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WWE Monday Night Raw
November 19, 2007
Upcoming PPV: Armageddon (fourth-to-last episode before PPV)

RAW STORYLINES AND FEUDS

Welcome to the fifteenth 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)

Raw had an interesting overall feel. Most people watching probably knew that the binary code video promised to reveal the returning wrestler this week. So, with anticipation mounting, WWE did a nice job rounding the show with various other segments, including an ongoing theme with Randy Orton as WWE Champion.

WWE Champion RANDY ORTON vs. CHRIS JERICHO (1 week)

This week, Randy Orton made several appearances on the show. While showing up on the TitanTron, he told Shawn Michaels that he was all out of rematches and that he would have to move to the back of the proverbial line and wait his turn. He then emerged at two other points in the show (one after the Lawler-Santino match and the other after the Cody-Hardcore Holly match) to distribute RKO's to the babyfaces. At the end of the show, Orton tried to hold his Passing of the Torch Ceremony, which was, according to the announcers, a symbolic and literal event.

Unfortunately for Orton, this is where Chris Jericho decided to re-debut. Y2J clotheslined the marathon runner who was supposed to carry the torch to the Legend Killer, and then the binary video decoded itself for viewers. At that point, it was obvious who the video was hyping for the last few months, but it served to give those people who were trying to solve the puzzle at home a chance to see how it all fit together. Jericho entered the arena to a massive pop, and his promo was interesting and nostalgic, both encouraging signs for the weeks to come. Jericho then bluntly stated that he was here to save WWE from Randy Orton and that the WWE Title would soon be coming his way.

The timing of this revelation is great because they are giving it four full weeks to boil before Armageddon. Technically, that should be ample time to develop a nice storyline leading to the first title match between the two. Also good is that Jericho's appearance coincided with Orton's current story; it's clearly more substantial and memorable than Jericho returning to face an upper mid-carder in order to easily build some strong momentum before heading to the WWE Title picture.

The video of a marathon runner holding a torch was a nice touch. Obviously, it's not something that WWE can do again, but it served its purpose well this week as an ongoing theme, a common visual and reminder to link the episode's various segments and tighten the focus on the main event storyline. Orton interjecting himself throughout the show as he passed out RKO's to random babyfaces for extra heat was also effective. Plus, it maintained the promotion of the theme.

Another strong, yet small element was the tribute video. It's nice to be reminded about all the legends WWE put Randy over in the last few years to build his character. Having Orton endorse the video package himself gave nice spin to the gesture. By itself, it would have just been a true depiction of a series of attacks; however, the idea that he personally endorsed the video gives the whole thing more heel weight.

This Passing of the Torch theme is comparable to the last post-PPV ceremony that Orton issued. It was a little weaker in that it didn't really mean anything in and of itself. Technically it was just an event that would, in Orton's mind, cement the notion that he has faced all credible challengers and has successfully held onto the title. With no one left to face him, he wanted to assume the role of torch acceptor. It's a little weak because in many ways, he's already obtained the proverbial torch; after all, he's a three time reigning WWE Champion.

Although Chris Jericho fits perfectly into this idea that Orton has "faced everybody already" (because Jericho has been out of WWE for years), it may have been better for WWE to have switched the two ceremonies around. The first one, complete with pedestal and a forced showing of respect, would have been a lot more powerful for Jericho to intervene. In the end, it doesn't really matter. People were ecstatic to see Y2J again regardless of his timing.

The sequence used to end the show—with Orton's promo, the clotheslining of the marathon runner, the code video providing the official answer, the big Jericho entrance, the great Y2J return promo, and the overall tension—provided one of the big wrestling news stories of the week. Jericho's emphasis that things won't be the same is the perfect way to set up things to come. If anything is going to get people to watch Raw, it's the feeling that Chris Jericho has returned and will indeed change the status quo.

Overall, this one has the potential to be a great feud. The only weakness currently residing within the storyline is Randy Orton's bruised character after having taken five or six Superkicks from Shawn Michaels. During the Orton-Cena feud, the Legend Killer looked fiercer than ever. Now, he's not quite as strong, losing a lot of that momentum with each passing Superkick. Currently, Edge (with MVP making a close runner-up) from Smackdown is arguably a better, stronger heel than the WWE Champion. That doesn't bode well for the obstacles that Jericho has to overcome; Orton may not be strong enough.

