The OAO RAW for 7/31/06

[mfn 0]

Faux Hogan cuts a more coherent promo than Actual Hogan.

you mean... "Sweet & Sour" Larry Sweeney!

[Just John 0]

You know, this Raw was actually better than it has been in recent weeks, but it was still a perfect example of everything that's wrong with the show.

 

1. Nothing changes. Since DX has formed, have any storylines changed or developed substantially in any way? Not really. DX/McMahons is still a bunch of bad comedy skits. Foley and Flair still still cut into each other with shoot-laden promos. Cena, Edge, and the WWE title are just there. The 3 IC title division guys are still wrestling in pointless (but usually above average) matches. The Divas are floating aimlessly. Orton and Hogan started a couple weeks after DX formed, I guess, but since the start, every week is more of the same generic Hogan/anti-Hogan promos. Seriously, every Raw in the last 6-8 weeks is completely interchangeable. You could put this week's Raw on 2 weeks ago, or the 7/3 show on now and it wouldn't matter. Nothing develops, nothing changes.

 

2. Everything that's portrayed as important is a promo. No match means anything. The matches this week might be the best overall showing Raw's done all year. Everything was passable to decent, but it didn't matter because none of it was important. IC match? Doesn't matter, some combo of those 3 will be fighting next week, as has been the case forever. Divas tag? Time filler, there's not even a divas storyline to be found. Cena squash? Might as well have been an Edge promo. Rory Highlander vs. Johnny might have been the most meaningful match of the night because it gives the Scotsmen a kayfabe excuse to get another title shot. Umaga's involvment in the Michaels beatdown was completely pointless. Nevermind that all the promos that don't involve Flair or Foley are damn near unwatchable.

[Scroby 0]

So ummm Raw just started on the west coast.....and it just ended within 4 minutes of airing. I shit you not. Now for some reason HBK's opening promo from last week is on.

 

Edit: After 2 minutes of HBK's opening promo from last week, tonight's broadcast came back with HBK and HHH interupting Vince and Shane.

[Ravenbomb 0]

so, if nobody's around to break a cigar, would Umaga just start to wander around confused? One of these times someone needs to KO Estrada so they won't get hit with the thumb to the neck

[Omar20003000 0]

Best part of Raw:

 

"But deep down I know I'll never have bonding experience with my children like you did. You see Ric, I will never know what its like to look my children right in the eye and say, "Kids, your dad has just been arrested." - Mick Foley

[Guest Vishnu]

So.. unless I missed it not only on TV but on the net as well... there was *no* mention of the whole "DX spray paints WWE HQ?"

[Omar20003000 0]

So.. unless I missed it not only on TV but on the net as well... there was *no* mention of the whole "DX spray paints WWE HQ?"

 

There wasn't a mention of it...

[Guest netslob]

Best part of Raw:

 

"But deep down I know I'll never have bonding experience with my children like you did. You see Ric, I will never know what its like to look my children right in the eye and say, "Kids, your dad has just been arrested." - Mick Foley

 

 

i love the part just before Flair came out when Foley first brought up his road rage arrest, and JR gets all indignant and goes "he was exonerated!!" (sp?)

 

oh well, that's makes it ok then! yeah, he flipped out and attacks a guy for no reason other then cutting him off or whatever, but it's ok because he got off with a slap on the wrist because of who he is. i guess it was just "Flair being Flair", right?

 

fuck you JR.

[FroGG_NeaL 0]

Haha.

 

JR agreed that Flair was a personal friend of the president too.

 

And Foley was the best part of the show.

[Art Sandusky 0]

Danville, Rando, Waters, and InuYasha are not the posters to be carrying a Raw thread.

 

I agree with Barron, but Just John got it right. The current formula just happens to be marginally over the line into "good show" territory. The opening was incredibly poor though. Guys, the point of Shane's lame comeback is because that sort of crap happens in movies all the time. They're trying to write comedy that uses wrestling as a vague backdrop. Of course, they can't do it so people get confused and wonder why the hell Shane just talked about diapering DX.

 

I'm warming to Umaga finally. The Spirit Squad needs to go away now. Anything involving them after that supposed "feud" with DX where they were constantly beaten is like closing the barn door after the cows have left. Break 'em up by SummerSlam at the latest.

 

Mickie James has lost some weight. It's not a huge difference, but it is noticeable.

