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By Chris Newth, PWTorch Contributor

WWE Monday Night Raw
January 21, 2008
Upcoming PPV: Royal Rumble (last episode before PPV)

RAW STORYLINES AND FEUDS

Welcome to the twenty-third 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's first episode in HD featured a brand new set (and graphics), which brought with it a new overall feel. Storyline advancement was stronger for some feuds than it was for others. For example, the Mickie-Phoenix rivalry progressed nicely, but the McMahon-Hornswoggle feud fell flat this week. As far as non-feud segments go, here's a short overview:

One of the continuing stories on the show is Triple H's struggle to enter the Royal Rumble Match after losing the opportunity a few weeks ago when he lost his match against Ric Flair via disqualification. This week, he was interviewed backstage and claimed that he had no idea who his mystery opponent was for the night. When match time arrived, Raw GM William Regal came out to announce that it would be an Over-the-top-rope Gauntlet Match, and in order for "Triple Hate-ch" to qualify for the Rumble, he'd have to eliminate all three of his opponents.

The first man to challenge The Game was Snitsky, who soon found himself hung up on the top rope after missing a kick. Triple H quickly clotheslined him to the floor to advance. The next opponent was announced as Smackdown's Mark Henry. In the end, The World's Strongest Man found himself flying over the top rope with his own momentum when Triple H pulled the ropes down as he was charging. At that point, it looked as though Regal had told the third competitor to stay in the back. Regal then entered the ring himself to finish the job. Triple H eventually grabbed him by the shirt and tossed him to ringside to earn a Royal Rumble spot.

Also on the show, Brian Kendrick had a Royal Rumble Qualifying Match against The Samoan Bulldozer, Umaga (who had already qualified). Kendrick showed some nice fire while the match lasted, but he was no match for Umaga. After an Irish whip, Umaga stopped all Kendrick's momentum with a fierce Samoan Drop. He then followed that up by lifting Brian into the air and burying his thumb into Kendrick's neck (in mid-air) to win the match.

And now to the feuds!

WWE Champion RANDY ORTON vs. JEFF HARDY (6 weeks)

We began with Randy Orton sitting in what appeared to be Mr. McMahon's office. He was clearly in pain after Jeff Hardy's 30-foot Swanton Bomb last week. The meeting between Orton and McMahon regarded The Legend Killer's disagreement over having to shake Hardy's hand later in the show. The Chairman told Orton that he did indeed want him to shake Jeff's hand. Orton grimaced at the idea. "I should be in a wheelchair right now," Orton said. "There's no way that I'm shaking his hand."

McMahon than began the manipulation game. He told Randy that perception is reality, and that if Orton goes out there and shakes Hardy's hand, he will be perceived as someone who is softer than in reality. He told the WWE Champion that it gives him the competitive advantage. McMahon continued, "Jeff has to be thinking to himself, 'What do I have to do? What do I have to do to beat this man?' And then, when Jeff looks into your eyes, he'll have the answer: he can't!" During the speech, the camera strategically focused just on Orton as McMahon spoke, and his eyes told a strong non-verbal story. He seemed focused and intense. Nicely done.

WWE then played a great video package on Randy Orton. It highlighted Orton's rise from pre-WWE to champion. Some of it was documentary-style, with Orton providing commentary on his childhood and early career, and then it focused on his accomplishments in the ring on Smackdown and Raw, his various title wins, etc. When he bragged about himself in the video, it was realistic and felt a lot more like exaggerated confidence than arrogance because of the format and tone. The video ended with last week's big Jeff Hardy stunt, so it was successful on many levels.

Mr. McMahon's manipulation continued with Jeff Hardy in the back. He began by demanding that Hardy never risk his life or anyone else's like he did last week because he has an investment in Jeff. He told Hardy that by shaking Orton's hand, they would have people wondering what would happen next. McMahon told Jeff that it would be analogous to boxers who shake before beating the hell out of each other. That's a decent strategy to use when talking to a babyface. Jeff assured Mr. McMahon that he'd go out there and give everyone something to talk about. It wasn't quite an agreement.

Another video package aired featuring Jeff Hardy. It was much less timeline-oriented than Randy Orton's video. Basically, it was a quick montage of the high-flying moves that made Jeff famous. It also concluded with his latest problems against Randy Orton. It's an interesting and different way to relentlessly replay that big stunt without drawing attention to their doing it.

The final segment then took place. Orton seemed willing to shake Jeff's hand, but Jeff wanted no part in that. In fact, he jumped into the crowd and told Orton that he respected random fans a lot more than he did Orton. When he got back into the ring, Randy extended his hand, but Hardy still refused to shake. Instead, he delivered a Twist of Fate on The Legend Killer to close the show.

This episode really helped fuel the storyline. It's good to see that WWE didn't book them in matches after last week's huge stunt. They didn't quite sell injuries as much as they may have wanted to, but it was probably due to the fact that they needed to sell PPV buys. If either man looked unable to compete in a big match for the title at the Rumble, that could have potentially hurt the PPV profit.