It will be imperative for WWE to rebuild Orton into the vile and heinous character he once was, which will be difficult to do while Jericho is there because WWE will likely wish to push this debuting babyface in the upcoming weeks. What they should keep in mind is that a victory for Jericho over a really strong heel Orton is better for Y2J and Randy Orton in the long run. So although it may seem counter intuitive to give the Legend Killer such a strong push in the months following Jericho's big return, it would be the better option for everyone involved.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 7

Previous Feuds
Chris Jericho: n/a
Randy Orton: Dusty Rhodes, Cody Rhodes, John Cena, Shawn Michaels

HORNSWOGGLE vs. RAW AUTHORITY FIGURE (11 weeks w/ 1 week hiatus)

The tough love continued this week as Mr. McMahon scheduled another match pitting Hornswoggle against a big challenge. This time it was Carlito who was ordered to take out the Leprechaun. The match itself was somewhat interesting, although it wasn't technically a wrestling contest from a traditional point of view. Just like at Survivor Series, Finlay appeared to help out the Little Bastard.

I've been using the term "authority figure" in the heading of this feud for a few weeks now because it seems that Hornswoggle is against all three authorities on Raw. More interesting, however, is the idea that Raw has three distinct people who in some way have the power to book matches. It's one of those times where there are too many cooks in the kitchen, so to speak. Mr. McMahon, Jonathan Coachman, and William Regal all stood around chatting in the back as the Chairman of WWE asked Carlito to take care of his son, Hornswoggle. After seeing that scene, one has to wonder whether Coach or Regal even have any role on the show anymore.

Maybe it would be interesting if each of them had their own feud to deal with, and then the show could start overlapping the rivalries and authority figures involved so that eventually something occurs that would clean things up and better define these character roles. It would also give each of them something to do. If Mr. McMahon weren't involved, I would suggest making all three of them equal Co-General Managers of the same show, like a small group that may not get along and that must deal with a host of different issues. When more than one mind is controlling activities, problems are bound to arise.

The meeting between Mr. McMahon and Finlay this week began what must be a new feud. It makes sense because Hornswoggle originally entered WWE as Finlay's little Leprechaun friend from under the ring. Although the relationship between those two hasn't been established, it's nice to see some light beginning to shine on that element of the story.

Finlay and McMahon had an awkward backstage vignette where it seemed as though the two were verbally stepping around eggshells in a very cautious way (more so with McMahon than Finlay). McMahon—and everyone who watches Smackdown for that matter—knows about Finlay's true nature, so he's surprised that the Fighting Irishman is trying to help Hornswoggle out here. What a great excuse for him to turn babyface, by the way.

Overall, this feud is beginning to finally take some shape. Next week, it should be clear whether WWE intends to structure this more on the Finlay-McMahon tension. It seems likely that this will shift immediately from a focus on Hornswoggle to that of Finlay, with the Leprechaun being the impetus behind the whole situation. It's interesting that just a few weeks ago I argued that Finlay was growing stale and that he would greatly benefit from a brand change, and now WWE has decided to do something equally different with his character—giving him a babyface turn.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 4.5 [up 1 from last week]

Previous Feuds
Hornswoggle: Jamie Noble, random authority figures
William Regal: n/a
Jonathan Coachman: n/a

Intercontinental Champion JEFF HARDY & TRIPLE H vs. UMAGA & SNITSKY (1 week)

Hardy and Umaga had a great match on Raw as the two collided in the fallout from Survivor Series where Jeff pinned the Samoan Bulldozer to earn the win for his team. Before the match was over, Snitsky made a surprising return to ostensibly assist Umaga in extinguishing Jeff Hardy. However, Triple H made the save, taking out both monsters with startling ease.

In an interview segment later in the show, the Cerebral Assassin explained that he and Jeff Hardy are nothing alike. As a reason for helping out Hardy, Triple H said that guys like Umaga and Snitsky walk around trying to look like bad-asses, and he wants to show everybody that he is the one true badass in WWE.

The highlight of the segment was unquestionably the core of the match between Umaga and Jeff Hardy. When watching that, a part of you can't help but think that if Hardy would be able to beat Umaga by clean pinfall, it would be the last springboard he needs to get a full-fledged main event status on the perceptual level for fans. Then again, waiting it out and finding a better moment is probably preferable. Let's not forget that Hardy had his troubles with Umaga in the past, and he was able to beat him in a surprising fashion months ago.

Overall, this has the potential to be good. Jeff Hardy can always use the rub from Triple H in order to propel himself into the main event landscape on Raw. As for the heels, Snitsky has been languishing in infrequent squash matches and a vague gimmick, while Umaga supplies some great heel credibility by giving our heroes (namely Jeff Hardy) some tough obstacles to overcome.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 6

Previous Feuds
Jeff Hardy: Umaga, Mr. Kennedy
Triple H: King Booker, Umaga
Umaga: Jeff Hardy, Triple H
Snitsky: n/a

CODY RHODES vs. HARDCORE HOLLY (9 weeks w/ 2 weeks hiatus)

This week Cody Rhodes and Hardcore Holly faced off one-on-one to test Cody's progress. It was nice of Jim Ross to point out that they are still a team, but that they have their own issues of respect between them. The result saw Cody actually beat Holly for the first time since their feud began over two months ago. After their match, Randy Orton surreptitiously slithered into the ring and delivered two RKO's on the unsuspecting babyfaces.

