The OAO RAW Thread for March 20, 2006

[Guest Dam(o)nYankees]

I really think Mama was the only thing that could have salvaged that match. It was like a bad indy show.

[Karc 0]

I officially hate the Trish/Mickie storyline now. Either Mickie wins the title and does nothing with it, or Trish retains and Mickie goes away. That segment on Monday is exactly what I feared it would be, a psycho lesbian going psycho because that's what women wrestlers with lesbian overtones have to do.

Should she have beena happy, jolly stalker?

Trish should have been the heel. But yes, happy jolly gay stalker is better than this. That kiss got a huge face pop, but it was a heel move.

[Wrestlefreak 0]

what the hell was up with hbk and cena at the end of the show ?

 

That was seriously wierd!

[Art Sandusky 0]

I really think Mama was the only thing that could have salvaged that match. It was like a bad indy show.

No, Mama isn't good. Stop thinking so.

[RedJed 0]

Damn I really dont understand the dynamic of this board right now. Once again, much like SNME, I thought Raw was perfectly acceptable fare, or at least it wasnt fucking horrible and god awful like some are proclaiming. The main event was pretty lame but there was some damn interesting stuff here and there, some that scares me in looking towards the future, but it was still newsworthy.

 

The main thing of the show that kind of caught me was the unspoken "family" thing with HHH and the McMahons. Correct me if I'm wrong, but didnt even Vince go as far as to call HHH "my son" during that handicap match? I would assume this leads to them joining back up in some sort of faction to try to generate heat for HHH and pops for Cena. It seemed to work alright last night but WWE continues to cut off Cena's legs in just about every show. But to their credit they got people ending the show really going nuts for Cena (and HBK) so something worked there. The ending security brawl wasnt too bad and at least showed the two babyfaces werent completely inept.

 

The Trish/Mickie angle was fantastic. They hit a jackpot with the busted nose, as that made it just that more well done and the Mickie character should in theory get some decent heat against Trish at this point. People seemed legitimately stunned in a way with the way that whole angle went down.

 

The three way IC match was just fine - what the hell is everyone so up in arms about that for? I've seen a million fuckin worse matches than that. That is a match that stands out above the standard Raw fare. The last 5 minutes or so was good stuff and the hardway blood made the interaction with Flair and Van Dam seem a little more intruiging to watch, since both were basically working on each others cuts surprisingly. Thought the finish was creative as well.

 

Now as far as the Kane/Carlito and Show/Masters matches, they definately were horrible and just not interesting to watch. They are trying with coming up with some heat between Masters and Carlito (and trying to get Masters over) but its just not working.

 

Foley/Edge segment was ok, Foley did a promo that got me a little more interested in his character more than he's been for awhile now (just the typical Foley who always gets his ass kicked and really just puts up with it) so between this segment and SNME, they are at least drawing some interest into that match more than it was prior.

 

Cant really recall anything else on the show that I hated or liked so the rest was just kind of there. The opening segment went WAY too long though.

[Black Lushus 0]

Shelton pinning Flair as he had the Figure 4 applied on RVD was a great spot, fuck the haters.

[buffybeast 0]

I love Flair. But over the past couple of years, he has resembled an old man trying to beat the neighborhood bullies in the ring. It's laughable to watch the younger wrestlers sell his chops and spots.

[chaosrage 0]

Damn I really dont understand the dynamic of this board right now. Once again, much like SNME, I thought Raw was perfectly acceptable fare, or at least it wasnt fucking horrible and god awful like some are proclaiming. The main event was pretty lame but there was some damn interesting stuff here and there, some that scares me in looking towards the future, but it was still newsworthy.

 

Well, blame the return of a few posters that do nothing but say over and over how they hate every segment, drowning out all positive comments. This is the most negative I've seen this board in about 2 years. SNME was definitely not a bad show. On almost every other board, the response is overwhelmly positive. Raw was decent.

 

Edit: A good example is the IC match. Everyone is not up in arms over it. Go to page 5 and look at the names. It's just the same 3 or 4 idiots.

[hyperchord24 0]

I don't get it. Vince is trying to rehash SS 97 to get some sort of crowd reaction for his feud with shawn Michaels. Everyone knows it's not going to work. Why was SS 97 such a big deal and remains to be that to this day? Because kayfabe absolutely exploded. People became interested in the show behind the show. This stuff they have now where everything is scripted and predictable and boring just doesn’t cut it. I guarantee you that if John Cena cut a promo talking about how they’ve tweaked his character, he knows he’s a flop now, but the WWE refuses to let him be himself, and it’s not all his fault, he would be over in a second.

 

For any future success, I’m telling you, kayfabe needs to be broken (and not all the time, just once in a while to keep things, you know, fresh).

[Lord of The Curry 0]

Jesus Christo, "every other board" needs to get a fucking CAT scan.

 

SNME was a bad show.

 

RAW was a bad show.

[Black Lushus 0]

just as long as Carlito keeps heeling it up and talking in his goofy accent even when he's out and about in the real world...