 

Flair came out with normal hair! The week I finally bring it up, and it's fixed immediately. That gave me good will towards Flair and Foley's segment as it was, but then it was exceeded by an incredible bunch of talking. Did no one notice how Foley came out expecting Flair tonight and was ready for some kind of confrontation but ended up backing away from Flair and only absorbing the assault at the end without getting in any offense? By the end of the segment, he'd done a total 180 and wanted nothing more to do with the wrestling megalith which he'd pissed off. I wonder how the match comes about now, but am hoping for a straight-up cage match without escape rules. It provides them with the most flexibility for (probably) Cactus Jack and Flair to put on a good one. Who the fuck goes over?

 

The WWE title REALLY needs to be closer to the epicenter of the show if they insist on DX/McMahons taking the main event slot. Seriously guys, at least have Edge wrestle a singles match. We see Cena in the ring every freakin' week. They didn't even really establish what caused any of this fighting during the pitiance of time that was given for their WORLD TITLE PROGRAM FOR THE SECOND-BIGGEST SHOW OF THE YEAR. What the fuck. Edge is in the prime of his career right now no less, and it's getting pissed away with this crap.

[St. Gabe 0]

I would really love to see that flair/foley segment. If someone would vidcap it and upload it, Id be eternally grateful.

[Danville_Wrestling 0]

1. Nothing changes. Since DX has formed, have any storylines changed or developed substantially in any way? Not really. DX/McMahons is still a bunch of bad comedy skits. Foley and Flair still still cut into each other with shoot-laden promos. Cena, Edge, and the WWE title are just there. The 3 IC title division guys are still wrestling in pointless (but usually above average) matches. The Divas are floating aimlessly. Orton and Hogan started a couple weeks after DX formed, I guess, but since the start, every week is more of the same generic Hogan/anti-Hogan promos. Seriously, every Raw in the last 6-8 weeks is completely interchangeable. You could put this week's Raw on 2 weeks ago, or the 7/3 show on now and it wouldn't matter. Nothing develops, nothing changes.

 

2. Everything that's portrayed as important is a promo. No match means anything. The matches this week might be the best overall showing Raw's done all year. Everything was passable to decent, but it didn't matter because none of it was important. IC match? Doesn't matter, some combo of those 3 will be fighting next week, as has been the case forever. Divas tag? Time filler, there's not even a divas storyline to be found. Cena squash? Might as well have been an Edge promo. Rory Highlander vs. Johnny might have been the most meaningful match of the night because it gives the Scotsmen a kayfabe excuse to get another title shot. Umaga's involvment in the Michaels beatdown was completely pointless. Nevermind that all the promos that don't involve Flair or Foley are damn near unwatchable.

 

100% agree with you.

[Wrestlefreak 0]

Raw really sucked last night. Mick Foley on the mic was the only good thing on the whole show. Flair needs to calm down, he's gonna give himself a bloody heart-attack! Edge needs some ring-time to defend his title. The opening segment wasn't funny at all. I couldn't care less about the Mcmahons or DX. The divas are also shit. The prospect of Orton/Hogan gets more sickening by the week. The IC title match should've been given WAY more time.

 

Edge should be the focus of the show. Get rid of the Mcmahons and DX. Foley should use his great microphone skills to push Edge(and also Nitro). Get rid of the divas forever(except for Lita and Melina, because they actually have a purpose). Give us high quality matches that last more than 5 minutes. If all these things happened, maybe Raw wouldn't be so crap.

[bob_barron 0]

Best part of Raw:

 

"But deep down I know I'll never have bonding experience with my children like you did. You see Ric, I will never know what its like to look my children right in the eye and say, "Kids, your dad has just been arrested." - Mick Foley

 

 

i love the part just before Flair came out when Foley first brought up his road rage arrest, and JR gets all indignant and goes "he was exonerated!!" (sp?)

 

oh well, that's makes it ok then! yeah, he flipped out and attacks a guy for no reason other then cutting him off or whatever, but it's ok because he got off with a slap on the wrist because of who he is. i guess it was just "Flair being Flair", right?

 

fuck you JR.

 

The charges were dismissed though.

[Hank Kingsley 0]

The only part of RAW I liked was the backstage segment between Mick, Melina, and Nitro.

[Downhome 0]

Mike Johnson from PWInsider was at RAW last night, and he is saying that AAE was one of the most over guys on the entire RAW/SD Supershow, and that he took a shuttle bus to the arena, and along the way he heard numerous fans spouting off his "line".

