"WWE RAW" 3-15-10 Talkback (Spoilers)

[The Penguin]

This thread is to discuss tonight's RAW only. Spoilers for iMPACT! are not appropriate here as all may not be able to watch the show this evening. Put another way: No iMPACT! Spoilers!

"TNA iMPACT!" Talkback (Spoilers)

Tonight is the big night, WWE Hall of Famer Stone Cold Steve Austin is the guest host of tonight's RAW! The Texas Rattlesnake is no stranger to RAW authority, having once served as Co-General Manager and "Sheriff." Tonight, he will preside over the contract signing between Bret Hart and Vince McMahon.

WWE RAW #877
Monday, March 15, 2010 @ 9 p.m. ET/8 CT on USA Network

REWOUND RAW
"Stone Cold" Steve Austin returns to guest host Monday Night Raw on a night he's decreed WrestleMania Rewind Night, featuring Triple H vs. Randy Orton, World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho vs. HBK, and John Cena vs. Unified Tag Champion Big Show.

DOTTED ENEMY LINES
Before Mr. McMahon and Bret "Hit Man" Hart make history in the ring at WrestleMania, the two will sign the contract for their epic encounter on Raw ... with both men's longtime rival, guest host "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, presiding.

[The Penguin]

This thread is to discuss tonight's RAW only. Spoilers for iMPACT! are not appropriate here as all may not be able to watch the show this evening. Put another way: No iMPACT! Spoilers!

"TNA iMPACT!" Talkback (Spoilers)

[zoombie]

I think two things will happens tonight.

1) After the contract is signed, Bret will reveal that accident was all staged by him, and it was a trap to trick McMahon into the match.

2) Austin will be the guest referee for Bret / Vince match.

Noticed already there is a white shirt under Austin's black t - shirt. That has to be a referee shirt.

[Jin Kazama]

Few things so far:

-Since they are going through with Sheamus/HHH, I kinda do wish it was for the title. Just so it would give me a reason to actually care about the match. Because right now, I could care less. Batista/Cena doesn't really need the title on the line. Just bragging rights to being "the future" could be enough. It's basically what the feud is about right now anyway. But HHH/Sheamus needs something badly.

-Looks like we're now set for our annual Wrestlemania "throw all of the Divas into one match because we can't think of something else to do with them" match.

-Austin is really on tonight. Ever since he retired from in-ring, he's pretty much become a parody of himself. Make an appearance, say his catch phrases, give someone a stunner, go home. But he's really on his game tonight. Nice to have the old Austin back.

-Note to self: If you're Chris Jericho, do not go into Wrestlemania with a World Title. You're going to look like a fool. You'll either take care of the boss' dog, or get destroyed for multiple weeks by the #1 contender.

[Wonderwall]

-Note to self: If you're Chris Jericho, do not go into Wrestlemania with a World Title. You're going to look like a fool. You'll either take care of the boss' dog, or get destroyed for multiple weeks by the #1 contender.

I seriously don't get this feud unless they pull a fast one and have Jericho win at Mania, which I highly doubt they will. You mentioned you had no interest in the HHH/Sheamus feud, I think this one is far worse. So far the story here is the equivalent to Superman beating up Jimmy Olson.

[Generator James]

Updated WM card
WWE Championship
Dave "The Animal" Batista vs John Cena
World Heavyweight Championship
Chris Jericho vs Edge
Unified Tag Team Championships
ShoMiz vs Truth & Wisdom
Career vs Streak Rematch
Shawn Micheals vs The Undertaker
Money In The Bank
Christian vs Kane vs MVP vs Evan Bourne vs Jack Swagger vs Dolph Ziggler vs Shelton Benjamin vs Matt Hardy vs Drew Macintrye vs ?
Sheamus vs Triple H
Bret "The Hitman" Hart vs Mr.McMahon
C.M. Punk vs Rey Mysterio
Randy Orton vs Cody Rhodes vs Ted Dibiase Jr.
Edit if i'm forgetting anything.

[TnAdct1]

If anyone deserves to be in the wrestling Hall of Fame, it's definitely Gorgeous George, the first major wrestling superstar and the innovator of the heel wrestler concept that is common in wrestling today.

[Aces 21]

Has this episode become "The Night of Run-Ins and Distractions?" What gives?

I too do not understand why Jericho is being made to look weak. Isn't this the third week where's he's been in this position? Make him get one up on Edge before 'Mania.


New 'Taker/Michaels promo is good. Way to get me hyped for WrestleMania.


Right now, I feel annoyed watching this episode.

[Kindness King]

Jericho DID get one over on Edge last Friday (Tuesday if you want to be technical). I really don't see a problem with this at all. The crowd gave a huge pop when he came out and again when he hit the spear. There are times in the past when Jericho was on top. Edge is making another comeback, this time as a face. So, I don't see why they shouldn't make him look strong.


