By Chris Newth

WWE Monday Night Raw
December 17, 2007
Upcoming PPV: Royal Rumble (sixth-to-last episode before PPV)

RAW STORYLINES AND FEUDS

Welcome to the nineteenth 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)

With the holidays now behind us, WWE will be back on track with its regular programming beginning this coming Monday night. It will be noteworthy to take a look at how storyline events evolve and transform after the company took some time off with their yearly break. What will be changed, if anything? What will become the newest focus? It's amazing what even a few days off can do for the creative process. A joyous holiday could amount to a newer WWE (or TNA) product. With this in mind, let's delve back into the storylines existent before the break to get a reminder of the current situation before heading into the last episode of Raw in 2007 this coming Monday.

WWE Champion RANDY ORTON vs. JEFF HARDY (1 week)

Randy Orton showed up late in the show for a backstage promo on Jeff Hardy. He touted his usual phrases and talked about destroying Hardy's dreams of becoming WWE Champion. Later in the night, Orton teamed with Mr. Kennedy to face Jeff Hardy and Shawn Michaels. The finish of that match was somewhat surprising as Jeff Hardy hit the Swanton on a fallen Orton to make a successful cover for a clean pinfall.

This one has just begun, but WWE has a nice main event feud in the works. A little refinement of the specific story between Hardy and Orton as well as some more talking time for Hardy in the coming weeks will result in a very solid top-card rivalry.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 7

Previous Feuds
Jeff Hardy: Umaga, Mr. Kennedy
Randy Orton: Dusty Rhodes, Cody Rhodes, John Cena, Shawn Michaels, Chris Jericho

THE JEOPARDOUS ULTIMATUM FOR RIC FLAIR (4 weeks w/ 1 week hiatus)

After a few weeks without expanding too much on the story, Ric Flair was back in action to face another huge challenge. This time, it was against The Samoan Bulldozer, Umaga. Flair gave a nice pre-match promo to remind fans of his current situation. He expressed genuine feelings of cautious confidence by saying that he was going to give the fight of his life from here on out because if it means retirement, he will be giving it his all.

Umaga then entered the ring for their one-on-one matchup. The fight was moderately lengthy for a contemporary Flair match, and it ended with The Nature Boy picking up a win after Umaga was counted out. Flair dodged a charging Umaga, which sent The Samoan Bulldozer through the guardrail and into the live audience area. It seemed that Umaga didn't come to in time to re-enter the ring and break the referee's count. As a result, Flair now has another victory under his illustrious belt.

Overall, this storyline could be a fantastic way to end Flair's active-wrestler status. It brings both old fans and new ones into the angle by appealing to everyone. Older fans recognize the mortality of Flair's in-ring career, while newer fans are getting an opportunity to see The Nature Boy get important wins in these last few months. It's a pleasant result. Furthermore, each of Flair's matches now holds a weight that exceeds even that of a title match; the stakes are just so high.

Look out for this week's big next step in the journey for Ric Flair. He must go face-to-face with Triple H with his career on the line. That's a huge matchup considering the narrative possibilities. Will The Game voluntarily give his former mentor the win, or will his natural hunger for competition compel him to beat The Nature Boy. Perhaps he will decide that if anyone were to end Flair's career, it might as well be him. Then again, maybe Flair can find a way to beat Triple H on his own. Find out Monday.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 8 [up 2 since last week]

Previous Feuds
Ric Flair: n/a

MR. McMAHON'S BREAKDOWN (1 week)

With all the uncertainty surrounding the potential Finlay-McMahon feud, one must be skeptical that WWE plans to take McMahon in that direction. Perhaps they thought that Finlay would have needed a strong heel like McMahon to transition into a successful babyface, but the fledgling act has already sunk in with Hornswoggle and the monstrous challenges, rendering McMahon's involvement unnecessary. In any event, a new direction seems to be taking place, and it's one that is eerily reminiscent of the one his character took months ago before the limo explosion.

