By Chris Newth, PWTorch contributor

WWE Monday Night Raw
March 10, 2008
Upcoming PPV: WrestleMania (third-to-last episode before PPV)

RAW STORYLINES AND FEUDS

Welcome to the thirtieth 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 was a special 3-hour WrestleMania Rewind night, so many of the segments had no relation to certain Raw feuds. The Undertaker beat Mark Henry in a Casket Match, Jillian interrupted a match featuring Iron Sheik & Nikolai Volkoff vs. the U.S. Express, the Brisco Brothers were announced as inductees for the Class of 2008 WWE Hall of Fame, and Edge beat C.M. Punk when he caught him with a Spear. There was so much time, in fact, that a lot of extra video footage was aired to further establish stars and storylines. Each of the contenders in the WWE Title Match had individual backstage promos, and people such as Big Show, Floyd Mayweather, and Umaga had promotional montages on their characters.


WWE Champion RANDY ORTON vs. TRIPLE H vs. JOHN CENA (4 weeks)

After Flair and Michaels seemed to have settled things in their opening segment, Randy Orton came out to tell everyone that he was in charge for the night as per the Triple Threat Takeover. He announced Triple H versus Kane and Shawn Michaels versus John Cena. Later in the back, Triple H cut a solo promo where he gave fans a short history lesson on the title picture in WWE. He explained his problems with both John Cena and Randy Orton before promising to fight for the title like his life depended on it. He concluded by succinctly stating, "Cena, Orton, game on."

Randy Orton then met with Kane to give him a short pep talk about how Triple H has done so much to The Big Red Machine in the past. Kane quickly became indignant, clutching Orton by the throat and saying, "When it comes to Triple H, I don't need a history lesson, Randy. I remember everything!" In the Triple H-Kane matchup, Randy Orton came out to distract The Game, but Triple H was able to deliver the Pedigree for the clean victory anyway. It was then Cena's promo time backstage. He talked about how he risked his health, career, and accrued success for the chance to wrestle at Mania.

In Randy Orton's backstage promo, he said that he is what you get when you combine the attributes of John Cena and Triple H. He then said that he has one thing that neither of his opponents has: the WWE Championship. Then in the main event, Randy Orton interfered to cause a disqualification. He attempted to hit an RKO on John Cena, but Cena launched the Legend Killer into the steel chair that awaited him. Cena was then able to hoist Orton into position for the FU and deliver it without hesitation. They then cut to the back where Triple H announced that next week Cena and Orton would team up to face the entire Raw roster.

This big 3-hour edition of Raw certainly spent ample time developing one of WrestleMania's main event matchups. Giving each of the combatants a chance to discuss their issues directly to viewers was a nice touch. Everyone had something relevant to say, something that either gave fans a helpful reminder of the past or enhanced their character. Their storyline is gaining even more traction after all of the verbal progress. With all of the hype going into Show-Mayweather and Edge-Undertaker, it's difficult for this one to become the distinctive top feud. But it's unquestionable that it's the one that's being booked the strongest.

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

Previous Feuds
John Cena: Edge, Umaga, Bobby Lashley, Randy Orton
Triple H: King Booker, Umaga, Jeff Hardy
Randy Orton: Dusty Rhodes, Cody Rhodes, John Cena, Shawn Michaels, Chris Jericho, Jeff Hardy

THE JEOPARDOUS ULTIMATUM FOR RIC FLAIR (16 weeks w/ 3 weeks hiatus)

The Nature Boy opened the show to a chorus of cheers and whoos. He quickly recapped Michaels's words last week before calling out HBK. Flair told Michaels that he felt like sympathy and pity were directed at him last week, and that isn't what he wants. In fact, he wanted Shawn to commit 100% at WrestleMania so that Flair has reason to continue his career if he's able to beat the Heartbreak Kid. Michaels responded by saying that when he's wrestling, he can't control how good he is. In other words, there's no way that he can tone it down or not give 100% when he's at WrestleMania. "It just happens," HBK explained.

Both men shook hands and agreed to fight their best come Mania, but Michaels then took the time to address Smackdown. He reminded fans that Flair would be facing Edge, Hawkins, and Ryder in a Steel Cage Handicap Match; and he announced that he would join The Nature Boy to make it 3-on-2. That's when Orton came out to book Michaels-Cena for the main event.

