RAW 3/12
WWE RAW from Washington, DC on Monday night in my opinion was somewhat of a mixed bag of good and bad. I am already tired of the overhype for the McMahon-Trump stupidity, and making that the last thing on the show really made it drag. I thought they easily could have had that start the 10pm hour, then have the Gaunlet tag match with John Cena and Shawn Michaels vs three different teams be the last thing on the show. Many now feel that the Trump-McMahon thing is being pushed as the main event, much like Lawerence Taylor vs Bam Bam Biglow was for WrestleMania 11. The problem here is that Trump and McMahon are not actually wrestling, and thank goodness for that, and that means that if Bobby Lashely vs Umaga is not very good, it will really drag the whole card down.
Another thing I am hoping for is that they do the right thing and not make Lashley and Umaga the last match on the card. I really think that the spot there should go to Michales and Cena. I thought that they at first should have had Taker vs Batista, but now the hype machine has hit me hard enough to make me change my mind to saying I think it should be Michaels vs Cena.
There was a lot of good on the show, with six matches, including what I thought was a very good match with Randy Orton, Ric Flair, and Carlito. Of course the end of that saw Orton win, and with it clinch the final spot in the Money in the Bank match at Mania. No shock there, and I think with the energy right now with Orton and Edge, the MITB match should be a good one.
And I would be remiss if I didn't mention that the show was great from the standpoint of just having the Rock make a quick promo from his home in Miami. What a great surprise, and I think that it seems that he and McMahon have wrapped up any problems they reportedly have had. It was a great, classic Rock-like promo, and it fit the show perfectly. What a great spot for it as well, and you could see that the crowd was eating it up from the moment they realized it was him.
The other semi-shock of the night was the announcement of a "WrestleMania Reversal" pair of matches for next week, with John Cena vs Chris Benoit, and Shawn Michaels vs JBL. Why they would waste the return to the ring in quite some time for a RAW for JBL is beyond me, unless its just a ploy to have him come out, something happen, and then he makes it back at some other point when they can promote it right.
Overall, a good show, but again, I was a bit dragged down by the last segment, which seemed to drag forever with Trump, Lashley, Umaga, McMahon, and Steve Austin. Again, please do the right thing and have this match 3rd last on the card, otherwise you really run the risk of making what should be a very good card go very south in a hurry.
Another thing I am hoping for is that they do the right thing and not make Lashley and Umaga the last match on the card. I really think that the spot there should go to Michales and Cena. I thought that they at first should have had Taker vs Batista, but now the hype machine has hit me hard enough to make me change my mind to saying I think it should be Michaels vs Cena.
There was a lot of good on the show, with six matches, including what I thought was a very good match with Randy Orton, Ric Flair, and Carlito. Of course the end of that saw Orton win, and with it clinch the final spot in the Money in the Bank match at Mania. No shock there, and I think with the energy right now with Orton and Edge, the MITB match should be a good one.
And I would be remiss if I didn't mention that the show was great from the standpoint of just having the Rock make a quick promo from his home in Miami. What a great surprise, and I think that it seems that he and McMahon have wrapped up any problems they reportedly have had. It was a great, classic Rock-like promo, and it fit the show perfectly. What a great spot for it as well, and you could see that the crowd was eating it up from the moment they realized it was him.
The other semi-shock of the night was the announcement of a "WrestleMania Reversal" pair of matches for next week, with John Cena vs Chris Benoit, and Shawn Michaels vs JBL. Why they would waste the return to the ring in quite some time for a RAW for JBL is beyond me, unless its just a ploy to have him come out, something happen, and then he makes it back at some other point when they can promote it right.
Overall, a good show, but again, I was a bit dragged down by the last segment, which seemed to drag forever with Trump, Lashley, Umaga, McMahon, and Steve Austin. Again, please do the right thing and have this match 3rd last on the card, otherwise you really run the risk of making what should be a very good card go very south in a hurry.