To put it bluntly, Mr. McMahon is going crazy. He began by stepping into the ring sans entrance music. Holding the microphone steadily in his hand, McMahon explained his misfortune the week prior (the 15th Anniversary show). Things didn't go the Chairman's way; he was mocked, beaten up, and humiliated. The superstars that he believes are his creation had made a fool of him. And that's when Hardy's music hit.

Jeff made his way to the ring to explain to the boss that people don't like him because they know that he doesn't care about them. Hardy's words seemed to sink in as McMahon made his way to the corner and slid down to a sitting position. Triple H then walked out next to see what was happening. He quickly took on his comedic role here, making jokes to further mock the silent and disturbed McMahon. The segment eventually led to a Handicap Match pitting Triple H against Jonathan Coachman and William Regal. That match, of course, gave The Game another victory.

Overall, this angle has the ability to pique the interest of many. It almost seems like it could be a clever rehash of what McMahon attempted last summer. Luckily for him, the craziness factor of the storyline was largely eclipsed by the hype surrounding that limo explosion and all the news emanating around WWE at the time. As far as the character development is concerned, this latest change is actually quite welcoming.

It would be usual and meaningless for Mr. McMahon to return after being humiliated the week prior only to make others suffer; it would be too normal and overused. Instead, he came out this week looking hurt. Having been mocked and beaten by both the fans and his past employees, the Chairman entered the ring with a somber attitude. His falling in the corner of the ring was pretty over-the-top, but the meaning was there. Here's a guy who has just figured out that nobody likes him. The degree to which he is hated finally hit him after all these years. That's good stuff. Plus, it's always interesting to see what he means when he says a line such as the one where he hoped that something bad happens to everyone. Nothing particularly bad happened that night, but perhaps it hints at what's to come.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 6.5

Previous Feuds
Mr. McMahon: Bobby Lashley, Triple H, Hornswoggle

CHRIS JERICHO vs. JBL (1 week)

Chris Jericho called out JBL, who appeared on the video screen instead. They both argued about various things. JBL said that if Jericho comes to Smackdown, he won't get another title shot and won't be able to take part in the Royal Rumble. Jericho made fun of JBL by comparing him to Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity, Neil Cavuto, Joey Styles, and Michael Cole. Then, out of seemingly nowhere, JBL announced that he was returning to Raw to resume his in-ring career. Okay, Jericho did taunt him a bit with some harsh verbal jabs, but it still seemed rather sudden.

On a side note, I never understood why "cool" babyfaces make fun of announcers like Cole and Styles. Okay, so they come off as a bit nerdy, but those are the people who are supposed to carry viewers through the show. They are intended to speak as the voice of reason, those with whom viewers can agree. If that's true, then how is it good to have a top babyface mock the announcers? What if fans adopted Jericho's opinions about them and then became disengaged when watching Smackdown or ECW because they had something against the announcers? It doesn't seem worth it to use this strategy for a chuckle at best.

Overall, this feud perfectly exemplifies WWE's bias toward Raw. John Bradshaw Layfield has been a Smackdown staple, and the blue brand could use another main event heel. So why is he moving to Raw now that he's returning to the ring? And how does that even fit into the whole WWE Draft rules? Putting this argument aside, the plan to move JBL to Raw in order for him to feud with Jericho is going to provide entertaining television for WWE viewers.

Of course, the most obvious strongpoint for the feud is going to come via promo. Both of these guys can talk, and their interaction—an interaction that began on this episode—is what will propel this one forward. It's up to WWE to give them something about which they can talk; there must be substance to what they are each saying to one another.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 6.5

Previous Feuds
Chris Jericho: Randy Orton
JBL: n/a

CODY RHODES & HARDCORE HOLLY vs. LANCE CADE & TREVOR MURDOCH (2 weeks)

Raw continued with a rematch for the World Tag Team Titles. Cody Rhodes and Hardcore Holly teamed up in their first title defense again Lance Cade and Trevor Murdoch. The match concluded with Cody hitting his very ordinary looking DDT for the pinfall.

