Raw 4-14-14

[The Man Known as Dan]

I've only seen a few Paige matches since getting the Network but does she always get so RED when taking moves? I kinda understand her chest getting red from chops cause even spray tanned dudes get red from them but her back looked jacked up.

 

Alicia Fox backbreakers tend to do that.

 

So the IC tournament matches were fun, Paige/Alicia was good, and there... wasn't a lot else I gave a damn about on this show? Just a mixed bag tonight.

[eikerir]

Paige is already 5 times more over than Emma is.

 

 

Also, I don't think they've realized than Santino & Emma vs. Fandango & Partner stops being funny after seeing it for two months in a row.

[Big Z]

I enjoyed the Dolph-Barrett match, and hope that Dolph eventually gets another IC/US title run. Also, I am loving the Cesaro-Heyman pair and think they work brilliantly off each other so far. I do believe that the Evolution reunion works very well for the storyline, as HHH (the character) desperately tries to rely on the past in trying to hold down the present. Not an off the charts memorable Raw, but it works well in continuing to push the key stories.

[Libs]

The Cena promo was brutal and totally out of place for what the feud has been and should be... though I will say the cheap Roll Tide throw out was something even Foley would have been proud of.

 

Also, I don't think they've realized than Santino & Emma vs. Fandango& Partner stops being funny after seeing it for two months in a row.

It's the new Kofi vs Miz.

 

They should be through with running it weekly, one variation or another, some time in June.

[Hollywood Cibernetico]

Earlier today I was watching a few videos from the 'Walking Talk' thread and while watching the beatdown of The Shield, I thought who in WWE right now could have that 'walking talk' moment against the odds we saw tonight on Raw. Cena? Is there a second outside of Show/Henry? Sting could clear out the entire NWO and everyone would take it as the gospel and believe he could do it. The same with Austin beating the ass of The Alliance. Henry and Show can play the role as they have the size, but I feel that's cheating as Sting, Austin, Rock, etc. weren't super tall or billed as being super strong. Outside of Cena, Henry, and Show, I don't believe WWE currently has a babyface on their roster that when the music hits, the crowd thinkz 'oh shit! those 11 guys in the ring are going to get their asses kicked!'.

 

Again an agrument can be made for Cena, Show, and Henry. I don't see Daniel Bryan being that guy, but the people were chanting his name. Just a really bizarre ending. Evolution coming out to little reaction was also pretty sad.

[The Damn Yeti]

I actually popped for the Evolution theme. HHH has been king sized this year, and this is certainly the best way to use BFD and Orton at the moment.

[Casey]

We need the return of the Corporation, not Evolution. Besides, without Flair, that group is already dead in the water.

[JonnyLaw]

I really didn't like that they put Rusev out there with the rest of those dudes. He should be separated from everyone else right now.

Otherwise it was an okay show but hurt by no Bryan.

Especially since they pushed the "He's beaten everyone in less than three minutes."

[pipGofern]

The Cena promo was brutal and totally out of place for what the feud has been and should be... though I will say the cheap Roll Tide throw out was something even Foley would have been proud of.

 

Cena doing Wacky Pictures Schtick is one of the sadder things I've seen recently. That was the first Cena promo I've seen in I dunno how long where he seemed completely disconnected from his material and seemed like he was just reading off bullet points instead of being engaged. 

 

This feud has been kind of a trainwreck from the get-go. Bray losing at Mania really threw water on the angle and Cena's treating Bray to a series of his usual dorky poopiez jokes isn't doing anything to heat it back up. They could've done Raven-Dreamer or even emulated early Mankind angles instead they're doing...I actually have no idea where they're going with this but it doesn't seem to be doing either Cena nor the Wyatts any favors.

[Ace]

Earlier today I was watching a few videos from the 'Walking Talk' thread and while watching the beatdown of The Shield, I thought who in WWE right now could have that 'walking talk' moment against the odds we saw tonight on Raw. Cena? 

 

Cena and Orton did it together once.

