Has the Raw main event scene ever been this stale?

[Just John 0]

2002.

<Insert generic authority figure title> Ric Flair: Right here tonight... It's gonna be Bradshaw and Stone Cold... vs. the NWO!

 

The following week...

 

Flair: TONIGHT, in this very ring... We're gonna have Stone Cold and BRADSHAW....... vs. the NWO!

 

The FOLLOWING week...

 

Flair: Tonight, in the main event, it's gonna be.... the NWO..... vs. Bradshaw................... and STONE COLD!

 

The correct format is this:

 

Flair: Tonight, in the main event, it's gonna be the NWO vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin...

*Loud pop*

... And Bradshaw!

*Silence*

[Art Sandusky 0]

2002.

<Insert generic authority figure title> Ric Flair: Right here tonight... It's gonna be Bradshaw and Stone Cold... vs. the NWO!

 

The following week...

 

Flair: TONIGHT, in this very ring... We're gonna have Stone Cold and BRADSHAW....... vs. the NWO!

 

The FOLLOWING week...

 

Flair: Tonight, in the main event, it's gonna be.... the NWO..... vs. Bradshaw................... and STONE COLD!

 

The correct format is this:

 

Flair: Tonight, in the main event, it's gonna be the NWO vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin...

*Loud pop*

... And Bradshaw!

*Silence*

Nash: I'm going, bye.

Edited for the true correct format for Raw in 2002.

[luke-o 0]

Thats about when i stopped watching WWE.

 

Well that, and Raven left.

[jester 0]

2002.

<Insert generic authority figure title> Ric Flair: Right here tonight... It's gonna be Bradshaw and Stone Cold... vs. the NWO!

 

The following week...

 

Flair: TONIGHT, in this very ring... We're gonna have Stone Cold and BRADSHAW....... vs. the NWO!

 

The FOLLOWING week...

 

Flair: Tonight, in the main event, it's gonna be.... the NWO..... vs. Bradshaw................... and STONE COLD!

 

That was brutal.

 

I remember one time that Ric Flair was playing the authority figure, and Austin got screwed out of a title shot. So Flair said, "I know you're disappointed Austin. I promise I'll make it up to you. Tonight you and Bradshaw will take on the NWO..."

 

And I remember thinking, "that makes up for a title shot?"

[razazteca 0]

2002.

<Insert generic authority figure title> Ric Flair: Right here tonight... It's gonna be Bradshaw and Stone Cold... vs. the NWO!

 

The following week...

 

Flair: TONIGHT, in this very ring... We're gonna have Stone Cold and BRADSHAW....... vs. the NWO!

 

The FOLLOWING week...

 

Flair: Tonight, in the main event, it's gonna be.... the NWO..... vs. Bradshaw................... and STONE COLD!

 

The correct format is this:

 

Flair: Tonight, in the main event, it's gonna be the NWO vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin...

*Loud pop*

... And Bradshaw!

*Silence*

Nash: I'm going, bye.

Edited for the true correct format for Raw in 2002.

 

Flair: in the main event, it's gonna be the Scott Hall vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin...

*Loud pop*

During the match Scott Hall oversells the Stunner HBK 2005 Summerslam style

Austin: Fuck this shit I am not working with that drunk. I'm going, bye.

Vince: What about having a bar fight with Eddie Guerrero

Austin: What

[benoit4hor 0]

I can remember about a year ago a lot of people wanting longer feuds, because they were rushing through programs. The blame was that they had to many ppv's and they needed to go back to the 80's style of booking where wrestlers would feud for months on end.

 

 

Changed their minds?

[Aero 0]

I can remember about a year ago a lot of people wanting longer feuds, because they were rushing through programs. The blame was that they had to many ppv's and they needed to go back to the 80's style of booking where wrestlers would feud for months on end.

 

 

Changed their minds?

 

If the DX-McMahon feud was actually interesting and compelling, then there would be nothing to complain about. The same thing happens nearly every week. DX do their lame pranks and embarrass the McMahons, who get their revenge with a beatdown the next week, and it all culminates in an overbooked match at the PPV where DX beats the odds and wins.

[BorneAgain 0]

I can remember about a year ago a lot of people wanting longer feuds, because they were rushing through programs. The blame was that they had to many ppv's and they needed to go back to the 80's style of booking where wrestlers would feud for months on end.

