By Chris Newth, PWTorch contributor

WWE Monday Night Raw
May 19, 2008
Upcoming PPV: One Night Stand (second-to-last episode before PPV)

RAW STORYLINES AND FEUDS

Welcome to the thirty-ninth 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 TRIPLE H vs. RANDY ORTON (8 weeks)

Todd Grisham interviewed Triple H backstage, and The Game talked about how lots of things change in WWE, but one thing remains constant: he is the best in the company. In the main event, Randy Orton teamed with JBL to face John Cena and Triple H in tag team competition. The stipulations were as follows: if the heels won, they would each earn rematches against their Judgment Day opponents with stipulations of their choosing at the next PPV; however, if the babyfaces won, John Cena would face Triple H at One Night Stand one-on-one with stipulations of Regal's choosing. Interestingly, by the time the match had begun, Regal had already been fired.

The match ended when Randy Orton delivered his Punt Kick to Cena's head, allowing JBL to cover Cena for the win. After the match, the heels double-teamed Triple H, taking him out with the RKO. Then Layfield announced that his match with John Cena at One Night Stand would be a First Blood Match. When JBL handed Orton the mic, the Legend Killer told an unconscious Triple H that their match at One Night Stand would be a Last Man Standing Match. The show closed as the heels stood tall, staring down their two opponents as they lay motionless in the ring.

This week's events almost had to be done. Generally speaking, wrestling storylines require extensive time to garner interest. It is essential that the same wrestlers feud for weeks before a big payoff at a PPV. Of course, the next WWE pay-per-view, One Night Stand, takes place on June 1, giving the company only two episodes of each of their shows to promote the featured matchups. And that's the reason for all the gimmickry involved. Every match is going to be contested under Extreme Rules, with various matches having extra stipulations (Stretcher Match, Singapore Cane Match, First Blood Match, Last Man Standing Match, etc.).

It would be illogical at this point for WWE to pit anyone else against Triple H; he has been feuding with Orton for eight weeks, so why not get one more PPV matchup out of their storyline? The other choice, of course, was John Cena, but would that have been smart? Cena versus Triple H has a lot of potential, but there's enough of a downside to make it the wrong decision. First of all, two weeks isn't enough time to get people invested in a feud and to set up a PPV match. Secondly, the face-face combination always requires more ingenuity and time when compared to sticking a top babyface like Triple H against an easily unlikeable and established heel like Randy Orton.

The only other point that should be made regarding this Orton-HHH rivalry is how invisible Triple H appears right now. Why isn't he getting more airtime as the top babyface of the Raw brand? He shows up for the main event match and has a short promo somewhere in the back before the end of the show, but he's really not being portrayed as the leader of the brand as WWE Champion. You know that if he were a heel, he'd require a lot of promo time, interview segments, backstage moments or vignettes, and in-ring activity to establish him as the head heel. That strategy should also be employed if he's the babyface champion. It's almost easy to forget that he's champion at the moment because of his current role on the show. This may just be another side effect of having so much top-tier talent on the same brand, but when Orton was WWE Champion, he had a much greater role on the show.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 9 [up 0.5 since last week]

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

JOHN CENA vs. JBL (8 weeks)

As mentioned above, Cena teamed with Triple H to face JBL and Randy Orton. The match saw the heels win, so One Night Stand will now feature a First Blood Match between John Cena and JBL as well as a Last Man Standing Match between Triple H and Randy Orton for the WWE Championship.

Again, this was the best possible scenario. Let's not forget that John Cena was largely absent during most of his feud with JBL. While working on his movie, Cena missed a few episodes of Raw, leaving JBL to pull the entirety of the feud's weight on his own. In the interim, Layfield was doing pretty well reestablishing himself as a top heel on Raw. WWE used some interesting methods in trying to develop his character back to the level it once was when he sat atop the Smackdown roster as WWE Champion; he even took the viewers for a short ride in his cramped limo before squashing D.H. Smith a few weeks ago. That particular event was an example of the right idea being conducted using the wrong method.

Overall, JBL has lost a lot of steam since his brief retirement and stint as the Smackdown color commentator, but now that he's again feuding with John Cena, the potential for him to flourish as a legitimate threat is rising. The Cena-JBL rivalry doesn’t have too much power at this point, but hopefully their continuation will be kicked into the next gear at One Night Stand. As a feud, I can't see a First Blood Match at this upcoming PPV being the end of their rivalry.

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

Previous Feuds
JBL: Chris Jericho, Finlay, Triple H & Orton
John Cena: Edge, Umaga, Bobby Lashley, Orton & Triple H

SHAWN MICHAELS vs. CHRIS JERICHO vs. BATISTA (8 weeks)

In the back, Batista sought Chris Jericho for a word. He talked about how Jericho was in no shape for a match against him after last Sunday's matchup with Shawn Michaels. He also said that Jericho wasn't going to get in his way: he wanted Michaels at One Night Stand. Jericho wasn't amused by Batista's cockiness. He mockingly said that he might forfeit the match or let Batista get a cheap shot on him to win. "Or maybe," Jericho said more seriously, "Maybe I'll just beat the living hell out of you tonight and take out the rest of my aggression on Michaels myself at One Night Stand." They ended the segment with an awkwardly prolonged stare-down.

