Chris Newth

WWE Monday Night Raw
November 12, 2007
Upcoming PPV: Survivor Series (last episode before PPV)

RAW STORYLINES AND FEUDS

Welcome to the fourteenth edition of Raw Storylines and Feuds.

For those wondering about the Intrigue Level system that I employ, you can refer to the numbers as follows:

10 (excellent), 9 (great), 8-6 (very good, good, pretty good), 5 (decent; has its good and bad qualities), 4-3 (needs work, poor), 2 (bad), 1 (terrible)

This week's Raw began what became a week-long trend for WWE. It seemed to be an Interpromotional night dubbed the Survivor Series Kickoff, and the inter-brand theme started the show with appearances by Batista and The Undertaker. This phenomenon continued with ECW as members of all three WWE brands showed up in various matches to promote this Sunday's PPV event.

Of course, there are always drawbacks when utilizing a tactic such as this, but if they carefully ensure that the brand separation is once again rigidly enforced come next Monday, they can correct the potential problems. As far as the benefits are concerned, they are immediate. Viewers get to see matchups between all of WWE's roster, regardless of the brand. Plus, it really highlighted the importance of this upcoming pay-per-view with constant, unmitigated promotion.

What started as an awkward booking idea soon transformed into a heavy campaign to up the significance of Survivor Series. Generally, viewers are accustomed to anticipating specific feuds on each television show. But this week WWE had me thinking, "Oh yeah, there's that match too." And why not feature random hype for all of the Survivor Series matches on each show instead of just the ones that pertain to a particular brand, especially considering the tri-brand matchups scheduled for the PPV?

In fact, the only match for Sunday's PPV not really mentioned on Raw this week was the ECW Championship match between C.M. Punk, John Morrison, and The Miz. Every other feud was hyped, and the format of the show fostered an array of segments that mixed the promotion. For example, the Ten Divas tag team match scheduled for this Sunday was discussed in three different parts of the show: the Phoenix-Maria bout, the Six Diva tag match, and the overall rundown of the Survivor Series card. That structure may prove to be effective come this weekend.

Because of this unique change, I'm going to handle the jumble in the most practical fashion. Instead of analyzing all the events that occurred on Raw, I'll limit it to only the Raw feuds. Therefore, instead of mentioning the Batista and Undertaker segment here, I'll discuss everything that happened this week regarding these two in the Smackdown article. It wouldn't be easy to review all the feuds that were used this Monday because of the sheer volume of content. If feuds from ECW or Smackdown were featured on this show, I'm waiting until my ECW or Smackdown reports to discuss them.

With that said, let's start with…

WWE Champion RANDY ORTON vs. SHAWN MICHAELS (6 weeks)

This week, the only part of the show that Orton and Michaels were able to obtain for the advancement of their rivalry was the lengthy Face-to-Face confrontation. That isn't to imply that that other parts of this episode ignored the brand's top feud. Two videos helped to give further context to a WWE Title match that is struggling to keep up with the popularity of other PPV events, such as the Traditional Survivor Series Match and, most notably, the Hell in a Cell main event.

WWE is handling the odd stipulations to this match well. If you aren't aware, the rules state that if Randy Orton purposely gets disqualified (or if he attempts or appears to attempt to get DQ'ed) he loses the WWE Championship. On the other hand, if HBK uses his Superkick—whether he does it successfully or not—the WWE Title remains around Orton's waist.

They aired a video courtesy of WWE Mobile that showed how the concept of the stipulations first started. Randy was in his locker room after Raw went off the air last week, and he told William Regal what he wanted. The only problem here is that no reason was ever provided explaining why Orton has such power. Why does he get to choose the stipulations for that match? The video was a nice change, though, as it felt as though we got a glimpse into a scene that wasn't supposed to be shown. I guess that's the value of getting the WWE Mobile service, but they should consider airing more backstage vignettes that have that different feel.

Also nice was the video package reviewing the total number of Superkicks that Orton's jaw has absorbed thus far. The count is currently at five. On the bright side, it gave credence to Shawn Michaels's abilities. If anything has made The Showstopper more credible, it's been the absolute demolition against Randy Orton, who's supposedly at the top of the Raw roster.

