WWE Raw: WWE Raw: September 8, 2014 (Season Premiere!)
September 9, 2014 4:14 PM - Season 23, Episode 1 - Subscribe
Wyatts, Bellas and Vipers, oh my! Plus an appearance by the NXT kids and Jerry Springer. Yes, Jerry Springer.
Tonight featured: Jericho/Wyatt in a steel cage match, The Miz's pixelated ass, AJ & Paige/Rosa Mendes/Natalya, Heyman's mouth/Cena's mouth, Seth Rollins/Sheamus, Lana's warble, Tyson Kidd & Tyler Breeze/Adrian Neville & Sami Zayn, a God-awful segment with the Bellas and Jerry Springer, the Dusts/Los Matadors, Adam Rose/Titus O'Neil, and Orton/Reigns in a steel cage match.
Friends, I fell asleep during the Bellas segment. I really enjoyed the NXT match and wished the audience felt the same way.
Tonight featured: Jericho/Wyatt in a steel cage match, The Miz's pixelated ass, AJ & Paige/Rosa Mendes/Natalya, Heyman's mouth/Cena's mouth, Seth Rollins/Sheamus, Lana's warble, Tyson Kidd & Tyler Breeze/Adrian Neville & Sami Zayn, a God-awful segment with the Bellas and Jerry Springer, the Dusts/Los Matadors, Adam Rose/Titus O'Neil, and Orton/Reigns in a steel cage match.
Friends, I fell asleep during the Bellas segment. I really enjoyed the NXT match and wished the audience felt the same way.
I cannot care about Jericho/Wyatt. It's so obviously a placeholder feud for Wyatt that there's no emotional payoff.
Yeah, I really don't "get" this feud at all. Which is unfortunate, because I like both guys and the work they're doing is not-bad, but it's really a go-nowhere, do-nothing feud.
I look forward to some old-school fake-Bunny "Oh my god, that's Titus O'Neil in the bunny suit! What did he do to the real bunny?!?" stuff.
Evidently PWInsider is running a rumor about the "planned" identity of the bunny.
posted by uncleozzy at 8:42 AM on September 10, 2014
Yeah, I really don't "get" this feud at all. Which is unfortunate, because I like both guys and the work they're doing is not-bad, but it's really a go-nowhere, do-nothing feud.
I look forward to some old-school fake-Bunny "Oh my god, that's Titus O'Neil in the bunny suit! What did he do to the real bunny?!?" stuff.
Evidently PWInsider is running a rumor about the "planned" identity of the bunny.
posted by uncleozzy at 8:42 AM on September 10, 2014
Sean O'Haire, last holder of the WCW World Tag Team Championship (before WCW was bought by the WWF) with Chuck Palumbo, has died at 43.
posted by Etrigan at 9:07 AM on September 10, 2014
posted by Etrigan at 9:07 AM on September 10, 2014
I'm going to start a rumor that the bunny is .... CM PUNK!
posted by kimberussell at 1:27 PM on September 10, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by kimberussell at 1:27 PM on September 10, 2014 [2 favorites]
I totally heard that rumor. I'm going to spread it around.
posted by Etrigan at 2:08 PM on September 10, 2014
posted by Etrigan at 2:08 PM on September 10, 2014
It would, after all, not be the first time.
posted by Etrigan at 2:09 PM on September 10, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by Etrigan at 2:09 PM on September 10, 2014 [1 favorite]
I hope Shoemaker does a Dead Wrestler of the Week about O'Haire.
posted by box at 6:36 PM on September 10, 2014
posted by box at 6:36 PM on September 10, 2014
Can we talk about NXT Takeover? That main event! Charlotte and Bayley! KENTA Hideo Itami! (flails hands excitedly)
posted by nicepersonality at 7:15 AM on September 12, 2014
posted by nicepersonality at 7:15 AM on September 12, 2014
Takeover was AMAAAAZING! The Bayley/Charlotte match broke my heart but still had me cheering. And I was shocked that Sin Cara/Kallisto won! The main event was everything I thought it could be and hair match was dumb.
I enjoy watching NXT more than RAW these days.
posted by kimberussell at 3:54 PM on September 12, 2014
I enjoy watching NXT more than RAW these days.
posted by kimberussell at 3:54 PM on September 12, 2014
I enjoy watching NXT more than RAW these days.