Backstage, Michaels met with William Regal to gloat about sitting back and watching Regal's match with Kennedy. An extra-irritated Regal then announced that Michaels would be in a Stretcher Match against either Batista or Jericho at One Night Stand. HBK didn't look very happy about the idea. The match between Jericho and Batista got underway before the halfway point of the show, and it ended when Batista caught Jericho when Y2J attempted the Code Breaker. The Animal hoisted Jericho into a powerbomb position and delivered the Batista Bomb for the win. After the match, Michaels stepped out to the stage and had a stare-down with the exhausted Batista.

Hopefully this week's events will finally lead to a singles feud for Batista and Shawn Michaels. The story is strong enough. Batista was originally angry at Michaels about retiring Ric Flair, and HBK eventually thought that the reasoning behind it was likely jealousy. Then the story developed into something new altogether when Michaels faked an injury during his match with Batista at Backlash. Batista seemed satisfied with HBK's initial statement—that he was really hurt—but threatened that things would again boil over if he later found out that Michaels was lying. Well, Michaels was indeed lying, and he blatantly admitted it to Chris Jericho on Raw.

That's the basic recap, and it's an intriguing storyline, but Jericho has been stuck in the middle of this one for far too long. It's now time to see Michaels and Batista go one-on-one without any kind of involvement from Y2J. Ideally, Jericho will find something new to pursue, perhaps being thrown in the middle of the Umaga-Hardy feud since we've seen those two battle one-on-one multiple times in the past.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 8.5 [same as last week]

Previous Feuds
Batista: Edge, The Great Khali, Undertaker, Umaga
Shawn Michaels: Randy Orton, Mr. Kennedy, Ric Flair
Chris Jericho: Randy Orton, JBL, Jeff Hardy, Money in the Bank

JEFF HARDY vs. UMAGA (2 weeks)

Kicking off the show, Jeff Hardy met Umaga one-on-one. The match ended when both men fought to the outside. Jeff jumped onto the guardrail and launched himself like a projectile towards Umaga, but The Samoan Bulldozer caught him and slammed him to the floor at ringside. A second later, the referee finished his ten count, which ended the match in a double countout. After the bout, officials met with Hardy to check up on him as he lay unresponsive. Umaga made his way up the ramp with a twisted look of accomplishment on his face to close the segment. Regal later announced that Hardy would meet Umaga at One Night Stand in a Falls Count Anywhere Match.

We've seen this feud before, and now it may be beginning once again. As I've mentioned above, I think Chris Jericho should be inserted in this feud rather than continuing with Michaels and Batista. Not only would it allow The Animal to finally go one-on-one with HBK (something that could be pretty big), but it could also give Umaga and Jeff Hardy something with which to work. Remember, Hardy has fought Umaga in what seems like an extremely protracted on-and-off feud. Chris Jericho would not only add a new face to the rivalry, but he'd also bring with him the Intercontinental Title. If Jericho remains involved with Batista and Michaels, you know the IC Title isn't going to play any role on the show.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 5.5

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

MR. KENNEDY vs. WILLIAM REGAL (4 weeks w/ 1 week hiatus)

Regal was in the ring making announcements for One Night Stand, a PPV consisting of all Extreme Rules Matches. Suddenly, Mr. Kennedy's music hit, and he wanted a match against Regal. Raw's GM, however, was not willing to take challenges from a "common wrestler." Regal said that the next person to interrupt him would be fired on the spot. Well, that's when WWE Chairman Mr. McMahon's music interrupted everything. McMahon said that the TV ratings plummet when Regal shows up, but he also said that he doesn't like Kennedy. So his idea—an idea that was met with much enthusiasm from the fans—was to feature a match between Kennedy and Regal; the catch: the loser would be fired.

Before the match began, Mr. Kennedy got on the mic in the ring and predicted that he would win his matchup against William Regal. As soon Kennedy repeated his name to his own satisfaction, Regal confidently strode to the ring. The match saw Regal get on the mic after a few minutes into it and declare that the bout was now a No Disqualification Match. Regal then grabbed his brass knuckles, looking to end the match instantly; however, Kennedy surprised his opponent with a low blow, followed by the Mic Check for the victory. After the match, Regal absorbed the reality as it slowly snuck up on him: he was fired. The segment ended as Regal stoically made his way up the ramp. He didn't have any particular expression on his face; despite the results, he was unflappable.

