Thoughts On RAW
Posted by TWV Guest Columnists
on 11/04/2006
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Guest Column By Eric Evans
Wow, I feel like a kid in a candy store. The chance to get my very own wrestling column is almost better then cake, and yes I was that fat kid eating it! What to write about; there is so much going on. I guess it would only be appropriate to talk about the daddy of all wrestling and its number one show: WWE & RAW.
I have been a wrestling fan my entire life and I have come to the point where the "shock" quality of wrestling just isn't there anymore. There I was Monday night watching RAW, just like every other Monday, and I proceed to do something I do every Monday without even realizing it: I ruin the show for myself. During the Vince McMahon segment with Coach, I pretty much said what he would say word for word, when my oh so beautiful girlfriend looked at me and said, "Why do you even bother watching anymore?" Why?
Why?! Why do we get out of bed every morning when we know what we are going to do that day? Why do we eat that 8th piece of pizza when we know its going to give us heartburn out our ears? Why you ask? Because it's apart of who we are. I am a wrestling fan and I will be the first to admit that the quality of the show lacks sometimes. The quality of the storylines is so bad at times that impending doom seems but a heartbeat away. But the one thing that never changes is the wrestlers. The ones that eat, sleep, and breathe for wrestling. Those are the ones that put on those matches that you chant things such as "Holy #@$%" or" This is awesome" at. They are the reason I come back. Wrestlers like Eddie, God rest his soul. For me, it's kind of like living your dreams through others. I love wrestling with every ounce of my heart. And as long as I feel that love from the ones pounding it out on the mat, I will continue my predictable quest every Monday. After all, sometimes love is predictable, right? So while we are on the love boat called RAW, let's evaluate some of the weekly events and storylines.
First thing that comes to mind when speaking of RAW is Degeneration X. When I was around 18, DX was the shit. Yes, they might have been a rip-off of The New World Order, but as usual, WWE took it one step farther and better. HBK & HHH were the picture of rebellion, then you mix in a bunch of outcasts and you have a bunch of people screaming "suck it!" It was great. But what made them so great was the originality of what they were doing and it didn't hurt that they had some of the greatest grouped talent to compete against either. Who can forget The Nation of Domination or the Harts? What I find lacking about the latest DX run is the fact that the competition for them just isn't there. The newest rivalry has hope (Edge & Orton), but how long will it last? I also am happy to see Jeff Hardy back on RAW. He brings back the whole "extreme" atmosphere with him. I hope he sticks around for awhile. Next on our RAW menu is
Uuummmaaagggaaa! Ahem, sorry, I mean Umaga. I can't help but talk like his manager every time I say his name. By the way, Armando Alejandro Estrada is an incredible manager; he single handedly makes Umaga that much more interesting. Umaga isn't really that bad of a gimmick, but they have got to find him someone he is not going to just demolish in his match. Personally, I think Rikishi would be a great rival. Who wouldn't pay good money to see two Samoan bulldozers?
The Women's division lacks, but is getting better. Mickie James is pure unadulterated fun, let me tell you. Her match with Trish at WrestleMania is one of my all time favorites. And let me personally thank WWE for censoring the best part of the match on the DVD; thanks again. Lita also is a great talent, but due to injuries, I don't think she will ever be what she was and with it being common knowledge that she's leaving, I don't see her playing too much of a big role in the Women's division. And then besides Victoria, things get kind of shaky. There seems to be no line between Women wrestlers and Divas. The Tag Team division is, and has been for awhile, very limited. There just doesn't seem to be any build up to tag matches anymore. The titles (quick, who has the belts?) are being held by five guys that are stuck in a terrible gimmick. DX is the best tag team on the roster, but it seems that they really aren't in the tag title hunt. Then you have The Highlanders who are entertaining but get beat up a lot. Oh, and of course Eugene and "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan. And that sums up the tag division; yikes!
Now the biggest and most important part of RAW has always been the main event, right? How come there are two main events now? One for each hour? Why not four? One for each half hour. Anyhow, the first one is usually wrestlers who are not considered "midcarders," but aren't involved in the main story line. Which to RAW's credit, they have actually been focusing on more then just one or two characters and have put together some interesting stories as of late. Then the last match of the night, the main event, the pinnacle of the show, is usually left for RAW's shining star: the WWE Champion. And that leads me to what has become one of the biggest topics of discussion in the world of wrestling. WWE Champion John Cena. Loved by many, hated by many. The boos have actually gotten quieter lately. I don't know if the Cena haters have just given up all together of if they discovered someone else to hate. At any rate, Cena has been a very interesting champion for the most part. His matches with Edge were good though they seemed a little one sided at times. But we are talking about the man that conquered "the king of kings" HHH this year very convincingly. But by beating HHH, did he become him? The biggest issue that fans had with HHH for along time was the fact that he always had the belt. Well, the time Cena hasn't held the belt in the past year could probably be counted on one hand. Should we start calling him Triple Cena? Personally, I enjoyed Cena better as a heal. He was rugged and well, a thug. Now he plays to the crowd and I think that's what bothers some is the fact that since taking the reins, he has become almost strictly an entertainer. He is almost a modern day Rock. I can't count how many times the fans turned on Rock for the very same things. But when he was a heel, people loved him. I think Cena falls into the same mold as Austin, Rock, & Undertaker; we cheer for the bad guys. Cena could be put into that same group. He has not reached that level yet, but that's not saying he won't. But I fear if the WWE doesn't stop force feeding him down our throats, he may not be around long enough to enjoy legend status.
All in all, RAW displays week after week why it is the number one wrestling show on TV and is one of the longest running shows on cable television to date. A lot of people say wrestling has hit its "golden age," but has it? Eventually someone is going to be able to compete with WWE again and that's when things get good my friends. RAW is just that...raw. It is defined by what is around it. Right now, it defines itself. There is nothing pushing RAW to be well...raw any longer. But I, like so many other fans, remain glued to our couches simply because it is the only ride in town for now. But when the day comes that we are allowed to channel surf through different shows again, watch out, my friends; that is when the real show begins. And I honestly hope the next combatant to step in the ring against RAW is ready for a fight. One must remember what RAW stands for. How easily we forget...
RAW Is War.
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