PWTORCH.COM
VIP SIGN-UP JUMP TO VIP
CONTACT US VISIT MMA TORCH




Select Next Article by Category



WE ARE A PROUD UGO AFFILIATE SINCE 1999



prowrestling.NET

WANT MORE NEWS? JASON POWELL, A TEN YEAR VETERAN INSIDER FULL-TIME PROFESSIONAL REPORTER, BREAKS NEWS AND OFFERS INSIDER INSIGHT EVERY DAY

MMATORCH.com

CLICK FOR DAILY UFC NEWS, UFC PPV LIVE COVERAGE, DAILY PODCASTS, BLOGS




Torch Feedback
WWE Raw Reax #2: "It took awhile, but I'm actually interested in the women's division now."
May 20, 2008 - 1:45:45 AM


Email This Article- Contact Us - VIP Sign-Up - Back to Home Page

| subscribe to this feed

Shane McKinley of Danville, Calif. (7.0): Best Match: Jehrico vs. Batista. Worst Match: Strecher Match announcement. Jeff Hardy seems intent on proving he belongs back. He's not phoning it in. It took awhile, but I'm actually interested in the women's division now. Worst bit of the night was William Regal saying to HBK that he will be in a strecher match. Zero crowd reaction. Stretcher matches have as much credibilty as "object/weapon on a pole" match. I'm not exactly thrilled of that prospect. The Chris Jericho vs. Batistia match was PPV-like quality. I disagree with the notion that matches like that always need to be hyped weeks in advance. There was one part during the match (after Jericho's new catchphrase "ask him!") that Jericho had Batistia in a leglock and was actually trying to bit Batistia in the leg! Through his selling, Y2J was the MVP of the night. Great stuff. Both of them benefited from the match. Liked the look on Batistia's face after the match. The Roddy Piper bit was funny. You saw babyface Mr. Kennedy working, so it will be interestesting to see where they take his character from here. Main event was hot. Some might boo the whole notion of "One Night Stand." I think long gone are the days of 20 chairshots to the head (for a good reason) or blood all across the ring (at least in the WWE). I guess I was brought up on ECW and the hardcore legend known as Mick Foley, so I don't put much stock into WWE's One Night Stand. Unless they plan to do something interesting with Edge and Undertaker (A Buried Alive Match?) I will wait to it gets reviewed before I decide to order it. The problem wasn't Regal. I actually enjoyed that angle. The problem with Raw's ratings was the heavy reliance on building a tag team division that seemingly goes nowhere, showcasing the women's division but having nothing to it, and trying to push Burchill. So in the end the whole "King of the Ring" Regal angle did push Kennedy as a babyface, but the main reason why the ratings were so bad was because the effort of putting out a great show was just not there. I also disagree with the notion that every big match will "happen on the next Raw." I felt that Impact last week relied on that too much. Highest rated cable television show? What? What?

Leonard Tripodi of Kenilworth, N.J. (7.0): Best: Kennedy-Regal promo and match. Worst: Beth-Maria. This was just another decent show to follow what was a somewhat forgettable Judgment Day PPV. The problem here is that WWE is throwing yet another PPV at us in less than two weeks. They are seemingly rushing things along and making the fans dig deep for the second time in one month. They need to either do away with One Night Stand, or just have it in mid-June like they used to. Most of us don't relate ONS to ECW anymore since it's been watered down, so it won't be missed anyway. As far as tonight, I'm gonna try to keep this short, which is tough for me nowadays; Kennedy is starting to look like a top tier star and I'm enjoying it. His promo with Regal and Vince was compelling, mainly due to Regal getting tons of heel heat, Kennedy getting a nice babyface reaction, and Vince appearing when it actually means something. Not only did I anticipate Vince's appearance, but I even enjoyed his over-exaggerated strut and short, but effective promo. Great stuff there! The wrestling part of the show was still a little light, but you have to figure they didn't want to overdue it following a PPV, so they kept the matches short and relatively entertaining. Batista-Michaels is going to be a strong selling point for ONS and they can practically build the PPV around that if they choose to do so. I really like what they are doing with the women's division lately. Having Melina do commentary and then attack Beth on the ramp afterwards was a nice surprise and puts Melina back in the mix with some actual face heat. The backstage segment with Mickie-Katie Lea was awkward, but they could have a hell of a women's title match if the feud is properly built and the program is given time to develop. The main event was much of the same, with the heels going over after losing at the PPV. I still can't get into JBL's character, but he does play the heel role to perfection. I do like how they have scaled back Cena's recent superman push. He seems to have even more fire and intensity when he is on the chase or seeking revenge. And Triple H getting laid out by Orton again makes him look a little vulnerable, even though it doesn't appear he's going to drop the strap anytime soon. WWE is beginning to change things up a bit, which is cool, since things were getting stale after Mania. But they need to spread out these PPV's and either go back to one per month, or just eliminate ONS altogether.