After the break, Regal was shown backstage knocking on his office door from the outside, pleading Mr. McMahon to let him in. Suddenly, the door opened and out walked Theodore Long. Long greeted Regal as he strutted out of the room and down the hallway. Regal was clearly not happy.

This storyline was clearly cut short by real life issues, which is really unfortunate for everyone—Regal, Kennedy, and the fans—because of all the potential involved here. Regal was arguably the strongest heel on the Raw roster, and Kennedy spiked some nice crowd response with his babyface turn. One could even argue that Kennedy may not have been as successful in fluently transitioning into a babyface without the strong heel presence of Regal, who the fans clearly despised. The next concern is where WWE goes from here. What does this firing mean to the General Manager position on the Raw brand? What does it mean to the King of the Ring position, if anything? If Kennedy argued that he would have won King of the Ring, and now not only has Regal been beaten, but he's also been fired, could this mean that WWE has a new king? Many questions will probably have to be answered in the coming weeks.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): n/a

Previous Feuds
Mr. Kennedy: Jeff Hardy, Shawn Michaels
William Regal: n/a

BETH PHOENIX vs. MELINA (3 weeks)

Melina made her way to the announce table to join Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler at ringside. The featured divas' match was between Beth Phoenix and Maria. It ended when Beth hit what Ross called the Glam Slam, followed by an immediate submission maneuver. Maria told the referee that she had had enough, and Beth picked up another win. After the match, Melina took off one of her boots and charged at Phoenix when The Glamazon was making her way up the ramp. The surprise attack was only effective momentarily, as Phoenix threw Melina from her back right onto the metal ramp. Officials then prevented the confrontation from going any further.

There is some legitimate concern here about the effectiveness of a story between two heels. If WWE is intent on making this a long-term feud, they should consider a complete babyface turn for Melina. Otherwise, fans don't have anyone for whom to cheer, although some would side with Melina simply because of the underdog position. One idea would be to forge Melina as a conflicted babyface figure. She could talk with other babyface divas, confiding in them about her issues with Phoenix, yet still maintain some stubborn heel qualities that aren't easily shed. Over time, she could slowly grow into a purer babyface.

But for now, Melina has to show that she's not just the same heel she always was. When she was on commentary, there wasn't anything particularly babyface-ish about her. She spoke confidently, almost arrogantly, like a heel, and that's not something people can get behind. This could be a strong feud, but Melina's going to need a big character change.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 5.5

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

SANTINO MARELLA vs. RODDY PIPER (4 weeks)

In a special edition of Piper's Pit, Santino Marella came out dressed as Roddy Piper, complete with a brown wig and a pillow stuffed under his shirt. He replayed footage from the Jimmy Kimmel show where he got into a scuffle with Kimmel's cousin and Piper. His guest for the night was Cousin Sal from Kimmel's show. They bantered for a short time with Sal mentioning how Santino never sticks to his word and never accomplishes what he sets out to do. Santino wanted an apology and unveiled an "I'm Sorry cake." Eventually, the real Piper showed up, and the cake ended up in Marella's face. An aggravated Santino challenged Cousin Sal to a match, and Piper accepted for Sal.

WWE loves to stick Santino against charismatic people who don't wrestle anymore (Ron Simmons, Steve Austin, and now Roddy Piper). It could be an effective strategy since they don't position Marella as someone who can win any wrestling contest. So instead, they use his great personality and skills on the mic to provide entertaining segments against well-known WWE talent from years past. This feud started when Santino mistakenly hit on Piper, thinking he was a diva. Over the last few weeks, both men have had verbal arguments that usually don't end well for Santino. This week, there was a special segment on the Jimmy Kimmel show that apparently takes this one in a new direction, now incorporating Cousin Sal into the fray. It's a strange development, but it does bring some intrigue; most of Santino's segments accomplish that.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 6 [up 0.5 since last week]

Previous Feuds
Santino Marella: Umaga, Ron Simmons, Val Venis, Steve Austin, Maria
Roddy Piper: n/a

LANCE CADE vs. TREVOR MURDOCH (6 weeks w/ 3 weeks hiatus)

There was a brief recap of last week where Cade punched Murdoch unexpectedly after encouraging his tag team partner to sing. Then Ross and Lawler talked about how those two are no longer partners with the high tension between them. Nothing else was done.

This should have been a week to pick up where last week left off, especially since there's no PPV this Sunday. Even a backstage promo by either man would have sufficed. WWE is not striking while the iron is potentially hot, which may be a mistake. This thing seems to develop one step every other week, and who wants to invest in a storyline like that? It's slightly aggravating.

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

Previous Feuds
Trevor Murdoch: n/a
Lance Cade: n/a


CONCLUDED FEUDS

(1) Mickie James vs. Beth Phoenix
(2) Santino Marella & Carlito vs. Hardcore Holly & Cody Rhodes


POTENTIAL FEUDS

(1) Mickie James vs. Katie Lea


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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