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By Sean Ross Sapp (@SeanRossSapp)
If you’re reading this during Raw, refresh for updates!
Well, things in the WWE got interesting fast. Whether it will be for the better or worse, I’m not sure yet. WWE has had some terrible Raw shows lately, I mean really bad. With the exception of pay-per view shows, WWE TV has been just excruciating for the last two months (not including NXT). The addition of the new characters (Bo Dallas, Rusev, Paige, Adam Rose) has completely backfired, as I thought it would. The WWE’s roster, even when depleted has been good, and fans weren’t wanting to see these people take time from guys who should have it. Smackdown never has anything important, and while Main Event has some things that could be important, nothing of note seems to happen.
Seth Rollins heel turn may shoot some life into the show, and I really hope it does, but I feel as if the show is struggling with the new talent also struggling to get over.
Some more bad news, as I reported on Fansided, Daniel Bryan will not be medically cleared for Money in the Bank, and will likely be stripped of the WWE title. This is unfortunate for Bryan and the WWE, but could be turned around to benefit him. Whoever wins the Money in the Bank ladder match needs to be a heel, preferably a fresh one, and Bryan will have a ready-made feud.
Even better, this will get the fans behind him even more, as the WWE machine will look like they’re “holding Bryan down.” I really hope WWE does a second Money in the Bank match, because they can repeat the process. When Bryan finally beats the first MITB winner that took his title, the second can cash in, win the title, and you have another fresh feud for Bryan for several months.
– The show kicked off, and the Authority confirmed the rumors. Interesting. I really wish they’d do two ladder matches, as the briefcase adds a sense of unpredictability to she show. The WWE is doing qualifying matches, so I wouldn’t mind seeing the losers of those matches be put in a briefcase match.
– The first match of the night was Sheamus/Bad News Barrett, which caused some high expectations given their recent matches, albeit not with each other.
Barrett, Cesaro, and Sheamus have been a few of the rare bright spots on Raw of late. A year ago, I wanted Sheamus gone forever
— Sean Ross Sapp (@SeanRossSapp) June 10, 2014
It was a good match, and thankfully the crowd recognized and acted accordingly. As much as I loathed Sheamus when he was trying to be a comedian, he’s fantastic when he’s in the ring, especially with someone he can brawl with. I’ve mentioned it before, when these two work with guys that can give and take a beating, they have good matches. This one was fantastic. Sheamus won with the Brogue Kick. – So Rusev came out anZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzZZZZZZZ.
R-Truth & Goldust = Blackdust
— El Pollo Loco (@RappersRActors) June 10, 2014
– Goldusts partner for this week? R Truth. They seem to be taking on Rybaxel each week of this storyline, which I’m cool with. Short, sweet, harmless match that progressed this interesting storyline of Cody Rhodes giving his brother new partners.
-There was a HILARIOUS segment where Summer Rae attacked Layla in the makeup chair and poured milk on her, and then turned a table over on her. Man, that was good.
I keep saying WWE needs more backstage segments that arent in an office. See? That was great.
— Sean Ross Sapp (@SeanRossSapp) June 10, 2014
Honestly, best first hour of Raw in weeks. – Oh, sweet. The Shield came out and kicked 3MB’s ass. That was fun. Besides when the WWE’s goober production team missed Reigns hitting a spear on Heath Slater on the ramp. Good one, guys.
I’d love to see Ambrose just go on his own, and not trust anyone. Sort of a paranoid gimmick.
— Sean Ross Sapp (@SeanRossSapp) June 10, 2014
Ambrose and Reigns cut an old school type promo, and had the crowd eating out of their hands. I love the respect this turn is being given. I’m totally into it now.
– The Usos took on Fandango and Damien Sandow, who came out dressed in a unitard dancing, and it was hilarious. Fandango was good here, too selling the smell of milk that was all over Layla from the earlier segment. This was comedy filler, and was just fine. The Usos won, of course.
sandow taking lessons from the Johnny Curtis School of Making the Most Out of Bullshit
— Ro Dallas (@roiswar) June 10, 2014
Bo Dallas is brought to you by the jug of Castrol Motor Oil he dips his head in before going to the ring
— Sean Ross Sapp (@SeanRossSapp) June 10, 2014
– The Bo Dallas/Xavier Woods match is exactly what it is every week. Not good, not terrible. It’s Bo.
– I’m all about Cesaro, and I enjoy RVD, but I’m over seeing them in matches against each other. Six was enough, WWE. Much like the last segment, it was the same match they have every week. It was fine, and had the added stipulation of qualifying for Money in the Bank, but the seventh time? C’mon. Cesaro won, as he should have.
– Seth Rollins was out for an interview with Michael Cole. He had new, terrible music that makes me think Jim Johnston is losing it. However, his promo was good, and prompted the Shield to come out.
Son. Rollins is showing his star potential right now.
— Blacksaw Jim Thuggin (@IIDeAIID) June 10, 2014
However, the Wyatts attacked, and then Cena made the save. Aligning Cena with the Shield is stupid. It’s dumb.
– I’d like to point out, Paige has done nothing since winning the Diva’s title. She’s not over, hasn’t had good matches, nothing. I’m sure she needs more time, but she’s not done much, and the little she has done has been against Alicia Fox, who she’s faced seven times since April. That’s too much, WWE. We don’t want to see the same matches on TV seven times. Man, this match sucked. The two were totally off. Paige won with her Scorpion Crosslock.
I saw a lot of people comparing Alicia Fox’s outbursts to AJ Lee’s psychotic character. Stop that. AJ Lee was the most over character on the entire show. Fox is nowhere near that.
– Jack Swagger beat Santino clean with a Gutwrench Powerbomb. Yes. This made me happy.
– Cody Rhodes talked to Goldust backstage and hyped up his partner, who he said would ‘magnify Goldust’s magnificence.’ A cliffhanger for a midcard angle!? Woah, sweet.
Main event time, Shield/Cena vs. The Wyatt Family. I expected a damn good match, but the absence of Seth Rollins was evident in this match. Not to say it was a bad match, but it was just another six man tag, instead of the Wyatts vs. The Shield.
The crowd was only reacting to Cena, and at times went totally silent, which was a little disheartening. Reigns got the pinfall victory, and finally the crowd got off their asses.
This wasn’t a good Raw. It wasn’t a bad Raw. It was a decent, totally passable Raw, and probably the best in two months, which says a lot about the quality of the program of late. Televised wrestling in America is at a real low point outside of pay-per views. There is far too much lazy booking and paint-by-numbers feuds of late, involving a half-dozen matches back to back. I hope they turn it around, because after 18 months of pretty good programming, this is inexcusable. I’ll say it again, the new characters have crippled the program. People just don’t care about them.
That’s it for now. I hope you enjoyed the blog, and be sure to check out my work on Fansided as well.
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