The Raw After Wrestlemania - 4/8/2019

[Casey]

I still think the brand split will end this year or the next. FOX might not want to promote stars that would appear on other networks, sure, but WWE has always given RAW the priority over Smackdown and thought of it as the B show because RAW is Vince's baby or whatever. But I think with the XFL and Vince likely taking a step back (but not fully), that might change. I just don't see them loading up Smackdown with people like Reigns, Rollins, Becky and others (then people like Lesnar and Rousey) and leaving the scraps for what's been their flagship show for so long. On the other hand, like I said, I can see them doing all of that because money is a powerful motivator. I just don't think it'll last too long, especially if the ratings aren't what everyone involved wants them to be.

The women's titles being across both brands (and the tag titles being across ALL the brands, like NXT) - I think that's due more to the women's division not being that deep on RAW or Smackdown. There's not enough tag teams on any one brand to justify a set of tag titles for every brand, so that's why you get one set for every brand. It never made much sense, to me, to have a singles women's title for one (or both) brands when the division on either show is only a handful of women. The cruiserweights have their own title and it's the same as the women's division, but they also have their own show so all the time on that show is devoted to that division and the pursuit of that title. It's not the same with the women and their titles, they have to compete with the men's tag divisions and 4 other singles titles.

Edited April 9, 2019 by Casey

[RIPPA]

Honestly - at this point - they either need to have one or not

Not this weird limbo where people have just been randomly showing up on other shows with no real logical reason.

[The Natural]

19 minutes ago, RIPPA said:

Honestly - at this point - they either need to have one or not

Not this weird limbo where people have just been randomly showing up on other shows with no real logical reason.

Feel same way. Both brand splits were better when it was enforced making it special when RAW and Smackdown interacted. This second brand split had been until recently. Pointless otherwise.

Edited April 9, 2019 by The Natural

[Nice Guy Eddie]

8 hours ago, HumanChessgame said:

People have been clamoring for Cesaro to get a bigger push for years now. Then there was the "Brass Ring Club" which didn't do him much favors for a while. In a perfect world he and Russev would have held the world title at least once each by now. Speaking of Sheamus, wasn't he supposed to retire almost a year ago due to nagging injuries?

Putting Cesaro with Heyman after he dumps Zeb and Swagger was big misstep, as all Heyman did was push that Brock ended the streak.

[The Natural]

2 minutes ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

Putting Cesaro with Heyman after he dumps Zeb and Swagger was big misstep, as all Heyman did was push that Brock ended the streak.

My friend speaks true.

[The Natural]

[Eivion]

27 minutes ago, RIPPA said:

Honestly - at this point - they either need to have one or not

Not this weird limbo where people have just been randomly showing up on other shows with no real logical reason.

Aside from the usual SS invasions didn't this really only happen recently for this year' WM when people feuding across brands and for Angle's retirement? As for the split they absolutely need one. They have way too many damn people to not have one.

[Casey]

Don't forget about Gargano, Ciampa, Black and Ricochet jumping across all three brands.

[Nice Guy Eddie]

3 hours ago, Dolfan in NYC said:

To be fair, they've literally called up a dozen from NXT in the last 4 months or so and the vast majority of them have gotten lost in the fog of Vince's brain.   And I'd hate to see that happen to UE, because - well, fuck everyone here - I love them.  

There's a shit ton of flotsam and jetsam that needs to be cleared out before anyone else comes up.  

I'm with Dolfan on this one.

[Raziel]

5 minutes ago, Eivion said:

Aside from the usual SS invasions didn't this really only happen recently for this year' WM when people feuding across brands and for Angle's retirement? As for the split they absolutely need one. They have way too many damn people to not have one.

With their roster, I'd say they need a 5th brand, but they don't have the creative staff to handle the 4 they have.

[Casey]

They have five brands already. RAW, Smackdown, 205 Live, NXT, and NXT UK.

[RIPPA]

10 minutes ago, Eivion said:

Aside from the usual SS invasions didn't this really only happen recently for this year' WM when people feuding across brands and for Angle's retirement? As for the split they absolutely need one. They have way too many damn people to not have one.