Kevin L. of Vancouver, B.C. (5.0): (I only caught the last hour so I can't comment on the matches.) Instead of watching WWE, I've been following most of its programming via the PW Torch reports over the past years supplemented with YouTube clips. However, I recently got an HD Tuner, so I decided to check out WWE in HD. The first segment I saw was Santino's Pit which just didn't know when to end. Santino's a funny guy, but the part about Santino collecting child porn reminded me of when Vince admitted to having sex with Pat Patterson, Big Dick Johnson, and Moolah... just tasteless, unrealistic, and unneccessary. I was really looking forward to William Regal winning the heavyweight gold by year's end because of his KOTR win, so I was disappointed that it seems his win seemed to only to be used to get Kennedy over who I still think is a better heel. I was even more disappointed when it was implied that Teddy Long would be the new GM. I can't stand the character, he's the most face-biased GM ever, rewarding the faces and punishing the heels for no reason. Why can't we have more tweener GMs? Another thing I noticed was what a face Jerry Lawler had become. Isn't the color commentator traditionally a heel? 15 years ago, Lawler would be going, "Kennedy is an idiot! Regal's a real champion!" now he's going "Bye Bye Regal! Good riddance!" He doesn't add anything to the table anymore, and neither do any of the color commentators now. Bring back the heels! Eh, maybe I'm just too old for this now, Raw seems to be pandering to a much younger audience. Watching old Attitude clips reminds me of the stuff I miss when they were doing things closer to my age group. The good news? WWE in HD rocks, as well as Kennedy's spin kick. Not sure if that's enough to make me tune in next week, though.

We welcome your 1-10 score and comments on this show for a "Raw Reax" feature in the Torch Feedback section of PWTorch.com. Just to add a twist to this feature, include not just your hometown, but also your occupation (mechanic, lawyer, stay-at-home-dad, college student, etc.) so readers get a flavor for what everyone does as "day jobs." To contribute your thoughts on Raw, click here.

For more BREAKING NEWS on WWE, TNA, ROH
visit our affiliate: JASON POWELL'S PROWRESTLING.NET

For UFC AND MMA NEWS & BLOGS
visit our affiliate: MMATORCH.COM - now featuring Jamie Penick's MMATorch Daily Audio Updates!

REACT TO THIS STORY IN OUR FREE PWTORCH FORUM

PWTORCH VIP SIGN-UP INFO - NO ADS, EXCLUSIVE CONTENT

| subscribe to this feed

MORE "Torch Feedback" ARTICLES
ECW TV Reax #1: "There was a good sign that MVP isn't a totally lost cause..."
WWE Smackdown, TNA Impact, and Hulk Hogan CCW Reax #1: "As the weeks have progressed, Hulk has moved more toward the center of attention"
WWE Raw Reax #3: "Chris Jericho's opening promo was reliably brilliant."
WWE Raw Reax #2: "The John Cena honeymoon is already over."
WWE Raw Reax #1: "Jericho should always open the show because he is just too good on the mic."
WWE Raw Reax #4: "Regal's commentary really wanted me to see him and Punk feud."
WWE Survivor Series PPV Reax #5: "If Taker has magical fire powers, don't have a technician run onto stage in camera view to stamp out residual flames."
ECW TV Reax #1: "The Dreamer-Swagger Extreme Rules match did what it was supposed to do..."
WWE Raw Reax #3: "Candice Michelle boggles my mind."
WWE Raw Reax #2: "WWE should bottle this crowd because I don't think I've heard a crowd that pro-Cena in years."
WWE Raw Reax #1: "It was also great to see John Cena back surrounded by all his little Cenamaniacs."
WWE Survivor Series Reax #4: "It may not be popular to say so but I've missed Cena."
WWE Survivor Series Reax #3: "Jeff attacking Edge like nothing happened to him was ridiculous."
WWE Survivor Series Reax #2: "Orton's win was needed as his rise to prominence is the breath of fresh air Raw needs."
WWE Survivor Series Reax #1: "The Cena match itself was quite good, with the proper finish."
WWE Smackdown Reax #1: "Why is Khali feuding with MVP again, seriously?"
TNA Impact Reax #1: "Both main events reek of over-booking possibilities beyond imagination."
ECW on Sci-Fi Reax #1: "I was waiting for someone to take a shot at Swagger's lisp, but Ricky Ortiz?"
WWE Raw Reax #4: "Manu came away from his match with Batista stronger than when he walked in."
WWE Raw Reax #3: "...Easily the coolest moment on the show besides Santino's rap."

