Since all the other shows I watch on Monday Nights are done for the season, I got to watch WWE’s Monday Night RAW in its entirety.
I liked how RAW opened, amidst the action of Edge and Evan Bourne in a fight. We get a little bit of the background on why the two are fighting – Evan Bourne apparently wanting his shot, and Edge is not surprisingly in control. I really liked how this wasn’t a squash opportunity for Edge to get some “heel style-points”, as Evan Bourne does get in some offense before missing his Air Bourne (Shooting Star Press) and then Edge hitting the spear. When Edge inevitably got the microphone, he did a great job of making his Fatal 4Way opponents look good before running down the fans and making his statement. It was weird to hear Edge mention being a 10 time World Champion – especially because I remember a decade ago (or thereabouts) thinking that Edge should get the World Title for the first time. Randy Orton shows up, hits the RKO neckbreaker on Edge and then heads out. This was just the first of many things that happened tonight which make me think that RAW has a new writer backstage… or at least a new (or returning?) voice with some significant influence.
Ashton Kutcher was a pretty good guest host. I liked the stuff he did with “putting a hit” on Zack Ryder, who I think is a very talented competitor. Decent payoff near the end of the show with Alicia Fox turning on Ryder. Decent little promo with The Miz, and good interaction with Bret Hart. Definitely had me laughing (just a little bit) at the “Farmhand” stuff.
Also, the Killers movie looks like it could be pretty good, a different take on Mr. & Mrs. Smith, and who doesn’t love Katherine Heigl.
{Hey Ashton, if you read this, please RT it on Twitter}
It made me happy to see that the United States Title was involved on the show – in a big way. It wasn’t a title defense, but a match with Chris Jericho makes for a high profile / high visibility way to give the fans a reason to care about R-Truth and the United States Championship. Decent little reversal to the Walls Of Jericho, though I guess I watch more wrestling than the announcers, because I’ve seen it before (they claimed not to have seen it before).
It’s cool to see Bret Hart talking to the Hart Dynasty, telling them that he’s not going to give them special privileges as RAW GM just because they’re all related. I like how he tells them that they’ll have to deal with the adversity of last week on their own (more on that situation later).
Anytime we can see Maryse on-screen, it’s a good thing. Eve Torres? Works for me. Santino is almost always hillarious, and I’ve been a fan of William Regal for a long time. I enjoyed the finish primarily because it involved a new angle for Vladimir Kozlov. He will have to work on that move, though.
The Vince McMahon and Bret Hart in-ring confrontation was really good. I was wondering how long it would be before those two crossed paths, and now it’s got me looking forward to a continuation (to some degree) of their involvement with one another. The announcement of next week’s RAW being a full WWE locker-room, 3 hour version is just icing on the cake. The Ted DiBiase part was a means to the end of announcing that RAW would be “viewer’s choice”, but I like that they continued to evolve Ted DiBiase’s character with the segment, and Ashton Kutcher had a nice involvement with his “suggestion”
The Miz vs Bryan Danielson (“Daniel Bryan”) was very enjoyable. I was hoping that Bryan would make The Miz tap out, but I’m okay with the creative pinfall from the crossface position. I also really enjoyed the aftermath where The Miz seemed to have the upperhand, but yet again the writers surprise me with Bryan not only getting the upperhand, but also throwing The Miz across the announce table into Michael Cole. Very nicely done. I had originally thought it would’ve been good for the United States Championship to be involved, but I’m enjoying things how they are playing out.
The attack on the Hart Dynasty last week by three unidentified individuals had me wondering who the trio were, and I’m certainly glad we got our answer. They’re apparently the Uso brothers, descendants of the Samoan Anoa’i family, and Tamina, the daughter of Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka, and they’re not playing up the stereotypical “Samoan” gimmick, which is good. They will have to work on their promo skills a bit, but I’m just glad WWE doesn’t make them pretend to not know English like with so many other Samoans before them. The Hart Dynasty show up, get the upperhand, and are then taken out by the Uso / Tamina trio in a very well executed “brawl”.
I can’t remember when it occurred, but I laughed when Randy Orton got hit by the door backstage, with Edge being the culpret. With all the various concepts which are devised to be used in attacks, I like the fact that Orton was about to enter his locker room, only to get his shoulder re-injured by having the door slammed shut on it.
Good choice to pick Evan Bourne to replace Randy Orton in the main event tag match, and it was a nice little moment for Bourne to pick up the victory. He was on a really decent run back in ECW, but ever since he showed up on RAW, he’s been used to help make other people look good, and tonight did well to give him some credibility back. I’m not saying he should be beating Edge or Sheamus or any other main eventer on a pay per view, but he’s a talent, to be sure, and should be given more credibility than the past few months have seen.
I was a little surprised to see Evan Bourne in the main event getting the winning pinfall. I think the main problem I had with it is he’s been jobbing so hard that it’s hard to see Bourne as a credible main event threat. Don’t get me wrong, I think Bourne has all the tools to make it, but at this junction it just seemed awkward to me.
If by “pretty good” you mean not there and filmed his stuff at what appeared to be a press junket? Then yes. Ashton was pretty good. Truthfully his segments were solid, but clearly pre-taped. Which, honestly? I don’t have a problem with at all. Especially with some of the awfulness guest hosts have brought to the ring in the past.
I LOVE that they opened the show with 2 guys brawling. Keeps the “WWE Nation” on its toes. And while I missed it (Stanley Cup Game 2 took precedent), I still think its an great way to shake things up. When friends told me the show opened with Bourne and Edge brawling I thought I was being (cue: Kutcher tie in) Punk’d. – THen Bourne gets Orton’s spot in the ME. THEN Bourne ends up getting the pin on Edge? (Someone is gonna get KILLED next monday night)
but I agree with the above comment… A nice surprise push, that got a great reaction. But Bourne doesn’t have a lot in the way of credibility.
I don’t know why, but I couldn’t tell that the Ashton Kutcher segments were pre-taped. I should go back and watch it again.
What did you think of the Bret Hart / Vince McMahon segment?
Bret Hart / Vince segment was awkward because I was pretty sure the “Vince” character was supposed to have ended at Wrestlemania. So, it seemed weird that Vince came out and started jabbering with Bret and sort of hinting that the Bret / Vince feud would somehow continue.