WWE Monday Night Raw last night (Feb. 6, 2012) emanated from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and featured the leading pro wrestling company in the world taking a gigantic dump on live television.
If you want full results from Raw last night, click here for the running live blog. Time to get to reactions from the show:
- This was one of those shows that I just can't see a good defense for. There were more video packages and promos than there was actual wrestling and the only wrestling we did see was either terrible or full of botches like Miz failing miserably at everything he does and R-Truth nearly getting a concussion because of it. Seriously, if you can give me a redeeming quality for Miz, I want to hear it. What does he bring to the table at this point? He's a half-assed worker with limited ability, he's an oaf athletically and his work on the mic is always going to be overshadowed by his ridiculously stupid face. Send this walking liability back to the Real World.
- The WWE Production crew deserves all the praise in the world for the work they do. The Undertaker promo that played after Triple H's opening segment turning down the match at WrestleMania was masterfully done. I have no clue why they felt the need to play it again later in the night but it was super well done and because of the collective talent of all involved in this storyline, I can feel myself getting sucked into it, despite the fact that I don't really want to. Triple H's promo turning the match down was well done and Shawn Michaels will be inserting himself next week. This feud is going to kick into high gear and before we know it, we'll all stop complaining about not ever wanting to see Triple H vs. Undertaker part three.
- Chris Jericho and CM Punk showed that the greatness we expected when we got word they would enter into a program was completely warranted and they're delivering in spades already. Jericho's explanation for the end of the world as we know would have worked much better had he won the Royal Rumble but it's still fine for the purposes of this feud. What I really liked, though, was Punk walking down to the ring after Jericho called him out for stealing all his schtick and Punk responding to it by stealing Jericho's silence schtick. No words, just holding up the belt and walking off. And really, it was great because Punk didn't need to speak. He's the best in the world because he has the WWE championship. Jericho wants to come back and say he's the best in the world, fine, he just has to win the title. Until then, it's Punk. Simple storytelling between two talented performers that came across great on TV and made us intrigued for a future match. Perfect pro wrestling.
- Brodus Clay wasn't on my TV last night and this is simply unforgivable. We were made to sit through a replay of an Undertaker promo and a replay of a John Cena promo that first aired at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view then the next night on Raw and now this week on Raw. We get it. He's always here, always showing up to work. Except he never made an appearance on this show. Way to look over the important details, guys. The one time he was on TV was from a supposed pre-tape from last week that was supposed to air but didn't. That's the kind of night this was. The Funkasaurus could have saved so much of it.
- Sheamus taking offense from David Otunga was utterly hilarious, especially considering how much Otunga was clearly into it. A pencil pushing lawyer beating down a guy headed to WrestleMania to contest for one of the two major titles in an impromptu match designed for Otunga to get squashed. The agent for this thing should be slapped, Sheamus should be reprimanded for being dumb enough to sell for a nobody like Otunga and WWE should be ashamed for ever booking this crap in the first place. This is what they've come up with for the freaking Royal Rumble winner? This is why the Elimination Chamber is such a stupid idea. Sorry, Sheamus, not taking you seriously when David Otunga is stomping a mudhole in your ass in the corner, even if you got up and Brogue Kicked him seven seconds later.
- Dolph Ziggler and Cody Rhodes were both pinned in matches that featured guys like Wade Barrett and The Miz. Someone told someone else within the company that Ziggler and Rhodes should be pinned to end matches other than Barrett and Miz. You wonder why fans just quit giving a shit. That Intercontinental title might as well not even exist, white leather classic look or not.
- How is it a good idea to continue a storyline that features a big red guy wearing a mask and talking about hate threatening a crying woman after she just got out of the shower? The image of Kane breathing into Eve's ear over her shoulder while she sits and cries is something no one should ever have to look at.
That's all I've got for this week. I'm not sure how it's possible to go from such a great show last week to such an utterly terrible show this week but they pulled it off. I'll give it a D because of the Triple H-Undertaker stuff early and the Jericho-Punk stuff later but nothing else was worth much of anything.
That's enough from me, though. Time for you Cagesiders to sound off with all your thoughts in the comments section below. Did you hate it as much as me?