Austin's promo at the beginning was awesome. The guy still knows how to work a crowd.

[zoombie]

I think two things will happens tonight.

1) After the contract is signed, Bret will reveal that accident was all staged by him, and it was a trap to trick McMahon into the match.

2) Austin will be the guest referee for Bret / Vince match.

Noticed already there is a white shirt under Austin's black t - shirt. That has to be a referee shirt.

One for two, not bad.

[Aces 21]

Jericho DID get one over on Edge last Friday (Tuesday if you want to be technical). I really don't see a problem with this at all. The crowd gave a huge pop when he came out and again when he hit the spear. There are times in the past when Jericho was on top. Edge is making another comeback, this time as a face. So, I don't see why they shouldn't make him look strong.


Austin's promo at the beginning was awesome. The guy still knows how to work a crowd.

I sadly don't keep up with Smackdown! due to working on Fridays and becoming disinterested on watching replays later. But nice to know!

And zoombie (and probably everyone else on the Internet) called it on Bret's injury being faked into a match with Vince.

[Wonderwall]

Jericho DID get one over on Edge last Friday (Tuesday if you want to be technical). I really don't see a problem with this at all. The crowd gave a huge pop when he came out and again when he hit the spear. There are times in the past when Jericho was on top. Edge is making another comeback, this time as a face. So, I don't see why they shouldn't make him look strong.

There's making a returning babyface look strong and then there's overdoing it. This is overdoing it. Since his return Edge has

-Won the rumble
-Beaten the tag champs clean in consecutive weeks( those matches weren't super competitive either )
-Punked out Jericho something like 4 times now
-Cost Taker the match against Jericho before the EC

The only times he's looked human was last Friday and the time Taker attacked him against Batista and he just tonight he paid back Jericho. Jericho pulled out the "youre still hurt" card but that's so hollow considering all the stuff he's done since his return. So why would anyone buy into this match? I can't think of a compelling reason to watch this match.

[hobbyfan]

I too do not understand why Jericho is being made to look weak. Isn't this the third week where's he's been in this position? Make him get one up on Edge before 'Mania.

He got that one up on Friday, Aces. Don't you have Smackdown on your DVR?

[Marvin Tikvah]

I can. It's Chris Jericho and Edge, two of the most talented and entertaining wrestlers in the company. They're probably going to put on the best performance on the night.

Plus, if you really want to find an excuse for making Jericho not look weak, you can say Edge's craftiness carriers over to his face persona, even though he's not really cheating in matches anymore.

[Aces 21]

He got that one up on Friday, Aces. Don't you have Smackdown on your DVR?

No DVR or MyNetworkTv, hobbyfan.

I know Smackdown! is a totally worthwhile show, but I just feel like I can't catch a break.

My goal: Watch Smackdown! on the net and hang tough.

I CAN DO IT, I TELLS YA!

[hobbyfan]

Flipping between shows again, so I missed some things, obviously.

For example, I don't know if Orton was declared the winner via DQ due to Legacy's run-in. One must assume so.

FWIW, Michael Cole, professional idiot and former radio news guy, was dead wrong on Rhodes & DiBiase "not existing" before joining with Orton. Like, don't 2 tag team titles mean anything anymore?

Simply Flawed has set the table for a Raw vs. Smackdown diva throwdown at Mania. Right now, I think we're going to get Kelly/Eve/Gail, plus the Bellas vs. Simply Flawed/Serena/Natalya. Yah, I'm throwing Vickie in there, because she deserves to get knocked around. This has been building since that walking pumpkin bigfooted the Divas tournament final at Elimination Chamber. Either you go with the combos I have above, or, the Raw divas call a truce to defend the brand's honor, with Maryse & Alicia in place of the Bellas (which would improve the workrate, admittedly), in which case Mrs. Pumpkin will force Beth Phoenix to be on her team, abusing her power yet again. Remember, Serena has seen 0 match action since coming in. It's time for her to prove she's more than just arm candy for CM Punk.

Stone Cold announcing the inclusion of Stu Hart in the Hall of Fame helped make that final segment, even if Bret did telegraph the big reveal with that Cheshire Cat smirk that said, "I know something you don't", to Vince. I'd have thought Gorgeous George would've gone in eons ago, but he is a deserving pick.

One other thing on George. I got a DVD through mail order the other week, "The Glory Days of Wrestling", and George is in the 1st match. Seeing that profile made me think of what happened to Adrian Adonis at the end of his career, when he was morphed into a grotesque parody of George, IMPO, and I do mean grotesque. George would've run rings around Adonis if he'd been around at that point (1988). That DVD, BTW, also features a early 80's cage match in Memphis between Jerry Lawler & Randy Savage in the wimpiest looking cage I've ever seen. When was the last time you saw a cage held together with wood? If you live in Memphis, try to explain it to me, 'kay?

