I have taken a bout 4 different cracks at this review so far. Nothing I write seems to fit.
There are 2 RAW matches so far for SumemrSlam. One involves 14 guys. One involves 2. Thus, from each according to his ability, to each according to his need, this whole show was almost completely devoted to the big elimination style match. Now, this is a match against rookies vs A list veterans… and Khali. No one buys that this team would lose… so you have to give them some weakness. They went with the obvious route of “dissension in the ranks.” Every guy on the team now hates another guy. Edge threatens to take out Khali because he can’t carry his weight, Morrison and R-Truth are shoving each other, and Cena and Jericho almost come to blows at the beginning.
The matches on the show to establish all of these cracks in the foundation were all decent. R-Truth tried to stop some cheating in match with Morrison v. TDII and instead cost Morrison the match. Edge did a backstage segment trashing Khali, but his little brother Ranjin heard him and ran to the temple to tell on him. Snitch. Jericho double-crosses Cena in their tag match, hitting the codebreaker on him. They all meet in the ring at the end of the show to punch things out. Good establishment of a lack of unity, even if it was heavy-handed.
In contrast, you have the Nexus go over without taking an elimination against Raw’s next 7 top… top… Lawlor? Lawlor is in the match? Who the hell refused to go on that Lawlor is lacing up? They really are all out of faces? You didn’t have anyone else to put up against the nexus? Damn… ok, Evan Borne and the bad news bears take on the Nexus and job out pretty decisively.
As a side note, I think the b-team is pretty talented. I really like everyone on that team. However, if Borne is the closest you are getting to the “A” team on that side, it loses some impact… even if they all job easily. You don’t get ready to race a rabbit by soundly defeating a turtle. Nexus gets to show off their cunning and skill. I think everyone hit a finisher (assuming Skip Sheffield’s is now a lariat.) Thus, the Nexus is strong and ready, TEAM RAW is fractured and fighting internally.
And they have Bret Hart.
The other match they are building is Sheamus vs Orton. They added a twist in that the Miz keeps threatening to cash in his MitB case as soon as Sheamus gets laid out or possilby at the end of the match at Summerslam, when the champ is drained. So… Orton squashed an Uzo. Sheamus tried to get involved and caught an RKO. Miz tried to cash in his contract, but Orton RKO’ed Miz too. It was a good little piece to show that Orton won’t let the Miz profit off of his efforts.
There was a Divas match. They turned Jillian face? Maybe? Or maybe she is future endeavored? Eh. Whatever. You can’t make fun of Brooke Hogan any more than what her dad is doing to the (fake) family name on TNA.
And that was RAW. A lot of time spent on building 2 matches… which is sooo much better than devoting it to lame backstage skits and who slept with HHH’s wife. (Hint: It was Macho Man & it was 20 years ago.)
Overall, I was happy.
It’s an odd feeling.
-Ryan