This could be one of the most interesting and meaningful stories on Raw, but WWE hasn't yet dug deeply into the characters. Now that this odd tandem is holding the gold, it would be nice for the writers to use this as a means by which they could give them more airtime. Showing them interacting in various segments both in and out of the ring will give viewers a greater sense of what is going on. If the team is supposed to have some odd or intriguing angle, they need to establish that as soon as possible.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 5 [same as last week]

Previous Feuds
Cody Rhodes: Randy Orton
Hardcore Holly: n/a
Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch: The Hardys, London & Kendrick

WWE Women's Champion BETH PHOENIX vs. MICKIE JAMES (4 weeks w/ 1 week hiatus)?

Raw opened with WWE's yearly Santa's Little Helpers Match, which is a bout comprised of divas dressed in red Christmas outfits who fight in the usual style with nothing on the line. Put simply, it's just a divas match for show; it's used to attract male eyes to the program. This is the kind of thing that could give feminists fuel for their cause. On the other hand, it's a great tool for business, and Vince McMahon knows exactly how to use it in its most strategic sense.

So the Christmas gimmick match consisted of two four-woman teams battling for a victory. On one side of the ring, Maria, Michelle McCool, Mickie James, and Kelly Kelly stood confidently. Their opponents—Melina, Victoria, Jillian, and Layla—were eager to get the match going after the babyfaces disrupted Jillian's promotional singing for her iTunes album. The match ended when Mickie James was able to fell Victoria with her signature DDT. It's aggravating that Victoria is one of the only divas on the roster that can successfully take Mickie James's finisher.

The reigning Women's Champion never showed up, so this was a nice way to get Mickie her steam back after losing her match against the Glamazon at Armageddon. That's the bright side. On the other hand, since Beth Phoenix never appeared, it is still uncertain whether their feud will continue. Presumably, that's the direction they plan to take. After all, how many other credible babyface divas on Raw stand a chance against Phoenix at the moment? This feud must be reignited to start things fresh for the new year.

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

Previous Feuds
Beth Phoenix: Candice Michelle
Mickie James: Melina

SHAWN MICHAELS vs. MR. KENNEDY (4 weeks)

As mentioned earlier, the Michaels-Kennedy feud was furthered during their participation in Raw's main event tag team contest. Neither man took part in the finish, however, as Orton was pinned by WWE's newest rising star, Jeff Hardy.

Overall, not much happened that week to really advance anything. Michaels and Kennedy were able to get a match so that they could give a type of preview for what is to come, but nothing too noteworthy took place.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 6.5 [same as last week]

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

SANTINO MARELLA (w/ Maria) & CARLITO vs. PAUL LONDON & BRIAN KENDRICK (1 week)?

It is now clear that Santino is no longer feuding with Jerry Lawler. Tally this one under the rivalries-that-end-with-no-definitive-resolution category. However, audiences now get something even better: a pairing between Santino and Carlito. That's an entertaining mix of superstars. Throw the babyface Maria in there and you get a threesome that makes for some interesting TV. Can WWE utilize all this awesome talent in a way that brings out the best in them? Let's wait and see.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 6

Previous Feuds
Santino Marella: Umaga, Ron Simmons, Val Venis, Steve Austin
Carlito: Triple H
London & Kendrick: Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch


CONCLUDED FEUDS

(1) Triple H vs. Jeff Hardy
(2) Randy Orton vs. Chris Jericho
(3) Finlay vs. Mr. McMahon?
(4) Santino Marella vs. Jerry Lawler
(5) Beth Phoenix vs. Mickie James?


POTENTIAL FEUDS

(1) Santino Marella & Carlito vs. Paul London & Brian Kendrick?
(2) Mr. McMahon vs. Jeff Hardy?
(3) Triple H vs. Mr. McMahon?
(4) Cody Rhodes & Hardcore Holly vs. Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch?


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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