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WWE Raw Reax #1: "Could this show have possibly be written by the same creative team." Oct 22, 2007 - 11:29:51 PM
Shaun Corbett of Louisville, Ky. (10.0): Best Match: Opening segment and main event. Worst Match: Diva's Match. Okay, so the show wasn't quite a ten, but compared to the last few weeks, it definitely seemed like it. Could this show have possibly be written by the same creative team that's been doing Raw since WM? Jeff Hardy and Shelton Benjamin getting mic time, and on the same show no less? Subtle stories in a six-person undercard match that you aren't beaten over the head with? Storylines that are progressing, and make sense? I was sure Triple H not killing Hornswaggle before going after Umaga? Steph must have been fired. I'm not the biggest Hardy fan, but it was great to seem him not only in the main event, but actually treated like a main eventer? Although it would have been nice to not make it so obvious who they want to fight whom. But it's still nice having fresh blood on top. And, was it just me, or did Hardy tower over HBK (seeing as how he and his brother seem to get held back due to lack of size)? Santino is my favorite person to watch right now, besides his onscreen girlfriend. I really really hope that Candice's fall wasn't as bad as it looked on TV, because she really looked like she was dead when Beth Phoenix was dragging her.
Russell Detwiler of Cincinnati, Ohio (8.0): Best Match: London/Kendrick/Mickie James vs. Cade/Murdoch/Melina. Worst Match: Rhodes vs. Benjamin. What a good show this week. As much as some of this site's readers crow about TNA, the WWE really sets itself apart from TNA by offering top notch production value and talkers. TNA's bland music and uninspiring entrances put them light years behind WWE. Anyway, I just love the variety of WWE entrances, from turning the lights down for Jeff Hardy or the new music for Beth Phoenix (which, by the way, is one of the most unique, if not the best entrance music - save Marella and MVP - in the company). Second, concerning talkers, the usual suspects, as well as some new wrestlers, had a great speaking night. The most obvious wrestler who personifies this quality is Santino Marella. He is the best talker to hit the WWE since Stone Cold (irony?) or The Rock. When he is on my TV, I always turn up the volume and replay it a couple times. However, it is time for him to move past Ron Simmons and Val Venis. He's really outgrown these types of opponents. In addition, when I mentioned previously questionable talkers, tonight was the best performance I've ever seen for Jeff Hardy on the mic. He actually sounded pretty realistic in his promos. He often struggles with delivery, making his conversations sound staged and unnatural. Tonight was the opposite. If he can do that on a more consistent basis, why not try him out in a World Title program? As for the other matches, I still don't understand why WWE won't feature tag team wrestling. Some of the coolest and most eye-popping moves come in these matches. As stated by many Torch columnists in the past year(s?), tag team wrestling needs to be featured more prominently. The one portion of the show I didn't like was the Carlito loss. What was the purpose of the program with Triple H if he loses his next match to a debuting wrestler? In my mind, this is a major, questionable setback for Carlito. If he doesn't get a BIG win next week, where does that leave him? The lower mid-card? Barring any backstage issues I don't know about, Carlito should be pushed with Kennedy and Hardy. (In addition, it was nice to see both of these men prominently featured tonight). He, along with Marella and Hardy, deserve better places on the roster. Finally, another nice superkick by Michaels to end the show. Although as much as I love Shawn, I would really like to see Jeff Hardy in the Cyber Sunday main event. It's time to develop some new top acts. I can only take so much of Triple H's unrealistic beatings on three guys at the same time.
Gary Graham of Zanesville, Ohio (8.0): Best Match: Main Event. Worst Match: Carlito vs. Smith. Great show tonight, but again as an Orton mark, I'd say he better go over whoever it'll be Sunday at the PPV after being "layed out" three weeks in a row. He's being used worse now than when he was before he was champ. And I know Kennedy has his fans, but I still don't know why. Tonight he proved it. He screwed up a simple neckbreaker (and Shawn wasn't happy) and even was sloppy on a whip into the ropes by Jeff. He's good on the stick, but in the ring I still don't see whats so great about him. Surprisingly good women's match and if it was legit I hope Candice has a fast recovery; that bump was sick and she was improving match-by-match and working hard. D.H .Smith? I can hear the "D.H." chants now. And the hot crowd in Omaha helped the show, too. Who needs Cena?
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