It's amazing how good wrestling can be when no one cares who gets the credit or is worried about the T-shirt sales dropping.
posted by Etrigan at 3:59 PM on September 12, 2014
It's amazing how good wrestling can be when no one cares who gets the credit or is worried about the T-shirt sales dropping.
posted by Etrigan at 3:59 PM on September 12, 2014
I think the feud between Cena and Heyman is the best in a long time for Cena. As Etrigan pointed out, Cena has really picked it up on the mic. I wouldn't mind seeing the Cena v. Heyman thing continue for a while, but the crowd is going to want to see physical payoff, so it's really a shame PH doesn't have a small stable of guys anymore for Cena to beat up on periodically, while delaying the major payoff with Lesnar.
The Season Premier was so good and this week's Go Home was so bad by comparison, really a shame they happened back to back.
I also think watching NXT is my favorite 60 minutes. Here's the big tell: I tend to watch NXT, I tend to have RAW/SD! on in the background and lookup/rewind when I hear a huge spot or something. It's tough, then to see someone who's been excelling on NXT appear on the big stage for the first time. It's not as small a building, not many people know who they are, and it just feels like a big letdown from the last big NXT match to the first RAW appearance.
posted by jermsplan at 9:20 AM on September 16, 2014
The Season Premier was so good and this week's Go Home was so bad by comparison, really a shame they happened back to back.
I also think watching NXT is my favorite 60 minutes. Here's the big tell: I tend to watch NXT, I tend to have RAW/SD! on in the background and lookup/rewind when I hear a huge spot or something. It's tough, then to see someone who's been excelling on NXT appear on the big stage for the first time. It's not as small a building, not many people know who they are, and it just feels like a big letdown from the last big NXT match to the first RAW appearance.
posted by jermsplan at 9:20 AM on September 16, 2014
I find myself agreeing with Vince Russo (as dirty as that makes me feel) -- WWE programming on Monday nights should be one hour of NXT and a tight two hours of Raw instead of a bloated three hours of Raw. Naomi-Cameron? Death. Pure, sucktastic death. It killed the crowd to the point that not even Dolph Ziggler could bring them back. And then ending with Rusev/Henry? The go-home segment for Night of Champions is one guy with zero belts beating on a guy who hasn't held a belt since December 2011. Gah.
posted by Etrigan at 10:06 AM on September 16, 2014
posted by Etrigan at 10:06 AM on September 16, 2014
I was unimpressed with RAW and the "Mark Henry Rallies America!" promos were awful. Just awful. "Hi, I'm random high jumper."
Yes, jermsplan! Heyman definitely needs more than a 1-man stable. I liked his partnership with Cesaro, and maybe in addition to getting him back, he can pick up one of the NXT guys (Tyler Breeze? Then he could have Beauty and the Beast!) and Paige to be his first Heyman gal. That would add a little more edge to the Paige/AJ feud.
I don't know what I want from Rusev. He should defeat Henry handily Sunday, considering Henry was squashed by him months ago. Maybe I don't have the attention span anymore for the long storylines of decades past, where a Rusev character would just have rivalry after rivalry until a year later Hulk Hogan or Stone Cold decides to shut him down.
The high point about my $9.99 a month is that I'm not tied down to a PPV like I was if I spent $40 or more for it. So NoC might be background for me as I do other thing Sunday night. Unless the bunny is unmasked.
Meanwhile, my del Rio is selling his new "El Patron" tees via a hotmail address. Sigh.
posted by kimberussell at 3:46 AM on September 17, 2014 [1 favorite]
Yes, jermsplan! Heyman definitely needs more than a 1-man stable. I liked his partnership with Cesaro, and maybe in addition to getting him back, he can pick up one of the NXT guys (Tyler Breeze? Then he could have Beauty and the Beast!) and Paige to be his first Heyman gal. That would add a little more edge to the Paige/AJ feud.
I don't know what I want from Rusev. He should defeat Henry handily Sunday, considering Henry was squashed by him months ago. Maybe I don't have the attention span anymore for the long storylines of decades past, where a Rusev character would just have rivalry after rivalry until a year later Hulk Hogan or Stone Cold decides to shut him down.
The high point about my $9.99 a month is that I'm not tied down to a PPV like I was if I spent $40 or more for it. So NoC might be background for me as I do other thing Sunday night. Unless the bunny is unmasked.
Meanwhile, my del Rio is selling his new "El Patron" tees via a hotmail address. Sigh.
posted by kimberussell at 3:46 AM on September 17, 2014 [1 favorite]
Beauty and the Beast is the greatest.