On the other hand, the video also reminded viewers of how vulnerable their WWE Champion is. If the heel champion is not a threat, why should we care? There are many ways for writers to build their heel into someone people despise. Just look at how carefully they crafted the Cena-Orton feud two months ago. Other ways to do it include having the heel attack various babyfaces, take advantage of the weak (which may include non-wrestlers), exude overconfidence and arrogance, or appear to be hiding from challenges.

Don't get me wrong, they've done a great job (and by they I mean the writers as well as Orton) promoting Orton as a smarmy champion, but the problem is that he's been paying the price every week since his feud with HBK started. Viewers start to think, "Okay, he's arrogant, but Michaels will get him." Orton is in a bad position now. And if The Legend Killer was so monstrous and powerful during the John Cena feud and was able to give the former champ all that trouble, how does this current storyline make Mr. Cena look? Why did he have all those problems when Michaels is able to handle it all without a hitch?

The Face-to-Face segment was an effective strategy for this week as it set up Survivor Series on a different note. Orton was finally able to one-up his current nemesis with a finisher of his own. Also important was HBK's explanation of his Sweet Chin Music. When he described how people criticized him by claiming that it was the only way he could win—that it was the one thing that pushed him to the top and got him where he is—it felt genuine and logical. If any reason could be given to support an upcoming title match with that awkward stipulation, that was it. Nice job.

Overall, this feud has been overly one-sided in recent weeks, and the push for Shawn Michaels has largely undermined all the work that was put into building Randy Orton's character in the last few months. In terms of talent, these two will have no problem at all in matches, so that isn't a factor. After Survivor Series, either get these two new opponents or structure Orton as a menacing heel once again. This week was a good step in that direction.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 8 [up 0.5 from last week]

Previous Feuds
Shawn Michaels: Randy Orton
Randy Orton: Dusty Rhodes & Cody Rhodes, John Cena

HORNSWOGGLE vs. RAW AUTHORITY FIGURE (10 weeks w/ 1-week hiatus)

I don't think that this week's Hornswoggle segment is defensible, so let's focus on what they were trying to do. First of all, the segment was taped ahead of time in front of an empty arena (unless the crowd unanimously decided to all file out and get food during this part). Hornswoggle was met by Jonathan Coachman, who posed as The Great Khali. Hornswoggle ended up winning the "match" after delivering his splash from the top rope.

So, what good did it do? Well, very little. We can't even be sure that The Greenest McMahon's victory over Coach was even valid considering what Regal said prior to the match when he instructed Coach to not fight back. Plus, nothing was done to further develop characters or storylines.

In the context of the story, Mr. McMahon is trying to teach his son tough love by pitting him in a one-on-one contest at Survivor Series against WWE's largest superstar, The Great Khali. Was this segment meant to show that Hornswoggle is more confident now after beating Coach? Was it meant to show that Hornswoggle has indeed practiced?

So little reason was given that this random video was rendered practically useless. The fact that it wasn't entertaining certainly didn't help. I get the feeling that it was one of those things that looked great in their mind, but it didn't play out that way. Unfortunately, they had to air it regardless.

It's understandable for WWE to feel the need to try to take advantage of a size difference as vast as the one between Khali and Hornswoggle (on a marketing level), but this week's segment failed at underscoring that aspect of the match. I'm not one to say "they shouldn't try something like a Khali-Hornswoggle match," but I will say "they didn't deliver as good a promotion for it as they could have."

Overall, let's wait and see. WWE is taking a risk here because the potential of failure is great, while success, even if achieved, may have a minimal effect at best.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 3.5 [down 0.5 from last week]

Previous Feuds
Hornswoggle: Jamie Noble
William Regal: n/a
Jonathan Coachman: n/a

TRIPLE H vs. UMAGA (12 weeks w/ 1 week hiatus)

This week the Triple H-Umaga feud took center stage as the captains of the two Survivor Series teams went head-to-head in a Lumberjack Match for Raw's main event. The lumberjacks consisted of each man's Survivor Series team.

The match itself was fine, and the disqualification by Finlay at the end was somewhat inevitable. I mean, why have a clean finish six days before a big PPV match? Both Umaga and Triple H appeared credible and hungry for a victory, making Survivor Series that much stronger.

