The one and only 5/27/02 raw thread

[Guest El Satanico]

heh...for a second i thought that fan was Crash Holly doing a run in. I was wondering why the fuck Crash is out here.

[Guest Shaved Bear]

does anyone think the fan that jumped the guardrail looked like Scotsman kinda?

 

anyway, i marked like a bitch when i heard benoits theme, and even better yet, the ME was awesome, best raw in a LONG

[Guest bps "The Truth" 21]

"Austin/Beniot/Guerraro/RVD fueds, oh thank heaven. "

 

I don't know if you noticed but RVD wasn't involved in any of that.

 

Hes not involved with them...Takers involved with Hogan again (and it is Smackdowns turn...and why in the hell would they do title for title anyway?  They only took the belt off of Eddy so Austin didn't have to lower himself...wake up)

 

So whos left of ANY worth for RVD to face?

 

Brock...cause RVD will lose.

 

NWO...comedy act.

 

um....I'm out.

 

And none of those guys are in the main event.

 

The IC title is a midcard belt...and they just reconfirmed that RVD is a midcarder.

[Guest Army Eye]

me too, I thought the fan was an actual run-in   But JR was strangely silent on the matter and eventually it hit me lol

[Guest]

Rvd will be involved in the feud he was attacked from behind by Eddie after the match so it's not over between them yet. When Benoit returns we'll likely see Austin , and Rvd Vs Eddie , and Chris.

[Guest bcu1979]

Great opening and just a tremendous last 20 minutes of the show! There's still lots of work to be done with everything in between. But for the first time since the split, I'm actually looking forward to what's going to happen next week on RAW.

 

It sucks that ladder gave out on RVD because it took some steam off the ending. But I have faith that the WWE editing team can cut out the missed spots in the highlight reel that will hopefully be shown numerous times over the next couple weeks. The key here is to really put over the match and the two participants. Don't let this become another TLC III or Angle/Benoit in the cage.

 

And I've got to give the WWE some credit for giving RVD and Guererro the main event slot. They're listening to some of the criticisms at least.

 

The Benoit turn was transparent as soon as he showed up, but it was great to see him back on tv again and immediately placed in an important angle. Hopefully Ric Flair will be removed as the focus of the feud against Austin and become more a mentor for Benoit and Eddie. The focus needs to be on Benoit and Eddie. Not on Flair with B/E being his goons.

 

I'm curious to see how they will move Benoit over to Smackdown. Hopefully he won't get traded for Kane or Bradshaw.

 

That Taker/Tommy Dreamer segment was brutal and a complete waste of time. They need to get the belt off Taker ASAP.

 

The Bradshaw push is dead!  Yes!!

Another Big Show push is about to start!  No!!

 

Is there some logical reason that Brock Lesnar cannot beat Bubba Dudley clean? If they want to build up for a PPV match, then they could have had the ref count them out when they were brawling outside. This reeks of the "paying your dues" attitude.

 

RAW really needs some fresh characters to have an entertaining 2 hour show. They keep dragging out the likes of Crash, Spike Dudley, Bossman, Shawn Stasiak, etc.

[Guest Nevermortal]

Next week: RVD & The Crazed Fan vs. Eddy/Benoit

[Guest]

i thought the fan was austin damn eddie was pissed he beat that guys ass

[Guest Shaved Bear]

did anyone notice how rattled eddy was by crazy run-in fan

[Guest bcu1979]

"Austin/Beniot/Guerraro/RVD fueds, oh thank heaven. "

 

I don't know if you noticed but RVD wasn't involved in any of that.

 

Hes not involved with them...Takers involved with Hogan again (and it is Smackdowns turn...and why in the hell would they do title for title anyway?  They only took the belt off of Eddy so Austin didn't have to lower himself...wake up)

 

So whos left of ANY worth for RVD to face?

The ending had to be Benoit and Eddie standing over Austin to get over their new partnership with Flair and get over Benoit's return as the big stories of the show. If RVD made the save for Austin, he would have just gotten beat down again.

