By Chris Newth, PWTorch Contributor

WWE Monday Night Raw
January 14, 2008
Upcoming PPV: Royal Rumble (second-to-last episode before PPV)

RAW STORYLINES AND FEUDS

Welcome to the twenty-second 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)

Taking a retrospective look back on Raw, the big Jeff Hardy stunt inevitably sticks out as the most memorable moment on the show. But if you consider the core of the show, it was largely uneventful. Advancement in feuds such as Mickie-Phoenix, JBL-Jericho, Hornswoggle-McMahon, Kennedy-Michaels, and even the Flair angle was almost undetectable. Was WWE holding back for a much bigger show next week? That's very likely as this upcoming Monday will not only mark the final week before the Royal Rumble, but it was also serve as the first ever episode of WWE television broadcasted in HD.

We'll get to feuds in a moment, but let's start with non-feud segments on the show. Snitsky was given a match against Triple H so that he could prove himself and make an impact. The match featured a surprisingly lengthy amount of offense by Snitsky. It ended when Triple H used a chair against the monster, hitting him in the stomach to earn a disqualification. To be fair, he only resorted to using the weapon after Snitsky tried unsuccessfully to launch steel steps at his head.

After the match, Triple H used a sledgehammer shot and a Pedigree to put the proverbial exclamation point on the segment. However, as he walked up the ramp, Triple H was met by McMahon on the big screen. The Chairman of the Board got Triple H angry, so The Game destroyed the TitanTron (well, not the big screen, but the smaller one at the base of the walkway).

Alright, that could have been handled a little better. When Triple H swung the sledgehammer at the screen, he ripped it. Sparks and smoke then shot off with loud noises to make it appear as if the entire TitanTron was ruined. When they returned from break, everything was turned off while smoke enveloped the area. It was an interesting idea, but the rip of the screen didn't look as if it would have warranted all of the explosions. Of course, the reason for this was to set up a storyline scenario that justifies Raw having a new set next week for the premier of WWE HD.

After the break, Mr. McMahon met with Triple H to complain about what The Game had done. He told Triple H that he couldn't trust him, that he would never be able to tell what he was going to do, and that prompted The Chairman to reconsider Triple H's Royal Rumble status. In fact, McMahon told Triple H that he could still take part in the Rumble so long as he wins his qualifying match next week. This Triple H Royal Rumble plot has become a primary focus on Raw. Does that say anything about the potential result of the PPV?

WWE Champion RANDY ORTON vs. JEFF HARDY (5 weeks)

The show opened with an immediate appearance by Jeff Hardy. WWE is rolling on sheer momentum between Orton and Hardy, and they strategically decided to kick off the show where last week left off. Hardy talked about how he promised that he would take Orton out, and he wasted no time calling out the WWE Champion. Randy Orton eventually made his way to the stage and accepted Hardy's challenge with one condition: that the Intercontinental Title would be on the line. Jeff tersely replied, "Done!" The crowd was really into this segment, and the show's main event was then set.

Immediately after the Intercontinental Title match began, Orton barreled toward Hardy and gave him a cowardly low blow, which ended the bout instantly. Hardy and Orton eventually fought to the stage, where Hardy was able to backdrop Orton onto a platform alongside the main stage. Jeff then climbed up the Raw scaffolding to the second level, paused, and then flew down onto Orton with what must have been the highest Swanton Bomb ever delivered. Medics rushed to the scene to survey the damage and collect bodies. They put both men on stretchers and wheeled them out of the arena while the announcers stayed quiet.

Overall, it would have been nice to see a lot more of this feud injected into the middle of the show, even just in short bits. Instead, it basically served to bookend Raw with interesting opening and closing segments. Many will argue that the Hardy stunt at the conclusion of the show didn't do anything productive for the feud, the show, the stars, or anything. Others love when WWE takes the time and risk to orchestrate these big spots on infrequent occasions.

I foresee two individual problems involved (which may or may not outweigh the benefits of incorporating such an event). The first revolves around the idea of selling. Both Orton and Hardy are now almost forced to sell injuries that they obtained from the Swanton Bomb. The somewhat long-term selling may stretch to the Rumble, where their match for the WWE Title may suffer. On the other hand, perhaps WWE is truly excited about how explosive Jeff Hardy's popularity has become in the last few months, and this event can give them an excuse to continue the Orton-Hardy feud in some fashion after the Royal Rumble.

The other problem that may exist pertains to the storyline itself. Orton came out and specifically accepted Hardy's challenge, but he did so with a caveat: he wanted the Intercontinental Championship to be on the line. He wanted to be the third person in history to ever hold both WWE and Intercontinental gold simultaneously. Then the match begins, and Orton immediately (and blatantly) disqualifies himself. What was the point of wanting that stipulation if that was his intention? What was the point of arguing for it and bringing up that history if he really didn't care? And what does that say about Orton's view of the Intercontinental Championship?

So, did the Orton-Hardy rivalry need to use that big spot? Of course not, but did it hurt? No. However, there were other ways to build up to that moment that would have been preferable over the decision to use the Intercontinental Title that way (which ultimately hurt the story), but the event really did make an otherwise dull episode of Raw pretty memorable.