(c) 1999-2008 TDH Communications Inc. - All rights reserved.

Latest Free Podcasts
PWTorch Free Podcast
12/1 WWE Raw post-game Show: Caldwell and Parks discuss Jericho beat down on John Cena, show filled with missing chapters (7 min. clip)
11/29 Real Deal with Pat McNeill Audio: Torch Awards Preview, Slammys, LAX vs. Briscoes & More (5 min clip)
11/29 Radican Audio Showcase with Burgan: Radican live at Survivor Series, WWE in-depth, TNA Angle DVD (Free 10 min. clip)
11/29 East Coast Audio: Smackdown - Thankful for Edge return, not thankful for Beat the Clock, Show vs. Taker (7 min. clip)
11/28 VIP East Coast Audio: Impact - Young Lions get a name, Too much Triple Threat, Turkeys (7 min. clip)
11/26 East Coast Audio: ECW - Jack Swagger's star-making match, D.J. won't stop dancing, Boogey at the dentist (7 min. clip)



ARE YOU VIP? SIGN UP NOW FOR $7.50 A MONTH FOR INSTANT ACCESS TO AD-FREE, BENEFIT-PACKED VIP VERSION OF PWTORCH.COM (see screen capture)
PWTORCH VIP HOME PAGE

INFO ON SUBSCRIPTION TO AD-FREE VIP SITE

INCREDIBLE BENEFITS!
Over 50 full-length audio updates per month (iPod compatible)... New weekly award-winning Pro Wrestling Torch Newsletter (text and printable pdf versions) with latest exclusive insider news, new Torch Talks, great columns, Keller's cover story, much more... Hundreds of full-length back issues of PWTorch Newsletter from late-'80s to today... Ad-free access to PWTorch.com's Main Listing... VIP Forum with interaction with other subscribers and Torch staff... Torch Talk Library with text and audio of hundreds of interview installments from last 20 years... Great layout... Deepest archives on pro wrestling history anywhere... Keller's PWTorch Today PDF Bulletins with email alerts... VIP Email reports on major PPVs and TV shows... Staff Roundtable Reviews (text and audio) followiing major events... The best staff of writers and world class reporting since 1987... We'd love for you to join us and experience the most entertaining, authoritative, experienced staff of professional reporters and commentators in the business... SIGN ME UP NOW!


PWTORCH READER POLL

Who was the MVP of the Dec. 1 Raw if you saw the show?
John Cena
Chris Jericho
JBL
Shawn Michaels
Rey Mysterio
C.M. Punk & Kofi Kingston
The Miz
John Morrison
Stephanie McMahon
Randy Orton
Kane
Manu & Cody Rhodes
Melina
Santino Marella (w/Beth)
Hacksaw Duggan
Batista
Dolph Ziggler
Finlay
  