 

 

Changed their minds?

With Cena/Edge its a murky point, as though repetitive its produced some alright matches, with Unforgiven being the highlight.

 

Crap like DX/McMahons has no excuse as its done purely for Vince and Stephanie's amusement.

 

Longer fueds with many matches aren't necessarily harmful. Lashley/Finlay (or Lashley/King's Court) this year worked well because the focus was largely match based, with not too many promos or unneeded hype videos, and really just guys getting in the ring beating the shit out of each other. Moreover it got both Lashley and Finlay over and credible in a short amount of time.

[iggymcfly 0]

Long feuds are OK if a storyline actually develops in some sort of logical progression. What really pisses me off though is when the feud just can't be blown off no matter what. For instance, Cena beat Edge about five times in a row in February to "blow the feud off", but then Edge came right back and got a title shot at Backlash. He lost there and then came back and got a shot at Vengeance. He lost there, so he got another shot on Raw.

 

Then, he finally won the title. Cena gets a rematch at Summerslam and loses. So they finally have a big blowoff gimmick match at Unforgiven where if Cena loses, he has to leave the show forever, he beats Edge in his gimmick match is his hometown, and...... the feud continues. It gets to the point where everything just seems meaningless because no matter who wins, they'll just have another match in a month. No other contenders get (or even ask for) a title shot and it's just Cena/Edge, Edge/Cena, Cena/Edge, Edge/Cena all the time.

 

The other thing is, if you're going to have a long feud, you need something to keep the TV shows interesting. Like when Austin and Mankind were the faces in long title feuds, there would always have to be some big complicated machinations for them to get their "last" shot at the title, and wondering if they'd get it would be enough to keep the fans going until the PPV. Now it's just "well, my contract says I have a rematch clause, but we're not going to have the rematch for a month, so in the mean time, let's have 15 different six-man tag matches and insult wars. There's no reason to tune into Raw because nothing ever changes.

[Lt. Al Giardello 0]

If they had Cena/Edge/Umaga at Cyber Sunday, Edge would take the pinfall, to leave Umaga "undefeated".

 

I think they will be carrying the Umaga Vs. Kane to Cyber Sunday.

[Ginger Snaps 0]

Build Kane back up to the world title level. I know, been there done that, but at least it's not been done in a while.

 

I wouldn't mind that. You gotta make him a monster again though. He needs to go out every week and destroy people. Everyone, both faces and heels.

[Kahran Ramsus 0]

Build Kane back up to the world title level. I know, been there done that, but at least it's not been done in a while.

 

I wouldn't mind that. You gotta make him a monster again though. He needs to go out every week and destroy people. Everyone, both faces and heels.

 

Exactly. He was doing great in 2003 right after losing the mask by doing just this, and as stupid as the House Arrest thing seems on paper, it made for a great visual and made people excited about his matches. He was certainly over enough for a main event push and was actually drawing ratings as well. But that wouldn't have been good for HHH & Nash, so he got stuck in a dead-end feud with Shane McMahon and had his heat killed.

 

It might be too late now, but it is worth a shot.

 

I can see Umaga working as a Cena opponent for a show with another major selling point on it (like the Royal Rumble), but a long feud between him and Cena wouldn't be able to hold the interest of the audience.

 

Long feuds are OK if a storyline actually develops in some sort of logical progression. What really pisses me off though is when the feud just can't be blown off no matter what. For instance, Cena beat Edge about five times in a row in February to "blow the feud off", but then Edge came right back and got a title shot at Backlash. He lost there and then came back and got a shot at Vengeance. He lost there, so he got another shot on Raw.

 

I agree. There are plenty of ways for long feuds to work, not the least of which is a series of inconclusive finishes. An underdog face getting screwed over by a heel champion only to win clean in the end is another classic feud. The problem, as you pointed out, is that we get a blowoff, and yet the feud continues anyways. Cena has beaten Edge several times, and has clearly proven that he is the better wrestler (in the storyline) at this point. Feuds should continue as long as the issue is still up in the air, but this one has been resolved several times over at this point.

[Insanity 0]

2002 was way worse. Hunter's reign from 2002-2003 (with a very, very small reign with HBK) was so horrible that I stopped watching wrestling until mid-2005.

[Ginger Snaps 0]

Build Kane back up to the world title level. I know, been there done that, but at least it's not been done in a while.

