The WWE Raw Report

There seem to be enough pro wrestling fans out there to make writing a weekly article feasible so here we go with the first ever Raw Report.  Raw aired from the O2 Arena in lovely London, England.  This won’t be a play by play type rundown of the show, but rather a listing of the good, bad and downright shameful events that make WWE so damn fantastic. 

The Hat Trick – 3 Best RAW Segments this week.

Let’s just be honest, Chris Jericho is as magical a performer as there’s been in the recent history of the WWE.  I rank him among the best overall talents in terms of in ring ability, mic skills, and abilty to carry an angle.  He’s a middle class-man’s Shawn Michaels.  His current program with CM Punk has been entertaining.  Monday night was no different.  He showed video footage of the straight-edge superstar walking in and out of a pub, all the while looking around nervously and guilty.  It’s a great developing angle, and it should end with Chris Jericho taking the World Title at Extreme Rules.  CM Punk doesn’t need the built to be in the best program and losing the belt now, and then getting it back at Summerslam would be one helluva ride between the two. 



Santino keeps on keeping on.  First off, the soccer jersey bit was pretty funny.  Santino is good for the show as he has the fans 100 percent behind him, and brings the comedic and often necessary cool down after a serious or intense segment.  He’s a talented wrestler on top of that, and for you MMA fans, he’s a talented Judo player as well.  He’s constantly entertaining, and if you’re not watching wrestling to be entertained, I can’t help you.  He’s a chameleon who can blend into any angle or match.  He and Mick Foley would make the most fan friendly tag team in the history of the industry. 

Brock Lesnar is good at what he does. He had a recorded message aired this week along with some highlights of him working out, his training MMA, and talking about Cena.  Last week, Cena slapped him in the face and was immediately taken down and drilled with a right hand that busted Cena’s mouth open.  It gives the air that this isn’t business as usual.  The look on Cena’s face after he got busted open helped push that angle.  As good as a professional fighter as Brock Lesnar was, he’s a greater professional wrestler.  He talks the talk, walks the walk and will have a very physical match with Cena on PPV.   

It Is What It Is – Business as Usual

Daniel Bryan has done with Diego Sanchez was unable to do….get over using the Yes! Yes! Yes! Chant.  The undersized former world champion has been doing everything in his power to get over as a heel lately, but the Yes chant keeps the fans coming back.  He has a ton of talent in the ring, and his persona outside of the ring keeps the fans involved.  I want to see more of Daniel Bryan.  He actually got over in a big way with the fans by chanting yes and getting squashed in 18 seconds at Wrestlemania.  More power to him.   That said his Yes thing tonight in Kofi Kingston’s face proved only one thing.  By not laughing, Kofi showed he’s a heck of an actor. 

What’s the deal with Cena these days?  He dropped his Wrestlemania match to The Rock inexplicably and since then, has been handled by Lesnar and now Lord Tensai.  He’s on a serious downward spiral and it seems like the WWE is trying to take him down a notch or two.  It will be interesting to see what happens with Cena and Lesnar at Extreme Rules, but you have to assume at this point, they are using Cena to put Lesnar over and not the other way around.  Cena works the mic like a champion though and he’s building in some great emotion with Lesnar, including admitting he’s scared.  Hopefully the powers that be have something planned long term for Cena coming out of this angle with Lesnar. 

Ugh…please make it stop

Listen, I’ve got nothing against R Truth.  Other than he has horrific mic skills, limited in ring skills, and zero ability to draw even at a midcard level.  The WWE are constantly trying to make something stick with him, and again tonight they tried and failed with his Sherlock Holmes shtick.   It’s time to bury the whole Little Jimmy gimmick and find something that works.

Sorry, I know it’s not supposed to be Albert or A-Train, it’s supposed to be Lord Tensai, but dammit, it’s A-Train.  I can’t buy him as a main event caliber talent, despite his victory over John Cena tonight via the Fabulous Muta-like misting.  He’s just … I don’t know.  He isn’t going to get over I don’t think in this role, and if he fails to get over now, he never will.  

Johnny Laurinaitis, please, please, please shut up and go away.  You are not in any way shape, size or form entertaining.  Either is Teddy Long.  Just bring HHH in to handle this whole “General Manager” role and move on with things.  Any airtime spent on Laurinaitis or Long is wasted and serves no purpose.  Make them disappear for better television please.  Everything Laurinaitis and Cena did in the ring served to undue the great promo work Lesnar did.  Keep your eye on the ball WWE.