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By Chris Newth, PWTorch contributor

WWE Monday Night Raw
March 17, 2008
Upcoming PPV: WrestleMania (second-to-last episode before PPV)

RAW STORYLINES AND FEUDS

Welcome to the thirty-first 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)


WWE Champion RANDY ORTON vs. TRIPLE H vs. JOHN CENA (5 weeks)

William Regal stood in his office watching a monitor after the Umaga vs. London & Kendrick match. Triple H walked in, which gave Regal a chance to ask him a few questions. Regal brought up the possibility of Orton or Cena walking out on each other during the main event match. The Game responded by saying that if Cena walks out, he loses his shot at WrestleMania; if Orton walks out, he'll strip him of the title, and the WWE Championship Match at Mania will be one-on-one. Regal questioned why he doesn't just strip Orton of the title now since he's in charge, and Triple H said that being awarded titles isn't nearly as satisfying as winning them.

Before the main event, John Cena met up with Randy Orton backstage to discuss their huge challenge. He said that they should go out there and beat everyone there is to beat on Raw. Orton said that Triple H was out to make sure they get hurt, so the plan should be to purposely lose early so that they can assure their own safety. "I like it," Cena said, "You want to go out there and lose on purpose, go ahead and lose. Good luck." Orton claimed that since he's the WWE Champion, Cena should be the one who takes the fall. Cena retorted with a great line: "The day that I listen to someone who's responsible for my torn pec, stealing my title, and punt-kicking my father in the face is the day I lose my mind!" Triple H then wished them luck.

The big main event then got underway with John Cena and Randy Orton facing the entire Raw roster. One by one, the Raw superstars were being eliminated by Cena and Orton, who worked surprisingly well together. The crowd was even cheering for Orton as he hit RKO after RKO on his opponents. Suddenly, things broke down as the remaining wrestlers all entered the ring simultaneously to beat up Orton and Cena, which prompted the referee to call for the bell. Cena cleared the ring with multiple chair shots, but Umaga's damage had left Cena and Orton lying in the ring. Triple H then appeared to give each of his WrestleMania opponents Pedigrees.

This week's Raw was another case of WWE adeptly structuring a main event feud. The conversation between Regal and Triple H was deftly handled. In that segment, WWE (through Triple H) addressed multiple questions that are always pervading these authority reward angles. Regal essentially played the part of the inquisitive viewer, asking The Game about the method to his madness. After all, why wouldn't he just strip Orton of the title and award himself the WWE Championship? His responses were both complete and logical. He's had titles handed to him, and he'd rather go out and win them fairly—a perfect, easy, succinct, and conclusive answer.

The segment between Orton and Cena was just as effective in a completely different way. Orton wanted an easy way out, which plays nicely into his intelligent heel character. And John Cena was fine with it so long as Orton took the fall. What a great predicament he put Randy in. With that argument in the air and Orton having to make the decision, The Legend Killer attempted to use his leverage as the WWE Champion. I'm not sure why he thought that he could tell Cena what to do (which was something he should have tried last week when it was his turn to make decisions in the Triple Threat Takeover), but based on Orton's flawed and uncontrollable ego, it was believable. Cena's retort was delivered to perfection and covered a lot of history in a single line.

And the match itself played well for the most part. The concept was intriguing, but WWE clearly can't afford to put Cena and Orton over at the expense of the rest of the roster. So the booking was a nice compromise. It was still very interesting to hear Orton cheered as he hit multiple RKOs on his opponents. The crowd was heavily behind this awkward team, and it was a nice change of pace; it allowed Orton and Cena to show that they can put their differences aside in order to attempt to succeed when the odds were so heavily unfavorable.

Does the teamwork by Cena and Orton hurt the heat between them? Absolutely not. In fact, it only makes them both look equally strong. WWE deserves a lot of credit for all the segments pertaining to this feud on Raw, and Triple H, Randy Orton, and John Cena were stellar in their roles.

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

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

THE JEOPARDOUS ULTIMATUM FOR RIC FLAIR (17 weeks w/ 3 weeks hiatus)

Mr. McMahon was shown backstage touting all his recent success—being inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame, having WWE's stock rise when the market is experiencing a downturn, appearing on Larry King's show, being capable of performing a 700-pound squat, and having three grandchildren with another one arriving in a few months—but wondering how to top it all. He suddenly sparked an idea: he wanted to be the man to end Ric Flair's career. With that goal in mind, McMahon booked himself against The Nature Boy in a Street Fight.