VOTE IN OR SEE RESULTS OF PREVIOUS POLLS

UPCOMING EVENTS LISTING

Articles Grouped by Category
Torch Today
TORCH STORE: Buy Two, Get One Free November Special on Back Issue Sets, Keller DVD
PWTORCH GOES MOBILE: Announcement - Link available now for new Mobile-Customized PWTorch.com site (Blackberry, iPhone, etc.)
NOTE ON READER COMMENTS: Some reader comments from yesterday lost due to server upgrade
WWE News
WWE News: Michael Cole and Joey Styles provide updates from Iraq; new features to Tribute show this year
WWE News: Gregory Helms talks about emotional return to the ring after injury rehab and deaths in his family
WWE News: WWE tops another most-searched-for list; John Cena more popular than Brett Favre
TNA News
TNA News: PPV main event signed for this weekend's TNA house shows; house show line-ups prior to Sunday's PPV
Ratings News: TNA Impact viewership increases on Thanksgiving, but key demographics take a hit
TNA News: Kurt Angle describes mindset coming into WWE; Mick Foley complements himself on evaluating Angle
ROH News
ROH News: New Video Wire including footage of Samoa Joe's return to ROH (w/VIDEO)
RADICAN'S ROH DVD REVIEW: Return Engagement (Ibushi-Generico, Briscoes vs. Shelley & Sabin)
ROH News: New Video Wire with Claudio, Nigel, Danielson promos; most random segment ever
Other News
Other News: Ric Flair on North Carolina's FM Talk 101.1 Wednesday Morning
Other News: "The Wrestler" up for several award nominations; famous actor complements Mickey Rourke on lead role
Hogan News: Hulk Hogan discusses CCW feud against Vince McMahon, puts over Samoa Joe, discusses WrestleMania 25 opponents
PPV Reports
KELLER'S WWE PPV REPORT 11/23: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of live event including Jeff Hardy update, Triple H vs. Kozlov, John Cena return
CALDWELL'S WWE SURVIVOR SERIES REPORT 11/23: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of John Cena vs. Chris Jericho (w/PICS on-site)
RADICAN'S ROH DRIVEN PPV REPORT: Strong-McGuinness, Steen & Generico vs. Black & Jacobs
TV Reports
CALDWELL'S ECW TV REPORT 12/2: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of WWE's Sci-Fi show featuring Matt Hardy vs. MVP
WWE RAW ROUNDTABLE REVIEWS 12/1: Mitchell, Caldwell, Mezzera, Parks rate and review
KELLER'S WWE RAW REPORT 12/1: John Cena vs. Kane, Melina vs. Jillian Hall, Stephanie announces huge Raw next week
Arena Reports
11/29 WWE in State College, Pa.: Edge changes his look already, Triple H & Jeff Hardy tag team main event
11/12 WWE in Newcastle, U.K.: Batista & Mysterio vs. Jericho & Orton, Shawn Michaels vs. JBL, Haas Hogan in the house
WWE News: Complete Smackdown tapings report for next two weeks - Jeff Hardy, Triple H, Koslov set up Survivor Series
MMA / UFC Coverage
Just Released: MMATorch Middleweight Rankings - Anderson Silva, Lawler, Franklin, Trigg, Cote, Bisping...
KELLER: The best movie ever made about MMA that was released 20 years before UFC existed
MMATORCH MONDAY RANKINGS: Light-Heavyweight Top Ten Released for 11/24
KELLER'S TAKE
KELLER: John Cena is the perfect son Vince McMahon never had
KELLER: WWE lacks basic human decency and judgment one again as they tease: Jeff Hardy might be dead! Stay tuned for update!
KELLER: ROH's new "subscription" plan falls short in about every regard for its fans
MITCHELL'S TAKE
MITCHELL SHORT: How WWE's Jim Ross Can Save College Football's Bowl Championship Series
MOJO MITCHELL'S RAW 12/1: Stream of Chris Jericho - Responsible Parent; Rey Mysterio - Arm Hurts; DX - Torn and Frayed...
MITCHELL SHORT: Dear Stephanie McMahon - It has come to my attention that your...
MCNEILL'S TAKE
McNEILL: At The Bar For WWE Survivor Series 2008
Spoilin' For A Fight: McNEILL Previews WWE Survivor Series 2008!
McNEILL's Mailbag: On The ROH DVD Subscription Service
CALDWELL'S TAKE
CALDWELL'S MEDIA CLUB: Eddie Guerrero DVD review Day 12 - Eddie vs. Matt Hardy; dealing with a void in life
