WWE Raw Discussion Thread

[Captain Scumbag]

I'm jumping the gun a bit here, but it looks like Smackdown is going to keep Cena, Styles, Nakamura and Orton while acquiring Kevin Owens (and possibly Sammy Zayn). If so, there's some potentially amazing feuds and title matches coming up on the blue brand.

 

[Oaf]

Well, you were right. I'm seeing a lot of people say that Smackdown "got shafted" in the switch up, but I don't really agree. Yeah, losing Wyatt and Ambrose is a blow, but Owens is a great replacement, plus the general feeling is that Zayn is going to get pushed a bit as well. And there's the small matter of a rather sparse womens division, which got a HUGE shot in the arm with Charlotte.

 

[Captain Scumbag]

Smackdown has the better roster IMO.

I like Ambrose and I really like Bray, but neither fared well on Smackdown. I don't expect them to fare better on Raw because WWE doesn't know how to book either (the creative problem there transcends the brand split), but from the Smackdown side of things I don't see them as a loss. KO alone is worth the price of Ambrose and Wyatt. Zayn is a bonus. So, IMO, is Rusev.

The biggest loss from Smackdown is Miz. Looks like Mauro is away too, though that has nothing to do with the shake-up.

Possible main event programmes on Smackdown this year: Nakamura vs. AJ (yay!), Nakamura vs. Cena, Nakamura vs. KO, AJ vs. KO. Don't know how any genuine fan of pro-wrestling can ponder those and think Smackdown got shafted.

 

[T.A]

Really enjoyed Braun destroying Reigns this week. "I'm not done yet" the whole lifting an ambulance was just insane haha

 

[Oaf]

Nakamura vs. AJ (yay!), Nakamura vs. Cena, Nakamura vs. KO, AJ vs. KO.

That is an exciting sentence!

Now watch them book Orton vs Ziggler or something instead.

 

[Libertine]

Good Raw this week. Great main event! Set everything up well.

 

[Oaf]

Yeah, thought it was a very good show with a superb main event.

Although...

After actually doing some interesting stuff for a while, Bray is once again back to the formula of (and yeah, I post this a lot on here, but that just kind of signifies how often it fucking happens...):

Pick random target
Lights go out
Light come back, screw them out of a match
"WHY BRAY?! WHY?!"
Next week, Bray will give a really fucking cool sounding promo that we'll all enjoy, but after it finishes we'll realise that we don't actually know why he did why he did. He will have said something about Gods vs Demons or some BS, but it won't actually be satisfactory.

FUCK. THAT.

 

[TheMinsterman]

Yeah, thought it was a very good show with a superb main event.

Although...

After actually doing some interesting stuff for a while, Bray is once again back to the formula of (and yeah, I post this a lot on here, but that just kind of signifies how often it fucking happens...):

Pick random target
Lights go out
Light come back, screw them out of a match
"WHY BRAY?! WHY?!"
Next week, Bray will give a really fucking cool sounding promo that we'll all enjoy, but after it finishes we'll realise that we don't actually know why he did why he did. He will have said something about Gods vs Demons or some BS, but it won't actually be satisfactory.

FUCK. THAT.

They never ever have him actually follow through with any of his threats or rhetoric so it always comes across as utterly empty and pointless.

 

[Oaf]

Exactly. He comes out with all of this stuff and then, 9 times out of 10, they just beat him and then he picks a new target. There's no reason that anybody should actually fear Bray Wyatt. When I was looking up wrestlers all time win loss ratios the other day, I actually saw that Wyatt has about a 30% win ratio. So, basically, in being randomly selected to be Brays next target, Finn has just been picked to win a PPV match in future.

 

[Stevencc]

Braun's out for up to six months, rather than the original estimate of six weeks.

 

[Libertine]

Braun's out for up to six months, rather than the original estimate of six weeks.

Yeh that sucks. Been really good recently and was hoping to see him go for the title.

 

[Oaf]

For all that it sucks to see Strowman gone, I'm actually really into this idea of a 5 pack extreme rules match. I get the feeling Balor is gonna win it... which I'm not sure about. Firstly, there's still the fact that I'm yet to be convinced that he is worth his incredible amount of hype, and secondly because, simply looking at the two men on paper, Lesnar should tear Balors head off with ease.