[CanadianGuitarist 0]

Mike Johnson from PWInsider was at RAW last night, and he is saying that AAE was one of the most over guys on the entire RAW/SD Supershow, and that he took a shuttle bus to the arena, and along the way he heard numerous fans spouting off his "line".

That's not surprising. The next time you're drunk with some fellow wrestling fans, try not screaming the "My naaaaaame" thing. It;s pretty close to impossible.

 

I work at Wal*Mart Electronics with a guy who's also an AAE mark. We've been physcially pushing one another out of the way to answer the phone lately, just so we can say "Electronics" as close to "UUUUUUUUUUUUUUMAGA" as possible.

[Guest TheGameah]

So how hard is it to resist when you're working at Wal-Mart whilst drunk?

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

--It didn't come across on TV, but we had several reports from last night indicating both Cena being heavily booed, but also a lot of people leaving after Cena's match. Even some internally who are instructed to believe that DX is what's drawing right now had it kind of hammered home that the person, at least on Raw, people are coming to see is Cena, whether it be to cheer him or boo him. People were leaving before HHH was taken out and Michaels' match had been pushed all week.

 

Meltzer.

[k thx 0]

The worst part about DX-McMahon is that good ol' Stephanie wants to continue the storyline until she's recovered from childbirth and can get involved.

EFA

[k thx 0]

NB, I didn't mind Raw (possibly because I could skip through stuff that looked bad like Orton Knows Best). I mark out for Umaga beating people.

[Danville_Wrestling 0]

--It didn't come across on TV, but we had several reports from last night indicating both Cena being heavily booed, but also a lot of people leaving after Cena's match. Even some internally who are instructed to believe that DX is what's drawing right now had it kind of hammered home that the person, at least on Raw, people are coming to see is Cena, whether it be to cheer him or boo him. People were leaving before HHH was taken out and Michaels' match had been pushed all week.

 

Meltzer.

 

Good news from Meltzer here but it won't amount to anything because Stephanie and Vince will keep shoving the DX storyline. I bet the excuse will be that it was a supershow and people were just tired.

[The Niggardly King 0]

What the fuck...? Candice actually looks like a wrestler right now.

 

She's going to end up being like Trish in a few years... just without all the athleticism.

[benoit4hor 0]

What was it JR said towards the end of the Flair/Foley segment?

 

Something about how this company needs an on-hand staff psych.

 

I also really enjoyed how when Randy Orton was leaning on the announce table the sign behind him said "Ratings Killer" and they kept it on him for like 10 seconds.

[NoCalMike 0]

Was it me or did the mention of The President of the United States get the most heel heat of the night? Way to go Dubya.

[NoCalMike 0]

--It didn't come across on TV, but we had several reports from last night indicating both Cena being heavily booed, but also a lot of people leaving after Cena's match. Even some internally who are instructed to believe that DX is what's drawing right now had it kind of hammered home that the person, at least on Raw, people are coming to see is Cena, whether it be to cheer him or boo him. People were leaving before HHH was taken out and Michaels' match had been pushed all week.

 

Meltzer.

 

 

Maybe it has to do with the fans interest in the return of DX being mostly about the chance to again yell "Suck it" in unison with other fans. Other then that, they seem to care-less.

 

Also with Cena, they are trying their damndest to get him over as a sympathetic face, I mean do you hear Jim Ross during Cena matches, all he ever says is how much Cena keeps getting screwed out of this and that. I mean the sheer absurdity of claming Cena got screwed during a Triple Threat Match is fantastic.

[mfn 0]

no one else liked larry sweeney?

[CanadianGuitarist 0]

no one else liked larry sweeney?

 

Not necessarily, but you've kinda set the bar pretty high for "like".

[Danville_Wrestling 0]

Also with Cena, they are trying their damndest to get him over as a sympathetic face, I mean do you hear Jim Ross during Cena matches, all he ever says is how much Cena keeps getting screwed out of this and that. I mean the sheer absurdity of claming Cena got screwed during a Triple Threat Match is fantastic.

 

Totally agree. It's gotten so bad I've started to mute my television when Cena comes on because JR goes into like mark mode and silly with his "most controversial figure in WWE history...." garbage.

 

I think I'll do the same next week when Orton comes on so JR can spare me his lecture on "respect."

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

It would have been nice for them to give some sort of rub to Umaga and let him stay in the ring after the main event. As it is, while he beat Shawn, he got nothing out of it because the spotlight was immediately put on Vince and Shane instead.