McMahon played his role well here. It was nice to see WWE focus heavily on how he manipulated the situation. He was able to appeal to both Orton and Hardy by introducing a different type of reasoning to each individual. Hardy looked impressive, and he has one-upped Orton two weeks in a row now. Although that's not a good sign heading into a PPV match for Hardy, it does earn him an enhanced perception for the TV audience. Orton also played his part well. He had great intensity throughout the show.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 10 [same as 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 (9 weeks w/ 3 weeks hiatus)

Nothing involving The Nature Boy on Raw this week. He's busy on Smackdown dealing with MVP.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): n/a

Previous Feuds
Ric Flair: n/a

HORNSWOGGLE vs. MR. McMAHON (20 weeks w/ 1 week hiatus)

This week, Hornswoggle and Finlay teamed together for the first time on Raw to face The Highlanders. The short match concluded when Hornswoggle was able to hit his Tadpole Splash from the top rope on Rory McAllister for the win. The Irish team celebrated in the ring after the match as Ross hyped the Belfast Brawl on Smackdown later in the week.

There wasn't much to this. Basically, WWE wanted to hype Smackdown's gimmick match. Beyond that, there was really no reason for it. It's curious how they keep feeling the need to include Hornswoggle on both Raw and Smackdown every week. Would it be terrible if he were Smackdown-exclusive talent? Technically, he is a Smackdown superstar anyway. His feud with Khali and the fact that McMahon can appear on any show makes the argument for keeping him only on Smackdown all the more logical. Then again, he is a McMahon himself, a fact that could support the opposite argument.

However, there may be a real reason behind WWE's time investment in Hornswoggle. He is becoming a popular figure, and it's nice to see a little person find such a great role in a mainstream industry that relies so heavily on physical appearance. It's refreshing to see him get an opportunity like that, even if it may annoy some viewers who dislike the gimmick or the story.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 5.5 [down 1 since last week]

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

CHRIS JERICHO vs. JBL (6 weeks)

Chris Jericho entered the ring to cut a serious promo on JBL in reaction to the events of the past two weeks. He announced that when JBL heard he would be in the arena, The Wall Street Wizard refused to enter the building. "To me a coward is someone who doesn't show up," Jericho said. Y2J continued by talking about how JBL spoke directly to his children last week. Jericho then told a story about his son: "My four-year-old son looked me in the eye, and he said with a quiver in his bottom lip, 'Daddy is it true? Are you a coward?' And as I assured him that I was not, I saw something that I had never seen before, and that was doubt in his eyes."

To make a pretty heavy subject even more heavy, Jericho told JBL that his one mistake was that he didn't finish the job. "As a result," Y2J said angrily, "I am still here." He concluded the segment by saying that at the Royal Rumble, he wasn't going to give the fans a good show, a fancy spectacle. Instead, he said it would be a fight.

There may be an argument concerning the heavy-handed nature of this feud only because it's not the only one on the show. When Hardy and Randy Orton were wheeled out on stretchers last week, that was pretty heavy TV content. And when you also have people attempting to hang their opponent by the neck with a cable wire and involving another wrestler's children in the story, there may be a sense that the audience is being overwhelmed by the emotional weight. Normally, this kind of thing wouldn't be problematic, but with Ric Flair worrying about retirement, Randy Orton looking to severely injure his opponents (and their family), and Mickie James in tears over her problems, it might be too much for a single show.

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

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

WWE Women's Champion BETH PHOENIX vs. MICKIE JAMES (9 weeks w/ 2 weeks hiatus)

Beth Phoenix made her way to the ring for a singles matchup. Then Mickie James bounced to the ring in her usually-upbeat, peppy disposition. Jim Ross set up the storyline perfectly by mentioning how Mickie had spoken to him earlier. Here's Ross's exact quote: "Mickie said, 'I am vowing to beat The Glamazon here tonight.' And I said, 'Mickie, should I say that on television?' She said, 'Absolutely. I'm here in my home state, and I'm vowing, I'm promising that I'm going to beat The Glamazon here tonight in this non-title matchup.'" Great set-up.

During the match, Mickie James tried a variety of maneuvers. She showed great determination, which was the main premise to the story. After some pin attempts and near falls, she'd express sheer frustration, shouting "Come on" in a voice tone that wasn't quite whining, but was close. The end of the match saw Mickie attempt her DDT finisher, but Phoenix countered by hanging her onto the top rope and then turned that into a finisher of her own—the fisherman suplex. After the match, Mickie was on the verge of tears. She looked completely disheartened.

Backstage, Maria approached a distraught Mickie James to ask her what was wrong. Mickie responded, "Maria, I'm so frustrated. Every time I go out there, I honestly give Beth everything I have, and I just…I feel like I can't beat her. And I don't know what to do." Maria tried to comfort Mickie by telling her it would be okay, and then Ashley showed up, which prompted Mickie to make a hasty exit. Ashley, who really should apologize for interrupting that personal conversation, wanted to explain some kind of idea about the Playboy mansion to Maria. Then Santino appeared to respond to Ashley's Playboy idea (which hadn't even been stated yet). He assumed it had to deal with Maria getting him a subscription to the magazine. He soon led Maria away.