Later in the show, Ric Flair angrily met up with Shawn Michaels backstage. Flair questioned why HBK was in the building since he didn't have a scheduled match. He then suspected that Michaels was there to make sure he didn't get hurt in the Street Fight with McMahon. "I've told you about sympathy, I've told you about pity, I've told you about running out and saving me. I'm my own man. I'm the Nature Boy…, and I don't want you to get involved in anything I'm doing until I see you at WrestleMania," Flair said confidently. Michaels just looked at him with stern caution.

As the Street Fight commenced, Ross noted that a win for The Chairman would take Michaels out of WrestleMania since Flair would no longer be able to wrestle. Things started with Flair getting the better of Mr. McMahon with a punching exchange. McMahon fought back with a ringside monitor, which he used to bash Flair in the head. A bloodied Flair was thrown into the ring before being blindsided by another weapon shot: this time a garbage can. McMahon later used a chair, but Shawn Michaels pulled the referee to ringside before he could count to three. The ref sent HBK to the back (but wasn't this a no rules Street Fight?). In the end, Flair hit two low blows and splashed McMahon through a table for the victory.

It was good to have McMahon get involved since it would only be logical. Mr. McMahon's character feeds on wrestlers' misery. He's the one who stipulated that Flair's career would end with a single loss in one-on-one competition. After months of Flair evading retirement, it was only logical that McMahon would try to step in and end the legendary career himself. The match did a nice job forwarding Flair's storyline, and seeing The Nature Boy put McMahon through a table was probably pleasing for many fans.

Overall, this was a nice way to continue the storyline since it played into more of the participants' fears. On Smackdown last week, Flair explicitly revealed that he was concerned for their safety. If either Flair or Michaels gets hurt before WrestleMania, it would completely ruin their plan to have the match of their lives at the biggest PPV of the year. This week on Raw, Michaels's concern—that McMahon could possibly beat Flair in a Street Fight and end his career on the spot—brought more tension to this great storyline. It was well-conceived and well-executed. Nicely done.

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

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

THE BIG SHOW vs. FLOYD MAYWEATHER (5 weeks)

Chris Jericho kicked off Raw by hosting The Highlight Reel. He touted how he won the Intercontinental Championship for the eighth time last week, a record-setting number. He went on to introduce The Big Show as his special guest. Jericho aired a recap of Show hurling Floyd Mayweather over the top rope last week. Big Show tried to compare Mayweather to Jericho, claiming that he could beat Jericho in two minutes. "I'm saying that you're the WWE's equivalent to Floyd Mayweather: you're loud, you're arrogant, you're disrespectful, and you're in way over your head," Show said in a threatening tone. Show then challenged Jericho to an Intercontinental Title Match, and Y2J accepted.

Another video on Floyd Mayweather aired, but this one focused more on his personality. He talked about family issues when he was young before leading us into his current successes. "I was born to be a showman," Mayweather said. He talked about his journey to professional boxing with a heavy focus on his career. Then things turned again toward his material possessions and the vast wealth he so publicly enjoys. "I'm about to become the WWE World Heavyweight Champion," Mayweather said. Somebody needs to explain to him that his match isn't for any title.

Later in the show, Jericho faced Big Show for the Intercontinental Title. The match ended when Jericho blatantly disqualified himself by cracking the title belt against Big Show's skull. After the bell had been rung to signify the end of the match, Show floored Jericho with a right-handed punch to the face. He then lifted Y2J into the air for a chokeslam as Lilian announced Big Show the winner. After the commercial break, they aired video of Jericho being escorted to the back by referees. His eyes looked glazed over after taking that hard punch.

It was smart for WWE to handle the situation in this fashion. Because Mayweather wasn't personally on the program, pairing Show with Jericho was a good compromise. And since Jeff Hardy will be off TV for awhile, Jericho needed something to do while he waits for the Money in the Bank Match at WrestleMania. It will be interesting to see what Jericho's role will be in the next week or two after receiving that knockout punch.

Also intriguing is how WWE is booking everything. Big Show appears to remain a heel, but Jericho is the one who copped out of this title match with a heelish disqualification. What is going on here? Is Jericho really a babyface? Is Show a heel? And what is Floyd Mayweather? If WWE intends to clear things up, they have one week left.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 7.5 [same as last week]

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

UMAGA vs. BATISTA (2 weeks)

William Regal introduced Umaga as Brian Kendrick and Paul London waited patiently in the ring. Umaga had both of them beaten down in the corner, but Kendrick was able to dodge The Samoan Bulldozer as he charged him. Umaga then turned his attention to London, who absorbed the full brunt of Umaga's attack. Kendrick watched from ringside as Umaga lifted London to his feet, but he then suddenly walked away. The crowd booed Kendrick for turning away while Paul London received a Samoan Spike, which allowed Umaga to win the match by pinfall.