 

[bink_winkleman]

Batista/Orton look so low rent out there. Like they should be wrestling Beer Money or some shit in front of 200 people.

Bray needs to reign it in *just* a notch. Segment was fine otherwise, though. Cena doing his thing, getting called out on it. Loved the Wyatts not even registering the insults.

The fuck was up with that Toys R Us commercial?

I liked the tournament. And Heyman/Cesaro were fantastic. Overall a good throwaway show. Batista sold the shit out of the Punch.

Hate that we're losing Corporate Kane already.

[Johnny Sorrow]

Cena's promo was fine and was consistent with his character. He's always been a guy to try and deflect things with jokes, going all the way back to his rapper days. In this instance, he was feeling comfortable after defeating Wyatt at Mania and fell back on his ways. Wyatt called him out on always hiding behind jokes, Cena got serious and made the challenge for Extreme Rules, Wyatt is gleeful to accept and it ends with Cena looking uncomfortable as Wyatt sings and sections of fans behind him are waving along to their leader.

 

Just because the jokes stink, doesn't mean the Wyatt's got "ruined".

[Big Z]

The Cena promo was brutal and totally out of place for what the feud has been and should be... though I will say the cheap Roll Tide throw out was something even Foley would have been proud of.

 

Also, I don't think they've realized than Santino & Emma vs. Fandango& Partner stops being funny after seeing it for two months in a row.

It's the new Kofi vs Miz.

 

They should be through with running it weekly, one variation or another, some time in June.

 

I am going to channel my inner Gregg, but I actually think that the "funny" Cena promo is a futile attempt to not succumb to Bray's powers. Even after winning at Mania, he cannot escape Bray's power over him and is desperately clinging to past tendencies. Bray was not fazed, and now will expose Cena's inner monster and show him that he cannot be the same monster as Bray.

[bink_winkleman]

I don't think that's a stretch, and it's totally in line with that terrified look Cena had on his face after winning at Mania.

[JRGoldman]

I watched the last 45 minutes or so, and the crowd was so dead for the evolution return that I thought they must've come out at the top of the show and already gotten the return pop. Twitter told me otherwise.

Also, I had a real hearty laugh at the crowd during Barrett/Ziggler for chanting 'CM Punk' and being snotty and bored until they saw a couple sweet movez and within 30 seconds started chanting 'this is awesome'.

[Fat Spanish Waiter]

I never thought I'd see the day Evolution was shat on on here.

 

Such a shame. The Groupthink has been taken over by the haterz.

[The Man Known as Dan]

I never thought I'd see the day Evolution was shat on on here.

 

Such a shame. The Groupthink has been taken over by the haterz.

 

I always thought Evolution was shit back when they started, but that was mostly because that was that phase were Trips to me was just a complete bore.

[Ace]

The claps during the Wyatt theme were phenomenal.

[Skelemania]

WWE showing Rick Rude in a video to celebrate Warrior gives me hope that Rude can go in the Hall next year.

[bink_winkleman]

I never thought I'd see the day Evolution was shat on on here.

Such a shame. The Groupthink has been taken over by the haterz.

I always thought Evolution was shit back when they started, but that was mostly because that was that phase were Trips to me was just a complete bore.

He was at his worst. And the sad thing is is that he's much, much better now and there's no reason to go back to the well.

Evolution totally chased me away from wrestling back in the day. And I grew up on Flair. And now they don't even have Flair, and instead of past/present/future/enforcer it's just HHH and two greasy has beens.

[Johnny Sorrow]

I'm totally digging Evolution reforming to feud with the Shield. You know full well The Shield will come out on top by the end of the program and no matter how you personally feel about Evolution outside of what's on TV or what you thought ten years ago, that's a hell of a rub. They're doing "old guys vs young guys" and doing it right, which almost never happens.

 

That being said, the announcing sucked, JR or Heyman would have been screaming and putting over the "Holy Shit, Evolution is back!" moment and the old lions vs young lions deal making it more chaotic.