That's kind of my point

If they are going to blur the lines so much then get rid of the damn thing

Of course it does fit their model now of slowly easing into things (like what they are doing now with intergender wrestling)

[Rehabilitated Rick]

Undertaker continues to morph into crypt keeper. That hair needs to go man. I will give him props though, he looked in great shape.

Those outraged Bayley was the sacrificial lamb for Alexa must not have watched Bayley for the past two years.

I am way burned out with wrestling after this weekend.  The dynamic of Mania weekend is becoming a little stale. Hopefully AEW can inject something fresh into the scene.

I'll plug back in for double or nothing. 

[Playa Shunna Ver 3.0]

34 minutes ago, Casey said:

They have five brands already. RAW, Smackdown, 205 Live, NXT, and NXT UK.

They actually have six....if you include Southpaw Regional.

Edited April 9, 2019 by Playa Shunna Ver 3.0

[Niners Fan in CT]

7 hours ago, Brian Fowler said:

I like Ricochet and Black a lot as individuals, but the gimmicks just don't mesh as a team at all. Like, the Dusty Cup was fine, but as a full time team it's just weird.

They are Dusty and Nikita. 

[OSJ]

2 minutes ago, Niners Fan in CT said:

They are Dusty and Nikita. 

Fat dude and over-muscled stiff? Sorry, not seeing it.

[Eivion]

 

[Nice Guy Eddie]

1 hour ago, Rick said:

Undertaker continues to morph into crypt keeper. That hair needs to go man. I will give him props though, he looked in great shape.

Those outraged Bayley was the sacrificial lamb for Alexa must not have watched Bayley for the past two years.

I am way burned out with wrestling after this weekend.  The dynamic of Mania weekend is becoming a little stale. Hopefully AEW can inject something fresh into the scene.

I'll plug back in for double or nothing. 

I feel completely the opposite. I had so much fun at the shows I went to and watching the Janela shows that I'm pretty jazzed on everything except the WWE main roster.

[Niners Fan in CT]

1 hour ago, Rick said:

Those outraged Bayley was the sacrificial lamb for Alexa must not have watched Bayley for the past two years.

The result was expected but as much as Bayley's star has fallen,  there's no money left in Alexa either. The crowd at Mania didn't care about her at all, the one thing she did well was talk and even then her Moment of Bliss or whatever segments went nowhere and didn't get over. Now they plug her back in the women's division and for what?  She's injury prone and has never had a great match or anything.  If they want their women's division to be the weekly bathroom break then keep pushing women who can't wrestle. 

[Doragon]

"Raw Rating: Post-WrestleMania episode tops 3 million viewers in hour one, but off 25 percent from last year’s post-WM edition, key metrics and perspective"

https://www.pwtorch.com/site/2019/04/09/raw-rating-post-wrestlemania-episode-tops-3-million-viewers-in-hour-one-but-off-25-percent-from-last-years-post-wm-edition-key-metrics-and-perspective/

[Nice Guy Eddie]

5 hours ago, The Natural said:

Split these across two posts for size and spoiler tag issues on my tablet.

Ronda gets some points back for that Clueless shirt. 

Edited April 9, 2019 by Nice Guy Eddie

[John from Cincinnati]

39 minutes ago, D.Z said:

"Raw Rating: Post-WrestleMania episode tops 3 million viewers in hour one, but off 25 percent from last year’s post-WM edition, key metrics and perspective"

https://www.pwtorch.com/site/2019/04/09/raw-rating-post-wrestlemania-episode-tops-3-million-viewers-in-hour-one-but-off-25-percent-from-last-years-post-wm-edition-key-metrics-and-perspective/

Thisisfine.jpg 

[CSC]

4 hours ago, Rick said:

Undertaker continues to morph into crypt keeper. That hair needs to go man. I will give him props though, he looked in great shape.

 

You could tell when his hat first fell off, the cameras shot everything from the shoulders down clearly thinking maybe he was going to put the thing back on and only panning up again when it was clear that it wasn't happening.  

[Brian Fowler]

The more I think about The Bar running in, I think it's a combination of two things.

First, the audience (definitely including myself) kinda convinced ourselves that 2 + 2 = 5.

Second, WWE was insisting 2 + 2 = 3.

With 5 being a huge shock (the system) and 3 being The Bar, while 4 would've been like Drew Mac and Bryan.

[Craig H]

Hell, even Bryan and Rowan.