 

[Libertine]

Reading the dirtsheets though it seems it's a bit of an exaggeration and he should be back for Summerslam.

 

[Oaf]

I was watching Smackdown earlier and came to the sobering realisation that with two world championship titles, across 3 PPV's, there is only going to be a single world championship match. And one half of the people involved in that match is Jinder Mahal.

It's just so fucking odd. Like, one title disappears and the other has a full time jobber going for it. It's as if they're purposefully trying to diminish the importance of world championships.

 

[iesty wfc]

vince has previous with doing this sort of thing though Oaf (Bradshaw, the Miz, Jack Swagger), sometimes it works sometimes it doesnt.

but it does add a bit of variety

 

[Bluebird_Dai]

At least there is something happening with Smackdowns championship I suppose. Anyone remember what the Raw one looks like?

 

[Stevencc]

It's the Universal title, Lesnar's just busy defending it in other galaxies right now.

 

[Oaf]

vince has previous with doing this sort of thing though Oaf (Bradshaw, the Miz, Jack Swagger), sometimes it works sometimes it doesnt.

but it does add a bit of variety

The thing is, I'd say that Bradshaw wasn't a bad champion and The Miz, as he's showing in recent months, was certainly worthy of it. And The Miz had a fair few months leading into his title win where he was getting better and better until he'd at least earned that spot. Jinder just came out of NOWHERE. Lost in like a minute to Finn 2 weeks prior, then became no 1 contender.

Who knows. Perhaps Jinder has something going for him that we'll all suddenly see once he becomes champion, to suggest that he's worthy of the push.

At least there is something happening with Smackdowns championship I suppose. Anyone remember what the Raw one looks like?

Unfortunately, yes... ugh. Still not over how awful that title looks.

 

[Leewilson]

It's nice to see Goldust and R Truth showing a few of the younger lot how to cut a promo. Enjoying their feud. Best thing Goldust has done since him and Cody had the Rhodes feud with the Authority and best thing Truth has done since he was fighting at title level.

 

[JustinQPR]

Booker T near the end of the Bliss/Bayley segment: "This is hard to watch."

You're not fucking kidding.

 

[Scott Barton]

Unfortunately, yes... ugh. Still not over how awful that title looks.

or sounds.

 

[Stevencc]

Joe's segment on Raw this week was brilliant.

 

[Stevencc]

As was the Joe vs Lesnar clash on Raw this week, really enjoying this feud.

I hope the PPV match isn't another Lesnar/Goldberg style four minute squash/shock bout.

 

[Oaf]

That Raw felt back to front. Opened amazingly, ended with a whimper... a double count out to settle a 2 out of 3 falls match to END an episode of Raw? Fucking hell!

That episode could have literally ran back to front with all of the segments in reverse order and have been a better show, I reckon.

 

[Scott Barton]

That Raw felt back to front. Opened amazingly, ended with a whimper... a double count out to settle a 2 out of 3 falls match to END an episode of Raw? Fucking hell!

That episode could have literally ran back to front with all of the segments in reverse order and have been a better show, I reckon.

Doesn't matter what they did, they produced the worst episode in a long while. That stupid god damn bear makes the fashion files entertaining

 

[Oaf]

Doesn't matter what they did, they produced the worst episode in a long while. That stupid god damn bear makes the fashion files entertaining

The problem here is that that sentence implies that the fashion files are anything but the greatest thing in the history of things.

They're great, and the little boards behind them in the background are often absolute fucking gold. Last week for example had a picture of Sami Zayn with the comments "generic" and "needs a mask"...

 

[Scott Barton]

The problem here is that that sentence implies that the fashion files are anything but the greatest thing in the history of things.

They're great, and the little boards behind them in the background are often absolute fucking gold. Last week for example had a picture of Sami Zayn with the comments "generic" and "needs a mask"...

You are what is wrong with the WWE

 

[Stevencc]

Eventful RAW this week, enjoyed it very much.

 

[Libertine]

Strowman!

And Cass!

 

[Stevencc]

Storylines!