I haven't bought into the WWE Network yet, but I'm excited because my time is coming. I used to only order the Royal Rumble and Wrestlemania consistently, so I've been waiting to pick up the Network during a 6 month window that will cover both. Looks like I can get Survivor Series in that window, too, which is pretty nice. I may even be able to squeeze HIAC or whatever follows WM in, depending on if HIAC interests me. I'm sure I've said it before, but I can't be the only one in this position. I'd bet money that Network subscriptions start to pick up in the coming months, and it's not going to be because of the 9.99 carpet bomb campaign they're running...
posted by jermsplan at 8:45 AM on September 17, 2014
I haven't bought into the WWE Network yet, but I'm excited because my time is coming. I used to only order the Royal Rumble and Wrestlemania consistently, so I've been waiting to pick up the Network during a 6 month window that will cover both. Looks like I can get Survivor Series in that window, too, which is pretty nice. I may even be able to squeeze HIAC or whatever follows WM in, depending on if HIAC interests me. I'm sure I've said it before, but I can't be the only one in this position. I'd bet money that Network subscriptions start to pick up in the coming months, and it's not going to be because of the 9.99 carpet bomb campaign they're running...
posted by jermsplan at 8:45 AM on September 17, 2014
Heyman definitely needs more than a 1-man stable.
I love Paul Heyman, but I'm leaning toward disagreeing at this point. We don't need a New Four Horsemen, because the whole point of Brock Lesnar is that he's an unstoppable beast all by himself. Heyman rarely interferes in his matches, because he doesn't need to (the only time I can recall is Lesnar-Punk at SummerSlam). If you have Cesaro and Rybaxel out there helping Lesnar, then he's not the Big Bad anymore. Of course, I'm still hoping for a Boondock Saints plotline in all this, where Lesnar just starts running rampant over the Authority to become the ultimate Super-Heel.
posted by Etrigan at 9:57 AM on September 17, 2014
I love Paul Heyman, but I'm leaning toward disagreeing at this point. We don't need a New Four Horsemen, because the whole point of Brock Lesnar is that he's an unstoppable beast all by himself. Heyman rarely interferes in his matches, because he doesn't need to (the only time I can recall is Lesnar-Punk at SummerSlam). If you have Cesaro and Rybaxel out there helping Lesnar, then he's not the Big Bad anymore. Of course, I'm still hoping for a Boondock Saints plotline in all this, where Lesnar just starts running rampant over the Authority to become the ultimate Super-Heel.
posted by Etrigan at 9:57 AM on September 17, 2014
I find myself agreeing with Vince Russo
NOOOOO!
I do agree that the first hour of Raw needs to be something besides Raw. I really really don't want it to be NXT, though. I think putting NXT in a position where they have to draw ratings/sell ads or whatever would be harmful to NXT's role as a place for new talent to develop.
Also, I want Bayley and Charlotte (and Becky Lynch and Alexa Bliss and Sasha Banks) to be kept far away from Vince* for as long as possible. It's going to break my heart when Bayley debuts on the main roster and gets squashed by Nikki Bella for trying to hug John Cena.
*or whoever it is in WWE who thinks women can only be motivated by jealousy or somebody trying to take their man or secret lesbianism or whatever.
posted by sporkwort at 4:16 PM on September 17, 2014
NOOOOO!
I do agree that the first hour of Raw needs to be something besides Raw. I really really don't want it to be NXT, though. I think putting NXT in a position where they have to draw ratings/sell ads or whatever would be harmful to NXT's role as a place for new talent to develop.
Also, I want Bayley and Charlotte (and Becky Lynch and Alexa Bliss and Sasha Banks) to be kept far away from Vince* for as long as possible. It's going to break my heart when Bayley debuts on the main roster and gets squashed by Nikki Bella for trying to hug John Cena.
*or whoever it is in WWE who thinks women can only be motivated by jealousy or somebody trying to take their man or secret lesbianism or whatever.
posted by sporkwort at 4:16 PM on September 17, 2014
Roman Reigns out of Night of Champions due to hernia operation. Dean Ambrose was originally scheduled to be filming his movie through today, so of course, he was expected to play a role in the Reigns-Rollins match. Someone is doubtless feverishly rewriting plotlines at this very moment.
posted by Etrigan at 4:29 PM on September 20, 2014
posted by Etrigan at 4:29 PM on September 20, 2014
Well, NoC was just what I wanted from an in-ring standpoint, but not so much from a storyline standpoint.
I am 100 percent sold on Goldust and Stardust, and so are they. Dustin Rhodes' senton from the ring apron alone was worth the price of admission.
Sheamus-Cesaro was acceptable, despite being full-throttle neutral for both guys in terms of storyline.
Miz-Ziggler was intriguing just in how it showed that these guys are pretty capable of beating each other. Could have done without the Florida Georgia Line / Mizdow-R-Ziggler stuff.