The Game also cut a promo that night which served its purpose. This rivalry has been established as a top-priority feud (look at its placement on the card this week), but it is usually not given top billing; all in all, it's a nice compromise. As for the booking, it's pretty formulaic, but not boring. Umaga has retained his powerful and mysterious aura despite being placed against Raw's top babyface.

Overall, this feud is accomplishing exactly what WWE intends to accomplish. It seems to be a way for the company to buy time for a better Triple H feud down the line. That notion is not only implied, it seemed to be mentioned during The Game's promo this week when he said to Umaga, "If I get the opportunity, I will do what I should have done three months ago, and that is finish you." Will Survivor Series mark the end of this semi-main event rivalry?

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 8.5 [up 0.5 from last week]

Previous Feuds
Mr. McMahon: Bobby Lashley
Triple H: King Booker
Umaga: Jeff Hardy

CODY RHODES vs. HARDCORE HOLLY (8 weeks w/ 2 weeks hiatus)

This feud took a backseat to all the Survivor Series hype this week on Raw. With so much happening between competitors from all three brands, this mid-card rivalry wasn't fit for an episode that falls less than a week before one of WWE's "Big Four" PPV events.

Its absence is understandable, and what has been accomplished up to this point has been above average in terms of both character development and interest generated. Here's hoping Raw gets back on track next week so that the lower end of the card gets some face time.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 6 [down 0.5 from last week]

Previous Feuds
Cody Rhodes: Randy Orton
Hardcore Holly: n/a

WWE Women's Champion BETH PHOENIX vs. EVERY WOMAN IN WWE

Beth Phoenix's reign as Women's Champion continues to be a forceful one as The Glamazon puts away victory after victory in Raw's weekly women's squash match. Two weeks ago, Beth spoiled Kelly Kelly's celebration after the Halloween Costume Battle Royal by beating her to the mat. And last week, Kelly Kelly (who must have some kind of record for going from non-wrestler to bi-weekly wrestler so quickly) was squashed by Phoenix.

This week, Maria served as the feeder diva that would enhance Beth's powerful supremacy atop the women's division. It didn't take long before The Glamazon racked up yet another win by using her stalling fisherman's suplex for the three count.

It was nice to see WWE commit more than a single short squash match to female wrestling this week. Another matchup—a Six Woman Tag Team Match featuring an assortment of divas from all three brands—was used to further hype the divas match at Survivor Series. It was the babyface team of Mickie James, Michelle McCool, and Kelly Kelly against the heel team of Melina, Jillian Hall, and Layla. Of course, this match didn't have too much to do with the Women's Championship, but it did serve as a preview for the Ten Diva match at Sunday's PPV.

Overall, it's interesting to see how WWE is shuffling these various women now that Beth is champion. No one in particular, except perhaps Mickie James or Victoria, stands out as someone who can credibly challenge The Glamazon at the moment, so random squash matches and other diva bouts are placed in the stead of what would be an actual women's feud.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 5.5 [same as last week]

Previous Feuds
Beth Phoenix: Candice Michelle

PAUL LONDON & BRIAN KENDRICK vs. World Tag Team Champions LANCE CADE & TREVOR MURDOCH (11 weeks w/ 3 weeks hiatus)?

This week the World Tag Team Champions were placed in an awkward match against the rivaling team of Batista and Undertaker, who are scheduled to headline Survivor Series in Hell in a Cell. Smackdown's main event players predictably decimated the Sportsmen, who didn't have a chance.

Other than this match, nothing was done to identify the specific team with which Cade and Murdoch are currently feuding. The last few months have featured haphazard booking that has made any focused rivalry with the champions nearly impossible to detect. The Highlanders, Kendrick and London, and even Cody Rhodes and Hardcore Holly seem to have been involved in the tag team title feud briefly, but nothing ever appeared concrete.