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

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

THE JEOPARDOUS ULTIMATUM FOR RIC FLAIR (8 weeks w/ 2 weeks hiatus)

Backstage, Mr. McMahon talked to William Regal. He held an enema in his hand to make the disrespectful analogy that Alabama (their location that week) is where someone would stick an enema if the United States were a person. Regal promised to retire Flair in an "undignified" manner. Then Snitsky crept in, claiming that he didn't care about HD. He told The Chairman that he was tired of waiting; he wanted to make a statement. McMahon obliged and set him up against Triple H later in the night. So overall, the segment served many purposes. It started the hype for Flair-Regal, it promoted WWE HD next week, and it set up Snitsky for a match.

The match between Raw General Manager William Regal and the legendary Ric Flair didn't last long. Regal rolled Flair up, but the referee caught him using Flair's tights. While those two argued over that decision, The Nature Boy used a roll-up of his own on Regal (and held the tights) for the victory.

Overall, this storyline has a lackluster feel on Raw. Flair used dirty tactics to beat William Regal, who hasn't been considered an active wrestler on WWE TV in months. I'm not so sure about WWE's strategy here. It's understandable that Flair would still resort to using dirty tricks against his opponents, but shouldn't he be getting some clean victories against some of his challengers? If The Nature Boy can't beat William Regal (at this stage of his career) cleanly, who on the Raw roster can he beat? It would have been nice—not to mention uplifting—to see Flair beat someone last night with his Figure Four Leg Lock.

Right now, it seems as though people are more interested in a pending feud between Flair and MVP than they are about Flair's random matches on Raw. It would be a stronger, more viable strategy to use Flair mainly on Smackdown for awhile to groom this MVP storyline. He could appear on Raw infrequently to hype his Career Threatening Matches on Smackdown. As it stands now, these Flair matches seem highly inconsequential, and that's the opposite response people should have.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 6.5 [down 0.5 since last week]

Previous Feuds
Ric Flair: n/a

HORNSWOGGLE vs. MR. McMAHON (19 weeks w/ 1 week hiatus)

Mr. McMahon was shown backstage talking to Hornswoggle in his office. He expressed some concern regarding Hornswoggle's participation in the upcoming Royal Rumble Match because Hornswoggle has never been involved in one before. Therefore, he announced a Mini-Royal Rumble Match for later in the night to help prepare his son for what's to come. McMahon went on to explain the order and names of the other combatants: "Mr. Kennedy, Mankind, Batista, and maybe a surprise or two."

Mr. McMahon then questioned Hornswoggle's chances, claiming that it's not likely that he will win the Mini-Royal Rumble or the actual Royal Rumble. Suddenly, a burst of anger overcame him as he pounced toward Hornswoggle, catching his son's neck in his hand. Hornswoggle was stricken by fear as his father told him (in mid-choke) that McMahons can do anything. He released a horrified Hornswoggle from his greedy grasp before nonchalantly saying, "I am proud of you though, damn proud." The camera approached Hornswoggle McMahon as his eyes remained fixed on his now abusive father.

The match entrances then took place. Hornswoggle came out first, ready to fight. The second man to enter the ring was supposed to be Mr. Kennedy, but it was actually a little person dressed as Kennedy. In fact, all of the participants—Kenney, Mankind, Batista, and Kane—were all little people. Hornswoggle was able to eliminate them all, even lifting one up in a military press before hurling him out of the ring. Finally, The Great Khali's music played. But unlike the others, it was actually the 7'3" man himself. As he was about to take out Hornswoggle, Finlay showed up with shillelagh in hand. The Fighting Irishman was able to fell Khali before things got ugly.

After the break, McMahon started to say "Thank God you…" but Finlay roughly grabbed him by the lapels. An enraged Finlay again mentioned their secretive deal, which McMahon quickly tried to keep quiet. The Chairman then told Finlay to solve his problems in a match against Khali on Smackdown.

Overall, they're still pushing this idea that some kind of deal exists between Finlay and McMahon. That's the only truly intriguing aspect of this feud that's long-lasting. If Finlay and McMahon have some type of deal together that regards Hornswoggle in some way, what could it be? And if that information leaked out (presumably by Finlay, who seems to be the one who doesn't mind bringing it up), what effect will it have on either man's character?

It was smart to mention it again on Raw, which could persuade some viewers to tune in on Friday night so see Finlay battle Khali with the hope that more information will be divulged then. Also, it's interesting to see Finlay potentially reach the level of Mr. McMahon's opponent in some type of upcoming feud. In the last few weeks, it seemed that WWE changed their course of action, but now they may be hinting that a fight is imminent.

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

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

CHRIS JERICHO vs. JBL (5 weeks)

JBL entered the arena as hundreds of balloons fell from the rafters. When you thought the balloon dropping was over, more came. He began to cut a promo on Y2J using clips of last week's episode for a visual reminder of how he choked Jericho with the cable. He then announced that Jericho wasn't in the building before directing his statements directly into the camera. He said he wanted to talk to Chris Jericho's kids. "Look at the coward that you call daddy," he obnoxiously continued. It was relatively short, but still tedious at times. He concluded with something about Jericho's savior theme and how Y2J is the one who will need to be saved come the Royal Rumble. As he exited the ring, a huge fireworks show exploded around him.