CALDWELL'S MEDIA CLUB: Eddie Guerrero DVD review Day 11 - Eddie moves to WWE; birth of Latino Heat (w/VIDEO)
CALDWELL'S MEDIA CLUB: Eddie Guerrero DVD review Day 10 - Vickie Guerrero comments publicly on Eddie's drug use
RADICAN'S TAKE
TALES FROM THE PULPIT: I was right about John Cena...
TALES FROM THE PULPIT 11/18: Too small to be big and too big to be small: ROH's fight to get the buzz back (pt. 1)
RADICAN: Last Call with Raven & Sandman dissapoints despite fantastic production and high expectations
The Specialists
CALDWELL'S MEDIA CLUB: Eddie Guerrero DVD review Day 13 - Eddie vs. Rob Van Dam; Eddie overcomes personal pain
THE ABSURDITY REPORT - A COMMON TALE: How Cena Became The Hero Of The Entire WWE Universe
12/1 WWE Raw Hits & Misses: Jericho, Glamarella, JBL's Offer, End of the Show
Guest Editorials
GUEST MOVIE REVIEW: "The Wrestler" is going to hit close to home for a lot of wrestling fans
EDITORIAL: Career vs. Career - The Undertaker vs. John Cena at WrestleMania 25
EDITORIAL: A plan for a dramatic make-over of WWE through massive downscaling of TV, PPVs, roster size, titles
Torch Feedback
ECW TV Reax #1: "There was a good sign that MVP isn't a totally lost cause..."
WWE Smackdown, TNA Impact, and Hulk Hogan CCW Reax #1: "As the weeks have progressed, Hulk has moved more toward the center of attention"
WWE Raw Reax #3: "Chris Jericho's opening promo was reliably brilliant."
Ask the Editor
Ask the Editor: Wouldn't incorporating MMA-style holds into pro wrestling matches just be trying to be something it's not?
ASK THE EDITOR: Have the Michaels-Batista promos crossed a line with use of insider terms, references to "jobs"?
ASK THE EDITOR: Why do wrestlers in WWE refer to wrestling as "the business" and not "the sport"?
DVDs - VGames - Books
RADICAN'S ROH DVD REVIEW: Return Engagement (Ibushi-Generico, Briscoes vs. Shelley & Sabin)
RADICAN: Last Call with Raven & Sandman dissapoints despite fantastic production and high expectations
RADICAN: Hey! The Claudio Castagnoli delivers one of the best independent releases of the year
Torch Flashbacks
KELLER'S WWE RAW REPORT 5 YRS. AGO (12-01-03): Batista & Randy Orton, Christian and Chris Jericho bet on Trish, Mick Foley as executive share...er...consultant
KELLER'S WWE RAW REPORT 5 YRS. AGO (11-24-03): Raw Roulette, Goldberg vs. Triple H, Shawn Michaels & Chris Jericho vs. Ric Flair & Batista
WWE News Flashback: Mike Adamle the new G.M. of Raw: Controversial announcer shifted off of ECW announcing duties
VIP Exclusive Features
12/2 Daily Keller Hotline: Cena-Jericho hype, TNA PPV hype, Impact quarter hour ratings, SD ratings (16 min.)
PWTorch Newsletter #1056 (18 Pages!): Mitchell Feature Column on Mid-Atlantic TV Taping, Radican's Angle DVD Review
12/1 Daily Keller Hotline: Raw gets back to the basics of building feuds - and it works (25 min.)
Torch Trivia
Torch Trivia: How much do you know about Curt Hennig? - Part Two
Torch Trivia: How much do you know about Curt Hennig? - Part One
Torch Trivia: How much do you know about Champion vs. Champion matches?
Torch Instant Polls
Who was the MVP of the Dec. 1 Raw if you saw the show?
Rate the 12/1 WWE Raw on a 0-10 scale if you saw the show
Who was the MVP of the Nov. 24 Raw is you saw the show?
PWTorch Free Podcast
12/1 WWE Raw post-game Show: Caldwell and Parks discuss Jericho beat down on John Cena, show filled with missing chapters (7 min. clip)
11/29 Real Deal with Pat McNeill Audio: Torch Awards Preview, Slammys, LAX vs. Briscoes & More (5 min clip)
11/29 Radican Audio Showcase with Burgan: Radican live at Survivor Series, WWE in-depth, TNA Angle DVD (Free 10 min. clip)
Annual Obituaries
SPECIALIST: List of Deceased Wrestlers for 1999 - Muchnick, Rick Rude, Owen Hart, Renegade...
SPECIALIST: List of Deceased Wrestlers for 2000 - Solie, Albright, Duncum, Tsuruta, Blue Demon, Al Costello
SPECIALIST: List of Deceased Wrestlers for 2001: Johnny Valentine, Terry Gordy, Chris Adams, Bertha Faye, Helen Hart