[piranesi]

But it's not really evolution though.  It's HHH plan number 17 to derail Bryan and it could be fine for that reason.  It's supposed to be kind of pathetic and obviously lame because he's stuck recreating this "thing" that isn't a "thing" anymore.  It's a guy he's been shitting on Kayfabe-wise for months, treating him like Reek...and this other guy who's a tatted up gassbag who disappointed him on his return.

 

But he's so flustered that now that he's stuck pretending that he totally respects those two idiots and that those three parts are still "Evolution."  He knows it's a lie and we know it's a lie.  

 

In storyline it's pretty funny and shows how much he's lost control and fallen back into old (dumb) habits since that Occupy Raw thing got to him.

 

Don't think of it as bad writers "bringing back Evolution."  Think of it as the HHH character (who is fantastic right now) doing something dumb because he's been outmaneuvered by the monsters he created.  It will be way more fun that way.

[Casey]

Through all of this bad shit tonight, we gotta pause to admire Batista. I know, I know, but think about it. He put over Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania 30, by tapping out. He's in a feud with three young guys and will inevitably put them over at the feud's conclusion. So far, his run hasn't been anything like we thought. So, kudos to him, even though it kinda seems like none of this was supposed to happen but then something happened.

 

Whatever you want to attribute that something to is up to the individual reader,  but plans changed and Batista is putting over young guys left and right. Everyone is, actually. It's a nice change.

[piranesi]

 

But it's not really evolution though.  It's HHH plan number 17 to derail Bryan and it could be fine for that reason.  It's supposed to be kind of pathetic and obviously lame because he's stuck recreating this "thing" that isn't a "thing" anymore.  It's a guy he's been shitting on Kayfabe-wise for months, treating him like Reek...and this other guy who's a tatted up gassbag who disappointed him on his return.

 

But he's so flustered that now that he's stuck pretending that he totally respects those two idiots and that those three parts are still "Evolution."  He knows it's a lie and we know it's a lie.  

 

In storyline it's pretty funny and shows how much he's lost control and fallen back into old (dumb) habits since that Occupy Raw thing got to him.

 

Don't think of it as bad writers "bringing back Evolution."  Think of it as the HHH character (who is fantastic right now) doing something dumb because he's been outmaneuvered by the monsters he created.  It will be way more fun that way.

 

This is exactly how I saw it.

 

Bryan and the Shield have Hunter waaaay out of his comfort zone so he is scrambling for something (anything) to help him get control back. The Outlaws were just the start. There was a little hint of HBK coming in to help him out. Now Evolution reform.

 

 

It fits his character's pattern too. Whenever he's in a jam, his go-to solution has always been to bring in some old buddies or re-form some old team.

 

Then he seemed to be past that, cruising along above the fight, totally owning everyone during that stretch where he would torture anyone who mouthed off.

 

Being baited into the fight with Bryan was a huge regression for him. And now he's regressed to his old tactic of calling up his old running buddies to back him up.  He wanted to act like the Mania match was this one-time thing...but now he's just back to being another guy with a stable.  He's conceded what seemed to be an un-surrenderable high ground and he's sunk back down into the fight.

 

That's like 75% of the battle lost right there.

[Greggulator]

Just playing catch-up on the show now. Went right to Cena/Bray, naturally.

 

The whole key to this story has been really subtle. Cena gave this really confused and puzzled look right at the end of the segment, when Bray started the "Whole World" song because he has followers. This isn't what Cena's used to seeing. He gave the same thing the last week, too, when he saw The Wyatts just crush him and his partners as the crowd was behind an evil religious cult leader.
 

Cena's never really played this vulnerable before, except when Wade Barrett indentured him.

This is a really interesting storyline. Cena can tell the jokes but Bray made "serious" Cena come out -- closer to the monster Bray sees lurking behind John's plastic soul. And Cena's slowly starting to unravel as he sees that a certain percentage of the WWE Universe believes in what Bray Wyatt is saying, and he doesn't and will never understand why.