Umaga can use more squashes heading into WrestleMania, but the interesting element in this segment had nothing to do with Umaga-Batista. Did we just witness a heel turn by Brian Kendrick? It certainly seems that way. This actually could work well for the former WWE Tag Team Champions.

After all, WWE drafted them to Raw presumably based on the popularity they generated as a great tag team over on Smackdown, but then they were largely ignored. WWE never really used them for anything relevant. In many cases, they jobbed to pushed talent. This latest development at least gives them reason to make more appearances, and potential matchups between London and Kendrick could turn one (or both) of them into breakout singles stars. And as for Umaga-Batista, nothing particularly special stood out on this busy episode of Monday Night Raw.

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

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

HORNSWOGGLE & FINLAY vs. MR. McMAHON & JBL (28 weeks w/ 1 week hiatus)

As JBL made his entrance, Jim Ross threw to video from Friday Night Smackdown where Finlay was shown discussing his situation. He told viewers that Hornswoggle was slowly recovering from the brutal beating that he suffered at the hands of Layfield. Finlay recalled that night while on the verge of tears. "…And that's something that I have to live with for the rest of my life, but so will JBL," Finlay threatened. JBL began his promo by telling viewers that Finlay was unable to attend Raw due to more complications in Hornswoggle's condition. So he called out the second toughest Irishman in WWE: Colin Delaney?!

Delaney walked out nervously; he still hasn't earned entrance music yet. JBL offered to let him have the first punch, and Colin obliged. That's when the predictable, yet effective beating began. JBL concluded with a Clothesline from Hell, which flipped Colin inside-out. A simple cover earned Layfield the victory, and Colin lay motionlessly as JBL started another promo. He mentioned how he's going to tell Finlay what his ancestors told Finlay's ancestors: "Irish need not apply."

Okay, that last remark was both clumsy and weak. Not only does it not make logical sense, but it's bringing in other unnecessary issues, such as nationality-bashing. It's meaningless for any person to mock someone based on a factor over which they have no control, such as race, ethnicity, or nationality. Continuing the separation between Finlay and JBL is a smart move. They just need to do it for one more week. Perhaps a pull-apart brawl would be useful. The one thing they want to avoid is a match featuring these two men (in any form, e.g. a tag team contest) simply because they've been doing such a great job keeping the tension high using separation. WrestleMania should be the first time when Finlay can really get his vengeful hands on JBL.

It's also starting to feel like Hornswoggle's presence may be useful again. Although JBL and Finlay constantly reference him, his absence may detract from the feud. One possible solution is to have Hornswoggle on next week's Raw live or via satellite to show the audience the damages. Video of a bruised and beaten Hornswoggle could give a visual reminder of JBL's heinous actions. Beyond that, this storyline is moving along nicely.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 8.5 [up 0.5 since 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 (5 weeks w/ 2 weeks hiatus)

Video aired of Snoop Dogg addressing WWE fans about WrestleMania. He announced that he was going to emcee the BunnyMania Match featuring Candice Michelle, Maria, Beth Phoenix, and Melina. Then he started to talk about how Maria shouldn't have posed for Playboy and how she should have respected her boyfriend more, but he stopped to ask who wrote those lines. Suddenly, Santino appeared with the cue cards in hand. "Mr. Snoopy the dog," Santino began, "…please just stick to the cue cards." Snoop said that he supported Candice and Maria and that he was on his way to WrestleMania.

Later in the show, Maria and Candice Michelle faced Jillian Hall and (inexplicably) Victoria. During the match, Santino claimed that Maria was still his girlfriend and that they were just going through a rough patch with the whole Playboy thing. The bout ended when Candice hit her finisher on Jillian for the win. After the match, Santino threw the Subway drink in Lawler's face and stole his sandwich. He and Victoria enjoyed the sub, making it look like the heels got the better of that segment.

Apparently WWE chose to bring in Victoria because they don't have another heel diva on Raw, and they wanted to get Candice and Maria a win without using Phoenix or Melina. Santino's segment with Snoop Dogg worked well as a short comedy skit to promote the BunnyMania match. It's almost believable that Marella would go out of his way to try to get Snoop to read his skewed cue cards. As for the match, it helped Candice and Maria, but their win didn't feel so important since Santino stole the spotlight immediately afterward. It's a good storyline overall though.

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

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


CONCLUDED FEUDS

(1) Chris Jericho vs. Jeff Hardy


POTENTIAL FEUDS

(1) Paul Burchill vs. ?
(2) Carlito vs. CM Punk
(3) Chris Jericho vs. The Big Show
(4) Brian Kendrick vs. Paul London


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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