 

I wouldn't mind that. You gotta make him a monster again though. He needs to go out every week and destroy people. Everyone, both faces and heels.

 

Exactly. He was doing great in 2003 right after losing the mask by doing just this, and as stupid as the House Arrest thing seems on paper, it made for a great visual and made people excited about his matches. He was certainly over enough for a main event push and was actually drawing ratings as well. But that wouldn't have been good for HHH & Nash, so he got stuck in a dead-end feud with Shane McMahon and had his heat killed.

 

It might be too late now, but it is worth a shot.

 

I think they can still do it. They'd just have to be smart with how they book him. He got over that last time because he was a total monster who did evil things to people because he thought they were making fun of him so he was going to get revenge on anyone who did that. They can still get him over if they keep that formula but tweak it a bit. I think they tried to do something earlier this year when his movie came out but it was stupid. He shouldn't be a heel because he's some tortured soul. He needs to be evil.

[Guest Hotbutter Spoontoaster]

If they had Cena/Edge/Umaga at Cyber Sunday, Edge would take the pinfall, to leave Umaga "undefeated".

I think they will be carrying the Umaga Vs. Kane to Cyber Sunday.

They're gonna stretch it out for another six weeks?

[Lt. Al Giardello 0]

If they had Cena/Edge/Umaga at Cyber Sunday, Edge would take the pinfall, to leave Umaga "undefeated".

I think they will be carrying the Umaga Vs. Kane to Cyber Sunday.

They're gonna stretch it out for another six weeks?

 

Problay.

 

They didn't blow the fued off on Unforgiven or the next Monday, so I expect them to blow it off at Cyber Sunday, in a "choose the match type" voting match. Or someshit like that.

[iggymcfly 0]

If they had Cena/Edge/Umaga at Cyber Sunday, Edge would take the pinfall, to leave Umaga "undefeated".

I think they will be carrying the Umaga Vs. Kane to Cyber Sunday.

They're gonna stretch it out for another six weeks?

 

Problay.

 

They didn't blow the fued off on Unforgiven or the next Monday, so I expect them to continue the feud through Survivor Series where both men are in a ten man tag match and then just kinda forget about the feud, never blowing it off.

 

EFA

[CBright7831 0]

See, I think it has been stale all year expect for when RVD had the title during the Summer, and when Edge originally won it, but it's about to pick up to build to something for WM23. I think they're gonna add Umaga to the title scene to feud with Cena for a while. Maybe Cena .VS. Edge .VS. Umaga at Cyber Sunday. Then there was talk off Edge winning the title back (again) from Cena at Survivor Series, and the Edge/Cena feud would be done after that. Then they'll start the slow build for Edge/Triple H at WrestleMania.

Fuck.

 

Do we really need HHH in another Wrestlemania main event?

[Guest Hotbutter Spoontoaster]

If they had Cena/Edge/Umaga at Cyber Sunday, Edge would take the pinfall, to leave Umaga "undefeated".

I think they will be carrying the Umaga Vs. Kane to Cyber Sunday.

They're gonna stretch it out for another six weeks?

Problay.

 

They didn't blow the fued off on Unforgiven or the next Monday, so I expect them to blow it off at Cyber Sunday, in a "choose the match type" voting match. Or someshit like that.

With Raw not having a PPV for six weeks, I think there'll be one of those "PPV-lite Raws", possibly the night after No Mercy, in three weeks. Umaga/Kane III and Edge will take his "rematch clause" on this show, where Umaga will win the blow-off with Kane, then interfere in the title match main event, setting up the 3-Way for Cyber Sunday.

[TheInsane 0]

Jamal in the main event picture?

 

This is where they are heading if the rumors are true. Im not really opposing this. Hes got size and pretty good ring work. His gimmick may suck but he has an entertaining manager. I think he could bring something new and interesting to the main event scene.

[cabbageboy 0]

If Umaga gets a serious main event push we are getting close to repeating the agony that was the Yokozuna 1993-94 push. Trust me, no long term good can come of this. If they want Umaga as a lame duck challenger that gets beaten and forgotten, fine.

 

I wouldn't put Umaga in the title scene. They can't put the title on him whatsoever, but they can't job him without killing his win streak. I'd just let him squash jobbers and a few midcard guys, then come WM have a streak vs. streak match with UT. Then of course I'd job Umaga out and soon after he'd be forgotten.