 

It would be stupid to remove RVD from this feud. He's got such a strong history with Austin and that story never really got any kind of closure. The dynamic between Austin/RVD was very entertaining and it would be interesting to watch them become unlikely allies.

 

As for KOR, I am guessing RVD will end up in the tournament now. I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing if he wins and is portrayed as main part of RAW in the coming weeks. But like everything else in the WWE, it all depends on how they choose to follow up tonight's show.

 

I did hate how they dropped the RVD/Taker angle and didn't even let RVD mention how he got screwed in his promo. It also would have been nice if J.R. had played it up more in his commentary, but I can't say I am surprised he didn't. Protecting his boys always seems to take precedent over getting over new guys as contenders.

[Guest bps "The Truth" 21]

"As for KOR, I am guessing RVD will end up in the tournament now. I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing if he wins and is portrayed as main part of RAW in the coming weeks. But like everything else in the WWE, it all depends on how they choose to follow up tonight's show. "

 

 

If hes in the tourney he will lose in the finals.

 

Likely to Brock or Booker or some other Raw guy who he will then feud with over the title.

 

Oh yeah...the TITLE...thats the OTHER REASON he won't be involved in any of the Austin/Benoit/Eddy stuff.....THAT's WHY THEY TOOK THE BELT OFF OF EDDY IN THE FIRST PLACE.

[Guest midnightxpress 4life]

His tobacco juice spit is carbonated?

Dip spit always has a foamy top to it making it look like someone just poured a cup of coke

[Guest cabbageboy]

This was in some ways one of the most insane ladder matches I've ever seen.  I'll explain why.

 

1.  Both guys overcame extreme circumstances and still salvaged the match.  Think about it...the ladders were fucked up and didn't open or stand right.  A psycho fan actually INTERFERED in the match, rattled Eddie, yet it continued and got better from there.  

 

2.  Post match angle.....how many ladder matches actually end up having an angle that takes place immediately after?  Austin attacking Eddie after that violent match makes him look sleazy in my book, so when Benoit attacked him it didn't get much heel heat (also Benoit's hometown).  

 

I'm not really sure where RVD goes from here, but at least he WON A MATCH.  Let's face it, if he jobbed tonight his heat is gone.  Now he has the IC and can maybe be in KOTR or something.  I dunno.

[Guest bps "The Truth" 21]

please see my crossroads topic and what the kotr means for RVDs heat in the future.

 

Thank you.

[Guest godthedog]

did anyone notice how rattled eddy was by crazy run-in fan

well think about it...you're a wrestler in your mid-thirties, considered one of the best in the world, one night you're climbing up a ladder preparing yourself to do a very dangerous spot, you've got a million things to think about just to keep the match going smoothly & to not get hurt...and some shithead jumps out from the crowd, pushing the ladder down.

 

would you not be very rattled and royally pissed?

 

good for eddy getting a nice hit on that guy.

[Guest Flyboy]

did anyone notice how rattled eddy was by crazy run-in fan

Yeah... I noticed after it happened he was looking to the crowd watching for someone before he would climb the ladder.

[Guest Flyboy]

please see my crossroads topic and what the kotr means for RVDs heat in the future.

 

Thank you.

"If RVD is in the KOTR tourney...I don't think it matters if he wins or not...the path for him wouldn't appear to be towards the Main Event...at least not any time soon."

 

 

I don't really consider it a depush for RVD to win the IC title (but it DOES keep him IN the midcard, damnit!), but... eh.  I guess I can't ever be really happy.  I was really looking forward to UT/RVD at KotR.  Let's face it... UT/HHH would suck.  UT/RVD matches are better than the UT/HHH one from WMX7 (granted, it was one match).  Especially the one when it was for the #1 Contendership.  And... God, please not Hogan Vs. Taker/Vince.

 

Where will the WWE go?... we'll see.

[Guest Human Fly]

The Hardcore segment was harmless to me, and actually entertaining. Bossman gave his best performance in a long time when he pulled a Rodney King on Steven Richards and beat the crap out of him with the nightstick.

