RAW is UNIVERSALLY AWESOME

[Matt D]

16 minutes ago, Jrag said:

I'll have to go back and watch the women's title change.  Didn't have enough time to get through the show, but once I realized they were running Finn/Roman I marked out and jumped straight to that.

The main event was the best Roman match in quite some time.  Finn has been on a little role lately, but this is gotta be up near the top of his WWE/NXT matches list. Such an interesting style matchup. I can't believe they gave it to us so quick.

Finn's entrance is going to be crazy when the bigger crowds start catching on. Loved the camera work.

Did you like it better than the Styles matches?

[Jerome Miller]

So how many people googled "Britt Baker" last night and came up with the traffic reporter for FOX 59 in Indianapolis?  

 

Next time they're in Indy, they should pay the traffic reporter to do a skit where the wrestler and traffic reporter are both back stage and they tell Britt the wrestler she's taking on Asuka in a "NXT Showcase" match and Britt the wrestler freaks out and tricks the reporter to go out to the ring.

 

In regards to the "Universal Title," that has to be some sort of rib that Vince has been wanting to pull on Carlos Colon for 30 years.

[Curt McGirt]

Punishment for losing the Universal title should be you have to work WWC for a month. Seth can come back with a bunch of gig marks and talk about how he's a tougher wrestler.

[piranesi]

9 minutes ago, Jerome Miller said:

So how many people googled "Britt Baker" last night and came up with the traffic reporter for FOX 59 in Indianapolis?  

 

Any mention of traffic reporters deserves a bit from one of Phl Hendrie's insane podcasts:

 

Hearing it and then watching it, it's still unbelievable that he does this.

[Matt D]

 

[Spritenaut 32]

17 minutes ago, Michael Sweetser said:

I actually do understand Russo's line of reasoning.  Like, I get it.

He's just wrong.

Which part.  I think he's somewhat right about the company beginning to cater to the IWC, but who else is the product for?  The WWE. at any rate, hasn't been about live audiences since the Attitude era.  Sure, house shows and show merch matter and provide a revenue stream, but Vince has been catering to TV ratings since... the Attitude Era.  And internet sales make live show merch sales a lot less important.

When was the last time we - or Metlzer - discussed live show attendance or revenue?  It comes up mostly when Smackdown draws a small crowd  and we promptly forget about it.  On the other hand, Meltzer reports tv ratings as soon as they are released and message boards like this one don't go a week without mentioning RAW ratings

Catering to the IWC is just a natural progression.  WWE has been mostly about the TV and PPV audience for the past 20 years and obviously the PPV audience isn't that important these days ($9.99!).

Of course, Russo had a hand in transitioning the product to being TV friendly, so I dunno how much room he has to complain.  I sometimes think Russo and Cornette can't get around because they're too similar (in some ways).

[Jerome Miller]

Just now, Vader does my taxes! said:

 

When was the last time we - or Metlzer - discussed live show attendance or revenue?  

Last month when he mentioned that house shows headlined by Roman as champ were doing horrible attendance.

[Jrag]

26 minutes ago, Matt D said:

Did you like it better than the Styles matches?

Actually blanked on the first Styles/Roman ppv match, but I honestly though it was close. Perhaps because the Finn/Roman outcome seemed in doubt going in and I think it was pretty clear Styles was taking the fall.

Wish we could have seen Finn's limb work that seemingly took up a whole commercial break.  That was the best part of his Nak match.

I liked Roman/Balor more than Nak/Balor that's for sure..  Roman working control segments against smaller dudes is the best Roman.

[Burgundy LaRue]

1 hour ago, Vader does my taxes! said:

Am I the only one that thinks Roman will still meet Seth for the new title?  I'm really expecting some sort of shenanigans to keep Finn out of the match and Roman will end up taking his place.

I thought about that.  Maybe a triple threat match for the title?  And a certain club comes out.  And just when we think they're helping out a certain demon, they swerve and back a Samoan prince instead?

Honestly, I'm more interested in a Balor/Reigns feud than Balor/Rollins.

[Matt D]

I really want a Zayn/Reigns feud now. Also Zayn/Rusev. And Cesaro/Reigns. 

