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WWE Raw Reax #5: "Raw was not just bad, it was a 'I can't believe this made it on air' type of bad."
Jul 30, 2008 - 3:17:19 PM


Shane McKinley of Danville, Calif. (1.5): Best Match: Chris Jericho. Worst Match: Storyline focus instead of Quality focus. Raw was not just bad, it was a "I can't believe this made it on air" type of bad. What's Raw? Raw is a bunch of boring trite with a Chris Jericho golden nugget thrown in there. Raw is the same show with the same "surefire ratings" segments put out there that bore fans to sleep. Raw is gutless. Other highlights of the night include Shane McMahon's ringtone and Kofi Kingston vs. Jamie Noble, but that's stretching it. Do Batistia and Cena really have to play up this "I respect you" bit? The tag team championship match was a dud. And it was done just so that Mike Adalme can get some air time and heel heat. Of course, JBL and Jim Ross join them on commentary so that the show doesn't totally bomb. Pushing JBL and Kane over the World Heavyweight Champion C.M. Punk? Welcome to Raw, where politics and egos are king. The Jericho bits continue to be the paradox of Raw: Mostly Raw is filled with "short & simple" matches and storylines, and then there's the Jericho bit which is intelligent and insightful (but not everyone's cup of tea). I fast-forwarded a lot of this show. Raw will often push storylines ahead of keeping fans entertained, and that's why this show bombed big time. They really didn't give people good reasons to watch it, and this show was an example of why some fans have completely stopped watching Raw. Mr. Bischoff, where are you? Most fans want to watch a Raw that doesn't focus on sexism, crude humor, and graphic violence (i.e. Raw 2003), but also does not want to be placated with mostly boring and unmotivating tripe (i.e. Raw 2008). Unless there is some great plan in place, people are not going to tune in for G.M. Mike Adalme and a heavy case of quick matches they have seen plenty of times before.

Aaron Randall of Mesa, Ariz. (7.0): Best Match: Main Event  Worst Match: Jillian vs. Mickie James. Now, most people, including you Wade, are going to bash the idea of putting Adamle in the G.M. spot. Well, I like it for two reasons. It takes Adamle from the headset and puts him in a spot where he can possibly do no wrong. Also, it's a somewhat fresh face and someone totally unexpected. What makes this so great is the way the writers introduced Adamle into the G.M. position, such as watching Raw gave subtle hints with Michael Cole being put into a match and Jim Ross coming out of nowhere. It would have been better with Tazz and Mick Foley coming out unexpectedly and making into a "Nana nana boo boo" situation. As far as the rest of the show, Chris Jericho was great tonight as he always has been. I've been hearing for months now that a stable of all the young wrestlers with Jericho leading them was going to form. From all the house reports coming in, it seems like it's happening soon.

Rob Masterson of Olympia, Wash. (0.0): As a wrestling fan of 25 years, I consider the heyday over and don't really tune in often to today's product (except for the events leading to Flair's retirement). Instead, I devote my wrestling time to watching WWE 24/7 and to my private collection. However, I keep up with the news by reading the on-line reports. Knowing that WWE was unveiling a new Raw G.M. tonight and expecting a major player, I briefly considered not reading the live reports and tuning in to watch tonight's live episode from start to finish for the first time in over a year. Now that I just read that Mike Adamle is the new Raw G.M., I cannot express how utterly pissed-off I would have been had I tuned in and sat through two hours of mediocrity for that heaping dung of an announcement. Vince and company long ago lost touch with what makes good wrestling shows, and this announcement proves that there is no hope that they will ever figure it out again. And, why do they need a G.M. anyway? Wrestling existed for years without the use of the G.M. figure except for bringout out an "official" now and then when extraordinary circumstances dictated the need for authority. The G.M. role is far overplayed, and at this point, it is an excruiciating nuisance to wrestling. Hey, maybe that makes Adamle a better choice than I first thought. I'm going back to watching old wrasslin' on my DVD player.

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.


Send feedback on this article to pwtorch@gmail.com and we'll regularly publish reader feedback in the "Torch Feedback" category on the Main Listing.

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MORE "Torch Feedback" ARTICLES
ECW TV Reax #1: "C.M. Punk scoring the pin in the main event made Smackdown seem more important than ECW"
WWE Raw Reax #3: "While WWE delivered an above-quality show, they still haven't given viewers a reason to order Survivor Series"
WWE Raw Reax #2: "This was NOT one of the best Raws of 2009, but one of the worst..."
WWE Raw Reax #1: "This was the best Raw in years and had a ton of great, emotional moments"
TNA Turning Point Reax #2: "I'm a college student who works hard for every dollar and it came down to Turning Point vs. Survivor Series..."
TNA Turning Point Reax #1: "It has been many years since I've seen someone actually wrestle on par with Kurt Angle"
WWE on Food Network and DGUSA PPV Reax: Evaluation of Santino & Miz, Davey Richards & Bryan Danielson on PPV
ECW TV Reax #1: "Where does Christian go from here? With Regal as champ, ECW would have received a good shake-up"
WWE Raw Reax #2: "Only a few short weeks after having Rev. Al on Raw as guest host, WWE is back to racially-insensitive storylines"
WWE Raw Reax #1: "DX playing buddy-buddy until the final Raw before Survivor Series is not going to entice viewers to buy the PPV"
WWE PPV Price Increase Reax #2: "I spent more money on Vince every year than anything else and he does not even care about me or the people like me!"
WWE PPV Price Increase Reax #1: Outrage expressed over WWE's latest PPV price raise - could the backlash cause WWE to second-guess decision?
TNA Impact Reax #3: "The build for the PPV matches somehow featured Hulk Hogan despite him yet to show up on TV"
TNA Impact Reax #2: "I'm tired of non-stop talking. This isn't a Broadway play; it's professional wrestling and the best stories are told in the ring"
Thursday Night TV Reax #1: "I feel anything TNA does right is inevitably drowned out by what they fail at"
ECW TV Reax #1: "William Regal has stepped up big time since coming to ECW and he deserves a World Title run"
WWE Raw Reax #2: "The major flaw of this show was the real lack of hype for Survivor Series"
WWE Raw Reax #1: "The main event commentary was hilarious with Triple H and HBK making fun of Vince, but DX has run its course..."
WWE Smackdown Reax #1: "Batista plays the perfect bully and Rey plays the perfect hero; this is a chance to make Batista the lead heel on Smackdown"
TNA Impact Reax #2: "Hogan, as great as he was, is 15 years beyond his prime and he signed with a company touting their so-called youth movement"

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WWE RAW 11/16: Place Your Bets on tonight's Raw - Week 12 featuring Roddy Piper
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10/25 WWE Bragging Rights Results: KELLER'S detailed match-by-match PPV report - Cena vs. Orton Iron Man match
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PARKS' WWE SMACKDOWN REPORT 11/20: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of the show, including Jericho & Show vs. Undertaker & Kane
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