The match itself was fine, but since WWE has been building up the tension around the question of whether Cody can actually beat the ring veteran, Cody's first win should have been a bigger focal point of the segment. Perhaps it would have been better to have Holly earn one more win against the amateur Cody this week before the protégé finally got his win only because these two have been off of television for the last couple of weeks with hype for Survivor Series taking precedence over their mid-card rivalry.

Orton's two RKO's helped in two distinct ways: first, it enabled WWE to get away with not having to show what Hardcore's expression was post-match. Secondly, it helped place both Holly and Cody in a similar position again. Even though one proved better than the other that night, in the end, they were both laid out.

Overall, this story has been developing nicely over the course of the last two months. One of the best parts is that it hasn't stalled like many extended feuds tend to do. The first few weeks were all about Cody's frustration in losing to Hardcore Holly. That soon transitioned into a story of respect, which led to some tag team competition and even a shot at the World Tag Team Titles at last Sunday's Survivor Series PPV. Now they briefly went back to prove that Cody can indeed beat his mentor, a significant forward movement in this interesting mid-card storyline.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 6 [same as last week]

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

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

There are only a few key points to review for this feud, especially considering Beth Phoenix's absence this week. This week's episode featured a traditional tag team contest where Mickie James and Maria faced off against Jillian Hall and Melina. In the end, Mickie won with her kiss and kick combination.

First of all, Jillian needs to go back to singing poorly in a believable way. It's becoming so over-the-top that you can't honestly believe that she believes she's singing well. The gimmick isn't a bad one, but you can only do so much with it.

The only other element of note here is how Mickie James is getting that new kissing finisher introduced to the fans. It looks like that will ultimately lead to a Mickie-Phoenix feud. Beth needs to squash some more women for a few more weeks while Mickie is pushed after being largely absent from the title picture in quite some time.

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

Previous Feuds
Beth Phoenix: Candice Michelle

SHAWN MICHAELS vs. MR. KENNEDY (1 week)

This week, Shawn Michaels opened the show by requesting a rematch for the WWE Championship after losing at Survivor Series. Orton then appeared on the video screen denying HBK's request, citing the fact that he had his chance and failed as significant reason to evade another potential meeting with the Heartbreak Kid. Suddenly, Mr. Kennedy's music sounded, and the brash wrestler decided to tell Michaels that he is a loser. Judging by the look on HBK's face and the subsequent Superkick which sent a steel chair directly into Kennedy's cheek, it didn't seem like Mr. Michaels appreciated Kennedy's opinion.

The ringside brawl in the opening segment was a nice way to kick off this new rivalry. It was a flawless shift for Shawn Michaels from Orton to Mr. Kennedy. Particularly great was Kennedy's promos, both prior to their brawl and later in the night when he spoke backstage.

Here's a prime example of a new, fresh feud with great potential. Both men clearly have in-ring talent that should render their interactions compelling, but they also possess strong speaking ability to accompany that talent. And unlike the Mysterio-Finlay feud on Smackdown recently, these two are beginning a feud within the context of a fledgling storyline.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 6

Previous Feuds
Shawn Michaels: Randy Orton
Mr. Kennedy: Jeff Hardy

SANTINO MARELLA (w/ Maria) vs. JERRY LAWLER (2 week)

This week marks the second straight week that Jerry Lawler has competed against Santino Marella in a singles match on Raw. The matches themselves are perfectly fine in that we are seeing a trend emerge where Santino just can't win any of these bouts. Lawler won this week by using a backslide pin for the victory.

Hopefully WWE decides to give Santino a genuine push in addition to his comedic promos. However, if Santino has to lose most of these matches, at least he's shown to not take them seriously. For example, before losing this week, he made a trip to the announcers' table to grab Lawler's crown so that he could mock the King.

Overall, this feud is fine in that it's moving things along and keeping the Santino character on television. Perhaps WWE feels that it would behoove them to keep Marella in this current role as comedy-exclusive talent instead of working him into interesting wrestling angles with more credible babyface opponents at the moment. In that sense, it does provide a consistently entertaining mid-card act, which can be difficult to find.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 6 [same as last week]

Previous Feuds
Santino Marella: Umaga, Ron Simmons, Val Venis, Steve Austin
Jerry Lawler: n/a

FEUD CONCLUSIONS

(1) Paul London & Brian Kendrick vs. Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch

POTENTIAL FEUDS

(1) Beth Phoenix vs. ??
(2) Carlito vs. Hornswoggle?
(3) Carlito vs. Finlay?


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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