[pochorenella 0]

Damn I really dont understand the dynamic of this board right now. Once again, much like SNME, I thought Raw was perfectly acceptable fare, or at least it wasnt fucking horrible and god awful like some are proclaiming. The main event was pretty lame but there was some damn interesting stuff here and there, some that scares me in looking towards the future, but it was still newsworthy.

 

Well, blame the return of a few posters that do nothing but say over and over how they hate every segment, drowning out all positive comments. This is the most negative I've seen this board in about 2 years. SNME was definitely not a bad show. On almost every other board, the response is overwhelmly positive. Raw was decent.

 

Edit: A good example is the IC match. Everyone is not up in arms over it. Go to page 5 and look at the names. It's just the same 3 or 4 idiots.

 

This got a good laugh out of me.

 

Indeed, the negativity these past few weeks has been off the charts. SNME was good IMO, and I have yet to see RAW, but the from the recaps I've read it sounds more than decent. I can't believe how some complain about Foley acting intelligently (he KNEW Edge was coming) or that the IC three-way was the worst match ever.

[Guest Dam(o)nYankees]

I really think Mama was the only thing that could have salvaged that match. It was like a bad indy show.

No, Mama isn't good. Stop thinking so.

Mama has saved some shitty ass moments this year. Last night, when people were missing eyepokes and kicks and randomly falling down, we needed her screaming to distract the viewer at home. The last two weeks, Shelton Benjamin has been two seconds behind EVERYTHING. I don't know if he's been like this for months and Mama has been distracting me, or if he recently got hurt, but in the last two matches he is late on every move (well the ones that have connected at least) He looks like he's fucking underwater. Has this been happening for a while now? Because if it has, Mama is a savior.

[Promoter 0]

It's not just this board with all the negativity though. I agree RAW and SNME weren't bad. What I think is really irking people is the build up of Mania or lack thereof. These last two shows aren't convincing people to think the wwe will do Mania justice. I agree with hyperchord24 completely. The wwe has lost all senses and do not realize that they need the "show behind the show" aspect again. They are on the right track with HHH being a Mcmahon. THAT will stop the cheers. Cena needs to do a Diesel tweener promo a la post Survivor Series '95 to get his babyface heat back too.

[Open the Muggy Gate 0]

So here's my two cents on the show since I was there...

 

After seeing it on tape and being there live... I can honestly say, the arena was much louder than it appeared on TV. When it sounds like silence for someone on TV, they are still getting some boos and cheers. They're just not audible because of the microphone or some fuck up I guess.

 

I hate to say it... but Cena was over. I got a sense of that after he got "tossed out" out of the building. I watched many Cena marks around me pick up their stuff and leave! This one chick was really pissed off they tossed him.

 

Me and tekcop sat in front of this trailer park couple that provided us with a great conversation.

 

Woman: "Is that guy down there the Big Show?"

 

Man: "No, that's Chris Masters."

 

Raw was pretty blah compared to the Smackdown we saw. it was off the charts. I'll get a post in that topic in a little bit.

 

The Mickie James angle was great. People were really into her by the end of that and thought she was fucking insane. Great stuff from her.

 

The triple threat really was blah to most of the crowd. Nice ending though.

 

And finally...when the announcers say they can feel the flames of kane's pyro and all that stuff.... THEY AIN'T LYING. Me and tek were in the terrace level, and we could feel the heat of Kane's pyro all the way up there! His offense looks REALLY weak in person.

 

If you have anymore questions, I'll be happy to answer them.

[bob_barron 0]

While SNME did suck, I thought RAW was alright. The buildup to Mickie v. Trish has been great stuff, and I thought the triple-threat match was fine and not the worst match ever.

 

Choken should stick to either defending ROH or going on and on about Taker v. Angle being an I Quit match at SNME.

[Guest Dam(o)nYankees]

While SNME did suck, I thought RAW was alright. The buildup to Mickie v. Trish has been great stuff, and I thought the triple-threat match was fine and not the worst match ever.

 

Choken should stick to either defending ROH or going on and on about Taker v. Angle being an I Quit match at SNME.

It wasn't the worst match ever. Ashley has had too many matches this year alone.

[Si82 0]

The buildup to Mickie v. Trish has been great stuff, and I thought the triple-threat match was fine and not the worst match ever.

It has been great. Trish vs. Mickie is the match I'm looking forward to at Wrestlemania. They had a good match at New Year's Revolution and I'm sure they'll deliever at Wrestlemania.

[cabbageboy 0]

I am baffled as to why anyone is trashing the 3 way. With a bit more time and a couple more innovative spots it could have been really terrific. It was still easily the best match on Raw last night. I do agree that Shelton is totally heatless without his mom though. That match had several good bits:

 

--As mentioned, the finish was creative. It seemed like something out of the X Division.

--RVD and Flair seemingly getting busted open hardway and then actually working each other's cuts. I dug Van Dam kicking the crap out of Flair's forehead.

--An amusing bit where Shelton gave Flair the thumb to the eye.