I'm going to wonder for the rest of my life what they would have done with Rollins-Reigns, but I suspect it would have been mediocre. Ambrose's utterly unsurprising return was nice, though, complete with the crowd-wipeout dive on the stage.
Rusev-Henry was better than I had anticipated, which is all I was looking for.
Orton-Jericho was a good, solid, totally pointless match (see Sheamus-Cesaro).
The Divas match was good enough. Glad to see AJ-Paige taking the wind out of the Bellas storyline, especially with no Brie run-in.
Lesnar-Cena was what it needed to be, and the more I ponder the Rollins involvement, the more I like it. The Authority can see that Lesnar is going to be a problem, and they can sell Rollins as a renegade, give him a slap on the wrist, and hold on to that briefcase for Lesnar's next spot of vulnerability. Unfortunately, the DQ ending means we're almost certain to see Lesnar-Cena at Hell in a Cell.
posted by Etrigan at 10:39 AM on September 22, 2014
I am 100 percent sold on Goldust and Stardust, and so are they. Dustin Rhodes' senton from the ring apron alone was worth the price of admission.
Sheamus-Cesaro was acceptable, despite being full-throttle neutral for both guys in terms of storyline.
Miz-Ziggler was intriguing just in how it showed that these guys are pretty capable of beating each other. Could have done without the Florida Georgia Line / Mizdow-R-Ziggler stuff.
I'm going to wonder for the rest of my life what they would have done with Rollins-Reigns, but I suspect it would have been mediocre. Ambrose's utterly unsurprising return was nice, though, complete with the crowd-wipeout dive on the stage.
Rusev-Henry was better than I had anticipated, which is all I was looking for.
Orton-Jericho was a good, solid, totally pointless match (see Sheamus-Cesaro).
The Divas match was good enough. Glad to see AJ-Paige taking the wind out of the Bellas storyline, especially with no Brie run-in.
Lesnar-Cena was what it needed to be, and the more I ponder the Rollins involvement, the more I like it. The Authority can see that Lesnar is going to be a problem, and they can sell Rollins as a renegade, give him a slap on the wrist, and hold on to that briefcase for Lesnar's next spot of vulnerability. Unfortunately, the DQ ending means we're almost certain to see Lesnar-Cena at Hell in a Cell.
posted by Etrigan at 10:39 AM on September 22, 2014
I'm just glad that the Authority seems to have stepped back a bit. I prefer their role to be behind-the-scenes manipulation, not being the ones personally wrestling whatever performers they have a beef with. As good as they are at heeling, I was getting tired of them week after week. Now if only Kane would retire...
I've missed all most episodes of Raw recently but NoC was decent, and surprisingly last night's Smackdown was entertaining. My love for Ambrose grows by the minute.
posted by misskaz at 8:57 AM on September 27, 2014
I've missed all most episodes of Raw recently but NoC was decent, and surprisingly last night's Smackdown was entertaining. My love for Ambrose grows by the minute.
posted by misskaz at 8:57 AM on September 27, 2014
Ok, so it's been a bit of a rough run lately. But I can't be the only one excited for the SmackDown! 15th Anniversary special, right? The debut of SD! is when I got really into wrestling. I'd watched on Saturdays as a kid sometimes, but didn't have cable so never saw RAW unless I was hanging out at a friend's house. SD! on UPN was amazing for me, I loved it. Looking forward to tonight's ep.
posted by jermsplan at 1:30 PM on October 10, 2014
posted by jermsplan at 1:30 PM on October 10, 2014
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The ongoing AJ/Paige saga is still somewhat compelling for me, but I could do without all the fan-service faux lesbianism.
Heyman has really stepped up Cena's game on the mike.
OH GOD STOP TRYING TO MAKE ME CARE ABOUT THE BELLAS IT IS NOT HAPPENING.
Neville's standing moonsault surprised me, but his corkscrew shooting star press is just ridonkulous. (Side note: I don't know who's scouting Britain/Ireland for WWE right now, but that person deserves a raise.)
Can someone find out what Dustin Rhodes eats for breakfast? He's better in the ring at 45 than he was at 30.
I think the Bunny interfering is what I was waiting for from Adam Rose all along. I look forward to some old-school fake-Bunny "Oh my god, that's Titus O'Neil in the bunny suit! What did he do to the real bunny?!?" stuff.
Unhinged Entitled Ultraviolent Randy Orton = Best Randy Orton. I also like that Rollins actually pulled off the bit where he tossed the chair in and then had to retreat from the descending cage.
posted by Etrigan at 5:19 PM on September 9, 2014