 

The Bradshaw push didn't get buried, it got weighed down with cement blocks and tossed in the ocean. He's got to be a Heat wrestler now.

 

Dreamer segment was pointless. This is a perfect example of a show where the Champ wasn't needed. The only thing it did was get Undertaker face pops, which isn't what the WWE wanted, and surely not what the desired effect was. Dreamer's mini-push was potentially killed by this.

 

Good match with Bubba and Brock. Maybe these two will meet in the Tournament, or in a hardcore match next week.

 

I'm sure the run-in fan is having a good time telling all of his cell-mates about what he did tonight.

 

Best ME match in a while, where this leaves RVD and Taker I'm not sure, but I don't think it looks good. Nice to see Eddy get the best of Austin two weeks in a row. Also nice to see Austin used sparingly. The "benched" angle is good, and gets the fans to pop more for his appearances. Hopefully he'll be motivated since he asked for this program.

 

What was the deal with Jr and the King talking about 2nd and 3rd base all night?

 

The King's comments about panties during the hardcore segment did crack me up though.

 

The Booker face turn (assuming it happens) will go over big. Not sure what the deal is with Goldust though, maybe Booker will have to choose.

[Guest]

OK, the Benoit stuff tonight was pretty cool, but I've just got one question...

 

Remember the stip that if someone from one brand shows up on the other, they get suspended?  Well, the Smarks' Jesus, Benoit himself, just jumped shows... Is he going to be reprimanded by Vince?  For continuity's sake, I would say he should be.

 

A couple of other things from Raw...

 

1.  Why do they still use the ringside banners with the OLD Raw logo once in a while?  They did it tonight and it wasn't the first time.  Why do they even carry those out on the road?  Is it that hard to keep track of two sheets with a new logo?

 

2.  What the hell is the deal with that new Undisputed Championship belt?  That thing loses more buttons every week.  My count tonight was 6 buttons missing.

 

I haven't really heard anybody else say anything about this, but I just feel that since it is the company's showcase title belt, it just shouldn't look so... i dunno.... CHEAP.

 

They are eventually going to have to replace all the belts to have the new "WWE" logo instead and have the belts say "World Wrestling Entertainment" instead of "World Wrestling Federation."  Hopefully, they'll find some buttons that actually STAY ON the damn belt.

 

Who knows, maybe they'll even get a Cruiserweight belt that doesn't have the WCW logo on it too.

 

3.  Back to Raw, when was the last time Raw had a match that continued through a commercial?  I haven't missed Raw in years and I'm really thinking about this and can't come up with one in a DAMN long while...  I know they have commercial break matches on SD once in a while, but those can be edited by the magic of video tape.  Seeing one on Raw is weird.

 

Austin-Angle from last fall was really long, but they changed up the commercial breaks so that match could be seen uninterrupted.

 

Then again, tonight's match could basically considered two matches anyway.  There was the first half before the break that just sucked miserably.  Then, after the commercial, it was like "Here we go..." and everything just picked up huge.  Too bad the finish got botched by a faulty ladder.

[Guest TheDames7]

Who knows, maybe they'll even get a Cruiserweight belt that doesn't have the WCW logo on it too.

Hurricane debuted a NEW WWE Cruiserweight title belt on Smackdown last week.

 

Dames

[Guest MarvinisaLunatic]

Well. I must say that there shouldnt be anyone that can have a legit problem with tonight's RAW.  Best RAW in a long time, not just because of the RVD Eddy Match either. Lots of actual wrestling (god forbid) even though they were mostly short matches. I thought the Brock Buh Buh Match was really good, but I think that for right now, the free TV MOTY is RVD vs Eddy, and its probably up there for overall match of the year with some of the PPV matches.  I didnt think they'd give RVD and Eddy 20-25 minutes, although they took a commercial break in the middle of it(the WWE seems to be doing that a lot now, and maybe its good, as it extends some of those matches that would normally be 3-4 minutes into 8-9 minute matches.)  The one thing the WWE needs to focus on is getting some better ladders if they are going to have ladder matches that involve the ladders in the spots.