Cena-Big Show was another predictable screwjob. Batista costs Cena again. Unacceptable, and it set the tone for the night. I believe HBK was the only face to win a match. This unbalanced booking should be outlawed, and maybe it will if Chairman Wackjob ever retires, preferably right after Mania.

Seems to me Vince is going out of his way to make Smackdown look 3rd rate to satisfy his ego in relation to Raw. Consider:

The World Champion, Chris Jericho, is being made to look like a near-complete tool, as he has only gotten the upper hand on Edge once in the last month. To compare this to the angle with HHH/Stephanie in 2002 is foolish. It was a different set of circumstances.

The Women's Champion has regressed to a schoolyard bully who hides behind a power-mad ex-GM.

The Intercontinental Champion has been reduced to a whiny, spoiled, incorrigible brat who needs help from the insane chairman to soothe his fragile psyche, convincing himself he never loses.

Of course, the heel champs on Raw aren't that much better. Mizizzle is overexposed, Maryse is actually looking like a better class of champion than Me-Chelle McCool, Batista is finding his heel groove, circa 2003, but is, like Jericho, a lame duck champion, and Big Show deserves a better partner than Miz, or could upgrade if he tires of carrying the little dweeb.

The one true solution, of course, is to get rid of Vince once and for all. Once he gets humiliated by Bret (and you know he will), he should go away until Christmas, and take Vickie with him.

Next week's main event is a 3-on-2 handicap, a mini-Evolution reunion vs. Sheamus & Legacy, which will get some of you back on the conspiracy track, but in truth, I think it's a case of them continuing the young guns angle that Cole hinted at earlier, referencing when Shea teamed with Miz & Drew McCrybaby at Survivor Series. It'll probably end up no contest.

[Wonderwall]

I can. It's Chris Jericho and Edge, two of the most talented and entertaining wrestlers in the company. They're probably going to put on the best performance on the night.

Plus, if you really want to find an excuse for making Jericho not look weak, you can say Edge's craftiness carriers over to his face persona, even though he's not really cheating in matches anymore.

That's good but I don't watch wrestling purely for the wrestling. It needs the hook of a storyline especially going into Mania so it goes from being a good match to an amazing experience. It's good for a SD but I'm not paying money to see it.

They can still keep Edge crafty without making Jericho look like an imbecile though. Jericho is supposed to be a crafty guy too yet he falls victim to the same shtick week in and week out. Edge shows up, they talk, tries to hit him, spear. When the storyline hinges on the spear as the deciding factor the whole thing falls apart when he's constantly hitting him with it and he just walks away clutching his title.

[sag_2002]

The good:

+Austin, of course. He was my most anticipated guest host when he was announced about a month ago, and, once again, the Rattlesnake delivered the goods.

+Good matches tonight, with one very notable exception, which I'll get to below.

+The closing segment was yet another bit of brilliance in the Hart-McMahon rivalry. The "Bret isn't injured at all" swerve was obvious, but they revealed it beautifully.

The bad:

-As I said, the majority of the in-ring action was good, but the diva's match was more brutal than usual. And, the post-match beatdown was even worse. Vickie was the icing on the fail cake.

-Not so much bad, as it was disappointing, but given the circumstances, I would've loved to hear Good Ol' JR back on commentary.

The surprising:

-Kinda surprised that Austin didn't assign himself as the special ref for Hart-McMahon.

Overall: Great guest host, superb closing segment, and some decent matches (diva's debacle notwithstanding), RAW wins Round 2 of Monday Night War 2.0. 4/5.

[Nygma]

fun fact: since the cena-batista feud started, Cena has yet to even get an upper hand against Dave.
And people were calling the Jericho-Edge feud one-sided?

Kinda disappointed Austin didn't share a beer with Bret at the end.

If you didn't see Bret faking the leg injury coming, you haven't been watching wrestling for very long. Well at least he didn't give a 20 minute speech about losing his smile.

Match Ratings:
-Cena-Show: 3/4*
-Kelly-Maryse: DUD
-HBK-Y2J: **1/4
-Orton-Hunter: **1/2
-Batista-Kofi: *

-Batista refused the towel after bleeding against Kofi, good for him, we don't need this PG bs shoved down are throats. And what's with them censoring the word ass? This PG stuff is getting ridiculous.

-Speaking of Kofi, why is he not in the money in the bank ladder match, but the bookers are willing to bend over for Drew McIntyre's mediocrity?

[Wonderwall]

The difference is Batista is a heel and has had Vince help him to constantly screw Cena and stack the odds in his favor. It's what bad guys do. Edge and Jericho is just those two and it's the good guy making it look like a walk in the park. When you put them up together from a storyline perspective the WWE title is far more interesting as now people will want to see Cena get Bats. The World title looked like it was going to get interesting but then they had Edge kill Jericho yet again.