[Rev Ray]

31 minutes ago, Matt D said:

 

I only trust one man for my weather info....

 

 

[JCM]

29 minutes ago, Matt D said:

I really want a Zayn/Reigns feud now. Also Zayn/Rusev. And Cesaro/Reigns. 

I think we get KO/Reigns at Summer Slam which will be glorious for the crowd reactions. Rusev/Sami for the US title at Summer Slam would be crazy good.

[joseph2112]

Jericho apparently does the weather too...

 

[Dog]

The guy who wants realism in wrestling put the belt on David Arquette. 

[Matt D]

I felt actively bad for Jericho when whatever goofiness they were trying with the code-breaker counter into superman punch didn't work.

[JRGoldman]

2 hours ago, Matt D said:

Why did they put Sasha over last night? They had a pretty straightforward storyline to get them to Summerslam with a big match and a big moment, one ready made. Even if they wanted to start the new Raw off with a bang, they should have announced last night after the tag that Sasha was getting her shot the next night. Get some mileage out of it. 

Part of me thinks that now that Charlotte had a long enough reign to get her over as dominant, they think the real money is in her winning it 16 times and having a tearful reunion with daddy. If they want to do that, she's gonna lose a whole bunch because the diva shelf life isn't the greatest.

[Charlie M.]

Sasha vs Charlotte is better on a second viewing knowing the outcome. Watching it live, I was waiting for the screwjob finish that we've come to expect from WWE. I think the crowd was too because they were pretty reserved until it became clear that something important might happen.

Charlotte's work was a lot more snug and as long as the other women are ok with it, she should keep that up. Always felt like she was holding back too much.

As for why do the title switch now? I think it's possible that Vince saw the reaction Bayley got and decided that it's time to go with Bayley as the #1 face in the division and not Sasha. Giving Sasha her big babyface title win at SummerSlam is less important if they're just going to be turning her in the next few months anyway.

[NikoBaltimore]

Going into two of the matches I was certain that Sasha and Finn would have lost their respective singles matches.  We were in a wonderful state of shock for a good 30 seconds when Sasha won.  After that we realized this was real and were pretty much freaking out.  And when Finn went up top I couldn't believe this was becoming reality.  What a difference one week makes.  I'm really happy to see Finn get the win on his birthday.  But I'm just ecstatic seeing Sasha finally win the belt.

And this is really, really cool:

 

[Greggulator]

Prediction: Charlotte regains the title sooner than later so we get the blow-off at SummerSlam.

[SirSmUgly]

Eh, I think they just wanted to do a title change that would get a huge reaction on the first RAW of the latest, newest era. I doubt that they're thinking that far ahead otherwise. 

[caley]

I kinda think Sasha won't keep the title very long either, WWE doesn't really know how to script likable female title face runs (Basically all the face women who have won the title in recent years turned heel at some point during/shortly after their reigns: Charlotte, Paige, AJ).  I wouldn't be shocked either, if Nia Jax was Women's Champion by September.

[Kyuubi]

..

This was a good motherfucking show.

Good shit. 

[EVA]

So at this point, Roman's entire moveset, aside from the spear and superman punch, consists of variations on a sit-out power bomb.

[Kyuubi]

1 minute ago, EVA said:

So at this point, Roman's entire moveset, aside from the spear and superman punch, consists of variations on a sit-out power bomb.

And I think that is awesome. Dude needed a niche because that was the problem with John Cena in the ring. There was nothing to separate himself from other WWWE homegrown talent. I don't mind Roman Reigns doing a Michael Elgin impersonation because it works for me. In fact, this is my second favorite match of his and probably the only match I like because of his work and not anybody else's.

[Spritenaut 32]

2 hours ago, Jerome Miller said:

Last month when he mentioned that house shows headlined by Roman as champ were doing horrible attendance.

Forgot about that.  In a way, it makes my point though.  Meltzer's barely mentioned house show attendance in a month whereas the weekly tv ratings get headlines on his website.  Also, Reigns would probably have gone over Balor last night if he hadn't been suspended, regardless of house show attendance?  Am I wrong about that?  I don't think Vince would give up on Reigns just because of house shows.  TV ratings are a different story, obviously.