Okay, that's getting funny. The never-ending spate of various fireworks choreographed with JBL's arms raising into the air is the highlight of the entire feud at this point. When you see it, you can't help but wonder how much money is being used to do all of that, how much effort is being expended in setting it up, and how much it really means nothing. When the third or fourth wave of pyrotechnics blasts as JBL keeps his straight face, that's when it hits you how ridiculous all of it is.

As for his feud will Jericho, it's certainly in a dip right now. Jericho's absence from the show may or may not have hurt the rivalry—on the one hand, it helped by selling the injury, while on the other, it didn't provide the intense confrontation that people were probably expecting. Again, the basis for this feud was in trouble from the get-go; nobody takes seriously the idea that JBL is so anti-Jericho simply because Y2J ran into him at Armageddon. And until a more substantial reason is given to pull people into the feud, it's going to come up short, especially considering the other high-quality, big-name rivalries on the Raw brand.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 7 [down 0.5 since last week]

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

WWE Women's Champion BETH PHOENIX vs. MICKIE JAMES (8 weeks w/ 2 weeks hiatus)

This week, the first match of the night was a six-diva tag team match featuring Ashley, Maria, and Mickie James against Melina, Jillian, and Beth Phoenix. Mickie James and The Glamazon had a nice exchange of moves, but it all ended when Phoenix hung Mickie on the ropes before delivering her stalling fisherman suplex for the victory.

Overall, there is very little storyline advancement here. Beth continues her strong run as Women's Champion; Mickie James struggles to compete. Although Mickie is taking these losses, the fans know that she has the best chance of any diva on the roster to beat Phoenix. This might be heading toward a surprising victory for Mickie in the future, which will set up a title shot down the line. If Beth continues to win in this fashion (which would be expected at this point), it truly will be exciting to see someone beat her eventually. And if Mickie must continue to lose in order to further that particular story, at least have her talk in the back through promos or interactions with other people so that the audience doesn't lose faith in her completely.

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

Previous Feuds
Beth Phoenix: Candice Michelle
Mickie James: Melina

SHAWN MICHAELS vs. MR. KENNEDY (8 weeks)

They aired clips of last year's Royal Rumble finish, where Undertaker managed to narrowly beat Shawn Michaels, earning him a title shot at WrestleMania. HBK then entered the arena as Lilian announced the upcoming contest as a Royal Rumble Qualifying Match. Michaels complained that he had to qualify for the Rumble. He touted himself as a two-time Royal Rumble winner and the runner-up last year. As he continued, Trevor Murdoch (of all people) interrupted The Heartbreak Kid. The match then commenced.

The match looked to be over as Michaels prepared for some Sweet Chin Music, but Murdoch saw it coming at the last second and bumped backward. HBK immediately took advantage by grabbing Murdoch's legs and contorting them in a submission hold that J.R. called an Inverted Figure Four Leg Lock. Murdoch rapidly tapped, and Michaels earned his spot in the Royal Rumble Match in two weeks. The match also introduced viewers to HBK's new finisher.

After the match, Mr. Kennedy appeared on the big screen to talk about how he's better than Michaels. "You can't handle the fact that I've left you laying [sic] the past two weeks; you can't handle the fact that I've passed you by." He then talked about how Shawn's ego can't let it go (which of course is ironic in that Kennedy just appeared and started bragging out of nowhere). As far as next week's challenge, Kennedy said that he didn't think he had anything left to prove, but he would give him the match anyway because he needs a warm-up for the Rumble. As soon as Kennedy finished his speech, Michaels turned around and delivered a hard Superkick to the chin of Trevor Murdoch, who was looking to capitalize on Kennedy's video distraction.

Overall, this feud is largely overshadowed by everything else on the program. Kennedy's appearance via satellite didn't do much to help anything beyond setting up next week's show. Having a Royal Rumble Qualifying Match was nice, but did anyone expect Murdoch to get in over Michaels? The Kennedy-HBK rivalry will be an interesting element in the Royal Rumble itself, but it's not worth it to make the match a separate spectacle at this point.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 7.5 [down 0.5 since last week]

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

SANTINO MARELLA (w/ Maria) & CARLITO vs. World Tag Team Champions HARDCORE HOLLY & CODY RHODES (2 weeks w/ 1 week hiatus)?

Nobody involved here was given the chance to make a TV appearance. Is this even a feud? I don't know, but I certainly hope it is.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): n/a

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


CONCLUDED FEUDS

(1) William Regal vs. Triple H
(2) Hardcore Holly & Cody Rhodes vs. Santino Marella & Carlito?
(3) Beth Phoenix vs. Mickie James?


POTENTIAL FEUDS

(1) Snitsky vs. Triple H?
(2) William Regal vs. Ric Flair?


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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