[Guest]

Well the ladders usually don't bust like that. Hmmm, seeing as how they were in Canada.....

 

.........no, I won't go there. just jokin . I think Raw was awesome, and anyone STILL bitching after two good shows has some issues. Sure there is still a lot left to be desired, but we have to be happy with what we're starting to get here.

[Guest buffybeast]

I enjoyed RAW last night.  The things I did not like:

 

Terri winning the HC title.

 

The Dreamer/Taker segment was not only gross (the achieved their goal) but entirely too long.

 

I like pretty much everything else.

 

Brock vs Bubba was very good.  

 

Goldust and the NWO storyline is funny as hell to me.  

 

Big Show versus Bradshaw was blah but ok.  So much for the Bradshaw push!

 

The mixed tag match was ok.

 

I actually liked the Hardy Girlz versus the NWO.

 

Went to bed before the ME.

[Guest Vern Gagne]

A great opening with Benoit and a great ending with the Ladder Match and Benoit's heel turn. Anything else I didn't see, and I'm ok with that.

[Guest]

Not a bad RAW. Not a bad RAW at all.

I like seeing guys like Eddy & Rob in the main event. I like seeing more talented guys (Benoit) coming to RAW instead of being shuffled to "Stagnant Smackdown."

 

I also thought that fan was a run-in. I had to do a double take because I thought it was Violent J of the ICP, lol. Just the way he was dressed. They should have let Eddy get a few more shots in on the fuckwad.

 

I still think that RVD could be getting involved in this feud with Benoit & Guerrero. It's obvious that Austin is going to need someone to watch his back regardless of whether he wants it or not. They could easily pull off RVD helping out when Austin is in a jam.  Plus, Austin & RVD had that whole "alliance" history/rivalry going on that it would be good to hype it, but knowing the WWE, it's probably long forgotten by now. *grr*

 

The nWo thing is... there. Well, I don't think that Booker (or even Goldust if he is one) is a permanent member. I'm itching for his face turn. Tell me this guy couldn't be huge again.

[Guest What?!]

Random Raw Thoughts

 

The 'Taker segment was too long, but it was worth it for me just for the "You want a title shot?" "Yeah" "YOU'RE NOT GETTING ONE!" line. Plus, we have a new devastating chair move. But they could've cut that to a five minute segment easily.

 

Now that Terri is a Hardcore Champion, the Godfather Ho moves up in the list of toughest Hardcore Champions ever.

 

The ladder match had a few blown spots, a fan run-in, and it was still good! The Eddy senton splash was the coolest thing I've seen in a ladder match since Edge's spear on Jeff Hardy at X7.

 

It was nice to see Chris Benoit in the opening of Raw... till he opened his mouth.

[Guest cabbageboy]

Let me differentiate between what I call the "RVD missed spot" and the "Jericho missed spot."  An RVD missed spot usually happens in a suicidal match, such as last night's ladder match.  If anything the missed spot added to the scenario that "these guys could get seriously injured."  

 

The Jericho missed spot usually occurs during a fairly simple move (lionsault, his kick move in the corner) and makes him look like a tool.  He hasn't done much of this lately though, but he was a missed spot machine last summer.

[Guest brokentusk16]

First off, that was an AMAZING Ladder match!!! It also helped that it was the first Ladder match in over 6 months. This is twice I got to see RVD vs. Guerrero, both in person and now on tv.

 

I thought the run-in guy was Sandman at first, then I hit rewind (I taped Raw) and saw otherwise. I wonder what Keith and Mr. Tito will say about that.

[Guest RetroRob215]

I agree with LJSexay, what the hell was wrong with those ladders?  They were so flimsy.  *Post #1000 for me*

[Guest Cataclysm911]

Man, if I was the fan that did the run-in, I would kill myself. He got punked by Earl Hebner.

 

All in all, I thought that Raw was average. Just seeing Benoit doesn't make the show any better for me.