Overall, this is exactly where this feud needed to go. Let me take an excerpt from what I said last week about the storyline:

"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."

Mickie's backstage encounter with Maria was fantastic. It was both believable and logical. Here's a woman who's been the Women's Champion multiple times, and now she's discovered that she can't beat a particular person no matter how hard she tries. It's a gripping story because in life, sometimes it doesn't matter how hard you try, some things are nearly impossible to accomplish. And that's Mickie's dilemma. Will she resort to a different strategy that may be out of character (perhaps cheating) or will we start to see her training a lot more (for example, in the gym)? Maybe she'll continue her current track until she begins to notice some real progress or seek an answer from somebody else.

Speaking of answers, it's interesting how Maria was used this week. May it be a new spin on her character where other divas and wrestlers begin to seek advice from her? Or was it just coincidence that Mickie expressed her personal concerns before Ashley came up asking her to evaluate a specific idea she had? Let's see where that goes.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 6 [up 2.5 since last week]

Previous Feuds
Beth Phoenix: Candice Michelle
Mickie James: Melina

SHAWN MICHAELS vs. MR. KENNEDY (9 weeks)

WWE HD kicked off with a match between Michaels and Kennedy. Jim Ross pointed out prior to the bout that each man holds a victory over the other. The match itself was quite lengthy, and the finish was really orchestrated well. Michaels went for a Superkick, but Mr. Kennedy dodged it at the last second. Then HBK tried to apply his new submission hold (the inverted figure four), but Kennedy kicked him away. As Kennedy began to stand, Michaels nipped up and immediately delivered some Sweet Chin Music for the emphatic, exciting pinfall. That was a great cap on what turned out to be a really great match.

Overall, this one may be over, but it's unlikely. There wasn't anything conclusive enough on this TV episode to warrant a close. Although Michaels was able to beat Kennedy cleanly, it didn't feel as though the feud ended. With each man having victories over the other (even though HBK's leading at this point), it might be nice to see a lengthy 2 out of 3 Falls Match or some other gimmick match to headline an upcoming Raw. This week was very eventful, but it left the storyline wide open in terms of its future. Next week is sure to put things into perspective.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 8 [up 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 (3 weeks w/ 1 week hiatus)

They started with a backstage conversation between Cody Rhodes and Brian Kendrick. Brian congratulated Cody on qualifying for the Rumble and explained that he had a qualifying match this week. Cody was excited about it since he's watched the Royal Rumble Matches since he was a kid. Suddenly, Hardcore Holly dropped by to announce that he's in a match against Carlito.

Cody made a remark about how he had to dress up like Carlito last week, which Hardcore Holly didn't find funny. Cody disagreed, telling him that he put a picture of it up on MySpace. When Hardcore questioned what that was, Brian Kendrick jumped in, exaggeratingly shouting, "Come on Bob, the world wide web!" When Hardcore left, Kendrick summed up Holly's character pretty well: "That guy is a grouuuchhh." Nice personality and enthusiasm from Kendrick in that segment. It was a little over-the-top, but some people are like that.

The match between Carlito and Hardcore Holly resulted in a win for Carlito after he connected with the Back Stabber. Hardcore Holly looked to be putting the match away, but Santino stood up on the ring apron to cause a distraction. Holly dropped Carlito from the Alabama Slam position to approach Santino. Cody then pulled Marella to ringside, but it was too late. Carlito snuck in and hit his finisher on Holly for the three count.

Overall, this was a fine way to continue a feud that has just started. It seemed like tension was again growing between Hardcore Holly and Cody Rhodes. This week, however, Cody did nothing wrong. It will be interesting to see how Hardcore reacts next week to what transpired here. What makes this feud so potentially great is the eclectic mix of talent and personalities.

All four of these guys can work well together in the ring, and each one is distinctly different than everyone else. Hardcore Holly is clearly the stuck-up, tough, no-nonsense veteran. Cody Rhodes tries unsuccessfully to loosen up, but there's something in him that feels the need to maintain his seriousness (which is only amplified since Hardcore Holly's his tag team partner). Santino Marella is naturally hilarious, but he's also very proud; he thinks that he's better and smarter than everybody else, but he never realizes that he's making a fool out of himself each time he says a common American cliché incorrectly. And Carlito's character is a little less defined, but he basically acts like a guy who's still trying to make up for way too many losses in his past. There is a lighter side to him, but it's always being outweighed by his fierce competitive nature in the ring. The combination of all of these characters makes for great television.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 5.5

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


POTENTIAL FEUDS

(1) Snitsky vs. Triple H?
(2) Brian Kendrick vs. Umaga?
(3) Hardcore Holly vs. Cody Rhodes?


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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