Apparently, WWE.com will feature a match on Thursday pitting three teams that will vie for tag team title contention. Hopefully the winners of that match will be given a focused feud with the champions. Kendrick and London would be great, but they seem to have already gotten their chance, and The Highlanders are too bland at this point to do any good. So the best option would be to set Cody Rhodes and Hardcore Holly—a team with its own curious tension—against Cade and Murdoch, who are currently dealing with a possible internal threat that revolves around Mickie James.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 4.5 [same as last week]

Previous Feuds
London and Kendrick: no notable feuds since being drafted from Smackdown
Cade & Murdoch: The Hardys

Intercontinental Champion JEFF HARDY vs. MR. KENNEDY (6 weeks)

Both Jeff Hardy and Mr. Kennedy participated in two different segments on Raw this week. The first was a Six Man Tag Team match where Rey Mysterio and The Hardys defeated MVP, Mr. Kennedy, and Finlay. All of them reemerged at the end of the show to serve as lumberjacks when Triple H and Umaga collided.

Last week, I noted how often Jeff Hardy's feud is thrown in with another Raw feud, mostly in tag matches. This week was no different; however, there was justification to do so with Survivor Series just around the corner. It would be nice, though, to see Jeff Hardy have a more focused one-on-one rivalry with a given opponent.

Since I'm writing this after ECW aired, let me also point out that Jeff Hardy teamed with his brother Matt to face MVP and Mr. Kennedy. The match saw Mr. Kennedy pull Jeff backwards by the hair while he was on the apron, causing him to freefall to the floor. MVP easily threw him back into the ring to make the cover and score the pinfall.

Overall, these two each have incredible potential, and their respective styles work well together. If their feud extends beyond Sunday's PPV, WWE should allow more mic time to be given to Jeff, even if it's lighter backstage scenes. Viewers are going to want a storyline to back this one up, and if given the right narrative fuel, it can really take off.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 7 [same as last week]

Previous Feuds
Jeff Hardy: Umaga, Shelton Benjamin
Mr. Kennedy: no notable feuds since returning from injury and suspension

SANTINO MARELLA (w/ Maria) vs. JERRY LAWLER (1 week)

An embittered Santino crassly ignored Maria after she was squashed by Beth Phoenix. He quickly told the audience that she'd be alright and insensitively moved on to matters that more directly concerned himself. Demanding an apology for the events that transpired last week, Marella called out Steve Austin. When Stone Cold didn't show, he shifted gears—and blame—to Jim Ross.

When Ross didn't take the opportunity to apologize, Lawler stepped up for his commentary colleague. This led to what appeared to be a fight; Lawler threw the first punch after Santino invited him to do so, and when The King obliged, Marella quickly dashed to the back. Later he cut a backstage promo challenging Lawler to a match. Of course, Raw's Color Commentator accepted, and the two men met in the ring. When Santino felt he had it won, Lawler used a small package to take the victory, leaving Marella stunned.

Overall, this was a nice sequence of events on Raw featuring events that were logical and complete. The show's story was told in three parts—an in-ring promo, a backstage challenge, and a sanctioned matchup. Of course, Santino was great in his role. His backstage challenge was also strong, and it's nice to see the acknowledgement of his talent by WWE, which is exemplified in the amount of mic time he receives. The match itself was fine for what it was, but I can't help but feel disappointed when Santino finds it difficult to rack up victories against Lawler, Ron Simmons, and Val Venis.

The story here, if that is what WWE is trying to form, is sturdy. It's the classic bully scenario, with Santino backing down the moment the person he's picking on stands up to him. It seems obvious that Santino will do fine against any babyface, but he'll be better paired with someone who can also speak well. Nice start to a feud if they are headed that direction, but please people, give Santino some real wins.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 6

Previous Feuds
Santino Marella: Umaga
Val Venis: n/a

FEUD CONCLUSIONS

(1) Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch vs. Paul London & Brian Kendrick?
(2) Santino Marella vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin?

POTENTIAL FEUDS

(1) Snitsky vs. ??
(3) Beth Phoenix vs. ??
(3) Santino Marella vs. Jerry Lawler?


Thanks for reading, everyone. If you have any suggestions or comments, feel free to email me at newthtorch@hotmail.com. I appreciate all the feedback I receive. Please insert a word in the subject line that deals with a wrestling topic or write something such as "WWE," "feud," or "Charlie Haas" so that I know it's not junk mail.

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