It's good to see WWE handle this the way they have. Michaels and Flair have their own issue to deal with come WrestleMania, but they both are maintaining babyface personas despite the heavy stipulation. Flair is excited at the prospect of wrestling Michaels, and HBK's act of respect is great (it's how fans feel). Also strong is how they are booking this one between Raw and Smackdown. Since both Michaels and Flair are very popular figures in WWE, their Smackdown match should be an anticipated one. Inserting their feud into the Smackdown main event with Edge was a smart decision. So, the storyline is strong, the tension is present, the participants are playing it perfectly, and this program is moving along nicely.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 9.5 [up 0.5 since last week]

Previous Feuds
Ric Flair: MVP
Shawn Michaels: Randy Orton, Mr. Kennedy

Intercontinental Champion JEFF HARDY vs. CHRIS JERICHO (3 weeks)

This week Jeff Hardy took on Chris Jericho in an Intercontinental Title Match. The match had some nice spots, with the end containing a tension-inducing sequence of moves. Jericho went for the enziguiri but missed, which led to Hardy delivering a Twist of Fate. Then Hardy went to the top, but his Swanton didn't connect. Jericho was then able to catch Hardy with the Code Breaker for the three count, giving us a new Intercontinental Champion. Lawler said that he considered the finish an upset since Hardy's been on such a roll lately.

Well, a strong match with a clean finish and a title change on television certainly doesn’t hurt their feud. It's still interesting to listen to how the crowd reacts when these two babyfaces come into conflict. Last week, they seemed to be split between cheering for Hardy and cheering for Jericho. This week, the matchup was intense, and the crowd was clearly into it.

Each move and counter move drove the fans to react without a clear fan favorite. When Y2J won the gold, the reaction wasn't overwhelming with cheers, but he wasn't booed by any means. This puts the rivalry in a curious position with a new Intercontinental Champion and only a couple weeks before WrestleMania's Money in the Bank Match. Two specific things will interesting to note from here: How Jericho will fare now that he's the Intercontinental Champion? And what will they do with Hardy in the coming weeks?

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 8 [up 1 since last week]

Previous Feuds
Jeff Hardy: Umaga, Mr. Kennedy, Triple H, Randy Orton
Chris Jericho: JBL

THE BIG SHOW vs. FLOYD MAYWEATHER (4 weeks)

They aired a video preview of Show-Mayweather with various people giving their predictions. One guy, a boxing historian, said the money Mayweather is getting to fight in this WrestleMania match might pay for his hospital bill. Most of the comments here seemed to underestimate Mayweather, focusing instead on how the tremendous size differential would greatly assist Big Show. Another video package aired later in the show depicting Big Show destroying smaller talent such as Rey Mysterio and Jamie Noble. The montage even contained short clips of him showing his strength, such as when he flipped a car.

Even later in the show, video of Floyd Mayweather played for viewers. His video was all about his material possessions. Clips were shown of him playing with money and giving us a tour of his huge house. He said that everything he owned was fully customized. This was almost like a classic heel-type video where the person is basically saying, "Look at me and all the cool stuff that I have. You can only dream of such a life, and I'm arrogantly bragging about it." Humble is not a word I'd use to describe Mr. Mayweather.

Then the big weigh-in finally took place. Shane McMahon handled the introductions. Mayweather stepped on the scale weighing 159 lbs. "Big Show may have eaten meals that weigh more than that," Lawler joked. Show was 441 lbs. After the weigh-in, Big Show brought out "his posse," the WWE locker room. A full group of heels and faces from all three brands circled the ring in support of Show.

Big Show said that if Mayweather continues to disrespect him, he guarantees that Floyd will never box again. Floyd responded as the crowd heavily chanted, "you suck." He flicked bills at Show and said that Show would have to catch him to hurt him. The crowd did the Austin "What?" chant repeatedly. Show acted like a babyface by picking up some of the money that was thrown on the floor to give it to some face wrestlers at ringside. Mayweather threatened to break Show's jaw, but Big Show caught him, lifted him up in a military press, and threw him to ringside on top of some heels. Mayweather clutched his arm while running to the back as if he had been injured.

Well, WWE now seems to be embracing the idea of Mayweather as a heel. The video they played certainly helped in turning the live crowd on him during the weigh-in segment. As a whole, this particular edition of Monday Night Raw gave heavy hype to the feud. Three video packages and a full in-ring segment provided complete coverage of the two main players involved. It's interesting to see Show use the WWE locker room as his posse after explaining on Smackdown last week that they don't like Mayweather. Expect them to have some type of role in the coming weeks and possibly at WrestleMania.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 7.5 [up 1 since last week]

Previous Feuds
Big Show: n/a
Floyd Mayweather: n/a

UMAGA vs. BATISTA (1 week)

William Regal stood in the ring to introduce Raw's representative in the WrestleMania Brand Supremacy Match: Umaga. A video aired on The Samoan Bulldozer before he made his way to the ring. However, Batista arrived to crash the party. Umaga looked like he was fuming, while Batista was unflappably confident. A brief stare-down soon led to a barrage of punches by both men. Batista fell first, but when Umaga went for the Samoan Spike, The Animal countered with a hard spinebuster. Umaga irately fled as referees and Regal tried to hold him back.