 

I mean what exactly are they supposed to do? The big spots have to be saved for the actual MITB match at WM.

 

I'm split as far as SNME and Raw goes. I thought SNME was a shit show that came off almost like an infomercial for WM with all the talking segments. Raw I thought was pretty decent last night, though I continue to not give two shits about the whole Vince/Shawn angle. I am flat out terrified that we might see a redux of the McMahon/Helmsley Regime again. It's all right there too....Steph being pregnant and mentioned on TV, HHH now onscreen with Vince and Shane.

[The Amazing Rando 0]

There was a spot right after coming back from the commercial that Flair looked to really stiff RVD's cut, and I think that might have led to that roundhouse kick to the forehead out of the corner later on where Flair sold it like he was having a seizure on his feet.

[Guest Dam(o)nYankees]

I am baffled as to why anyone is trashing the 3 way. With a bit more time and a couple more innovative spots it could have been really terrific. It was still easily the best match on Raw last night. I do agree that Shelton is totally heatless without his mom though. That match had several good bits:

 

--As mentioned, the finish was creative. It seemed like something out of the X Division.

--RVD and Flair seemingly getting busted open hardway and then actually working each other's cuts. I dug Van Dam kicking the crap out of Flair's forehead.

--An amusing bit where Shelton gave Flair the thumb to the eye.

 

I mean what exactly are they supposed to do? The big spots have to be saved for the actual MITB match at WM.

You forgot the part where RVD just fell down twice. And the missed cue after the samoan drop where RVD was nowhere to be found, so Flair and Shelton improvised by sitting there for about 15 seconds. That was exciting action. I think the only kick that made contact all night was the karate kick off the top, the poke to the eye hit Flair right in the nose, and by the end, everyone was just meandering around the ring, disapperaring for portions of the match without actually being taken out by anyone. I especially liked Flair's blind leisurely stroll into the corner where it took him 8 years to shuffle at Rob in slow motion, stop, have Rob throw his foot up and walk into it. I liked the time stands still moment before the northern lights suplex where apparently niether man knew what the other wanted to so, so they settled on that v e r y s l o w l y. That's the big problem. Just like last week, nothing anyone did was fluid in any way.

[chaosrage 0]

It's not just this board with all the negativity though.

 

Yes, it is. Even DVDVR was mostly positive about SNME. That's when we know something is wrong here.

[haVoc 0]

A funny story on Raw. They did the Maria kiss cam during a commercial break and cut to a couple, and right in front of them a guy put up a sign saying , "Cena? I want my money back." That was the last time they tried something like that.

 

Credit: Dave Meltzer

 

They actually show this on Unlimited on the website. It's the last kiss.

[Art Sandusky 0]

I really think Mama was the only thing that could have salvaged that match. It was like a bad indy show.

No, Mama isn't good. Stop thinking so.

Mama has saved some shitty ass moments this year. Last night, when people were missing eyepokes and kicks and randomly falling down, we needed her screaming to distract the viewer at home. The last two weeks, Shelton Benjamin has been two seconds behind EVERYTHING. I don't know if he's been like this for months and Mama has been distracting me, or if he recently got hurt, but in the last two matches he is late on every move (well the ones that have connected at least) He looks like he's fucking underwater. Has this been happening for a while now? Because if it has, Mama is a savior.

Under no circumstances is the character of Mama a savior of ANYTHING. I wouldn't be shocked if Shelton's poor in-ring effort is related to being saddled with such a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad gimmick. A guy like him and with his bonkers moveset is meant to be a face anyway.

[Guest Dam(o)nYankees]

Shelton's Mama is the first time they've tried a comedy gimmick in several years and actually found someone funny to play it. Its not a bad stand up routine, its not ass cream, its a comedic actress with great comedic timing and improv skills giving a personality to someone to desperately needed it.

[Guest Princess Leena]

I surprisingly agree with 'Sault here. Even if you didn't like the character because it was "holding down" Shelton... her acting alone was such an improvement on the rest of the hokey, garbage acting in WWE, that it was somewhat enjoyable.

[Art Sandusky 0]

I feel like I'm taking crazy pills. I don't know how anyone could think of Mama as a good addition.

[Guest Dam(o)nYankees]

Its a funny character that isn't hurting anything. She made me care about Shelton again.

[Art Sandusky 0]

No, it's a terrible ethnic stereotype that distracts from matches which, amazingly, are supposed to be the core of any wrestling program.

[Guest Dam(o)nYankees]

No, it's a terrible ethnic stereotype

Oh well. I really think if people are easily offended, wrestling probably isn't the best hobby for them. The character is funny. Is it making fun of the sterotypical doting black southern mother? Probably. But so what? Do you think someone is the crowd is going "Gee Fred, that's what them coloreds are really like! Lets Lynch them!" No. Everyone who gets the joke is smart enough to see it as a joke, no different than the bowing asians, white trash, hillbillies, and siesta having Latinos.

 

that distracts from matches

Which, we now know, may be a good thing in this case.