stale 3 hours of it is just horrible.

Its never changed in years and its the main cause of their ratings decline. AEW and even NXT is infinitely more entertaining and digestible.

I have never seen a poor Dynamite.... theyve had disappointing shows by their high standards but nothing utterly terrible.

NXT is similar, its had poor weeks but never anything extremely horrible or change the channel bad.

For every positive thing Raw or SD does, its hamstringed by poor booking, 3 hours or just plain horrible sterile presentation.

They have so much talent, yet the misuse it time and time again. Covids no fans hasnt helped but Ive got past it with AEW and NXT because there is usually something very entertaining at the core.

I agree, without getting into it too much everything from how they produce TV, to how they tell stories, to how completely generic everyone sounds, the lack of any spontaneity, how they train their wrestlers, literally every single thing about watching WWE is frustrating from the point of view of a wrestling fan. And I get it, I'm not the target audience, they don't want wrestling fans, but I genuinely try to put myself into the shoes of a Ryan Satin or someone who sits down and watches 7 hours of weekly WWE TV every week (I swear I'd rather die than do that) and actually enjoys it and for the life of me I can't understand how. I honestly can't. It's awful pro wrestling that wants to be TV to me. It's awful TV that's just wrestling to a randomer who turns it on. Who does this thing appeal to?

This is the Raw thread so I won't go too far on this but NXT too has been awful since it went to USA. They had a brand that did differentiate itself, that had a different feel to it, that seemed to appeal to a wrestling audience, a younger viewer. Well, it went to USA and we found out that younger viewers didn't care about it and then, slowly but surely it's morphed into just an extension of Raw and SD. I used to watch it every week, but in the same way I just can't sit through Raw and SD, a couple months ago I finally gave up on it. It's just another main roster brand now with all of the stupidity, silliness and nonsensical storytelling of the other brands.

When the fans come back there'll be a bump, like there was the 1st week of Raw Underground or the first few weeks of the Thunder dome but pre Covid ratings were trending downwards and, once the initial bump fades, I'd expect it to return to that pattern.

And, finally (!), for the life of me I can't understand how this company that has like a 300 wrestlers on the payroll or something stupid like that, a multi million dollar performance center too, still rely on Randy Orton, Undertaker (at Survivor Series), Edge (Mania) and then guys who are absolutely useless like Wyatt. How in the name of God do you have a roster with the likes of Owens, Bryan, Styles, Cole, O'Reilly, Strong, Zayn, Ricochet and God knows who else I'm forgetting and still rely on old guys or guys who can't draw or work. It boggles the mind. The problem is so much larger than who works on top but at least give yourself a fighting chance!

gerrybbadd wrote: »

Of course it will. Drew needs a new challenger after Orton & Reigns.

I expect an appearance from Mammy McIntyre, who will be Brogue Kicked into oblivion.

hynesie08 wrote: »

Bit tricky, she's been dead for over 5 years.

Vince would not do another Katie Vick storyline