If Umaga-Batista is the official match slated for WrestleMania, then it was a good time for them to finally meet in person. The excuse here—if they need such a thing—is that it was a special edition of Raw that featured talent from all three brands. This is actually a great pairing because it's never been seen before. Umaga was built as a monster heel and has garnered a great deal of credibility since his arrival in WWE. Whenever a top babyface needs a tough challenge or a vulnerable babyface deserves punishment in the eyes of a heel authority figure, Umaga is the one they call. The stakes of the match should be clearer, however, since brand supremacy is a bit vague.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 6.5

Previous Feuds
Umaga: Jeff Hardy, Triple H
Batista: Edge, The Great Khali, Undertaker, MVP

HORNSWOGGLE & FINLAY vs. MR. McMAHON & JBL (27 weeks w/ 1 week hiatus)

This week Finlay was set to go one-on-one with Mr. Kennedy. But before the match had begun, JBL appeared on the big video screen to play more mind games with The Fighting Irishman. He announced that at WrestleMania, it would be Finlay versus JBL in a Belfast Brawl. "Terrific," JBL continued, "That means that not only can I beat you at your own game, but I get the opportunity to put you in a hospital right next to that pathetic, little mutant son of yours."

Finlay took a minute to react, not sure what to do. But suddenly he swung his shillelagh at Kennedy's ribs viciously. The ref immediately called for the bell, but The Fighting Irishman continued the brutal assault, hitting Kennedy repeatedly with the wooden weapon. Kennedy was defenseless. Referees had to intervene in order to restrain Finlay from attacking his opponent, but it was to no avail. Finlay returned to nail Kennedy directly in the head with the shillelagh, knocking him out cold.

Hornswoggle's absence is helping to keep this feud extremely serious, and it's also smart that JBL has been outside the arena in the last few weeks. Keeping Finlay and JBL separated only makes fans yearn for a big fight. The use of Mr. Kennedy was curious since he had absolutely no offensive retaliation against Finlay. Why did WWE choose to use him instead of a heel lower on the Raw totem pole? Overall, this feud is moving along nicely. JBL is doing great in his role, and Finlay looks as focused as he should be. A Belfast Brawl in the WrestleMania lineup should serve as an interesting addition.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 8 [same as last week]

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

WWE Women's Champion BETH PHOENIX & MELINA & SANTINO MARELLA vs. CANDICE MICHELLE & MARIA (4 weeks w/ 2 weeks hiatus)

This week, Melina, who was accompanied to the ring by Women's Champion Beth Phoenix, faced Maria, who had Candice Michelle in her corner. During the match, Santino strutted to the ring with a copy of Playboy. He got on the ring apron and tore Maria's photo up as an attempt to show his disapproval. The distraction led to Melina hitting her finisher for the win. Santino exited flanked by Phoenix and Melina.

The focus of these segments seems to be Santino vs. Maria over Playboy rather than Beth vs. Candice over the Women's Title. Santino is playing his role pretty well as the jealous guy who is now acting out of spite toward his former girlfriend. Maria's new obstacle is to try to overcome the intense distraction that Santino constantly supplies while fighting in matchups. She's getting a nice push along the way. It was also nice to see Melina in action again. Overall, this feud is likely to head to the Bunny Mania Match in a few weeks with Santino playing a key role in the storyline. His alliance with Phoenix and Melina will likely continue until Maria finds a way to put a stop to it.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 6 [up 1 since last week]

Previous Feuds
Beth Phoenix: Candice Michelle, Mickie James
Candice Michelle: Melina, Beth Phoenix

PAUL BURCHILL

There was still no sign of Burchill or his sister, Katie Lea, this week on Raw. Will WWE wait until WrestleMania is over before reintroducing him or will he show up somewhere in the next couple of weeks?

Intrigue Level (out of 10): n/a

Previous Feuds
Paul Burchill: n/a


CONCLUDED FEUDS

(1) Santino Marella & Carlito vs. Cody Rhodes & Hardcore Holly


POTENTIAL FEUDS

(1) Paul Burchill vs. ?


Thanks for reading, everyone. If you have any questions, suggestions, or comments, feel free to email me at newthtorch@hotmail.com. I greatly appreciate all the feedback that I receive, and I will respond to every email. 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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