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WWE News
WWE Raw Reax #4: " This episode was unusual, to say the least. It was turned into some kind of bizarre wrestling-game show."
Jun 12, 2008 - 1:28:25 PM


Erin O'Brien: This episode was unusual, to say the least. It was turned into some kind of bizarre wrestling-game show. No offense to Vince, because his ideas are usually pretty good, but he should leave the giving one million dollars away to shows like Password. And let's be honest, it was kind of like watching a repeat. John Cena-JBL, Mickie James-Beth Phoenix, Melina attacking Beth, Triple H-Jeff Hardy, Shawn Michaels as a guest on The Highlight Reel, Shawn Michaels getting pointlessly beat up, we've already seen this. The creative department must have been affected by Stephanie McMahon's pregnancy because the storylines have sucked lately. Triple H vs. John Cena is an old one, as is Jericho-Michaels feuding and Beth-Mickie for the title.

Wayne Maye of Richmond, Va. - PSR 2 for Wachovia Bank. (7.5): Best Match: Triple H vs. Jeff Hardy. Worst Match: Cryme Tyme vs. Carlito & Santino. We begin with the unannouned match between Kennedy and Burchill, in what was an okay match, but now that Kennedy got the clean win, that would dictate that the feud is over in a way. Either way, I know it'll continue. Congrats to the winner of the $200,000. Mickie vs. Phoenix was fine for what it was. Melina's post-match attack was another intense one if not as intense as last week's. I'm looking forward to a three-way match between those three at Night Of Champions. Congrats to the winner of the $75,000. Speaking of which, Charlie Haas looked like a total jobber out there next to McMahon. I don't expect to see him pushed anytime soon. Congrats to the winner of the $100,000. JBL vs. Cena was decent, but nothing special. Man, JBL has bee n on a losing streak lately. The post match with Cena and Triple H was silly to say the least. And what can I say about the Highlight Reel with Jericho and HBK. HBK is my favorite performer, currently and of all time, but this was an awesome segment. HBK, even after his lost to Batista at ONS, he still is over and doesn't miss a beat when he comes back. A heel Y2J should make for great TV. Things were a little shaky when Jericho came back, but since winning the Intercontinental title, he's been tremendous, world's better than what he was in 2004. Some team that Snitsky and Umaga (with the Royal Rumble red on, I remember!) makes. I hope that's not permanent. Either way, the tag match was passable, with Cody Rhodes and Hardcore Holly on the losing end. Looked like Umaga was over little towards the end of the match. Another great promo by Ted DiBiase. I look forward to seeing him in the ring. Congrats to the winner of the $2. I don't know what to say about that one. And congrats to the winner of the $200,000. Let's skip the Cryme Tyme vs. Carlito & Santino match. Carlito continues to be wasted and Santino loses credibility with each passing week. Oh boy. Congrats to the winner of the $51,998. And in the main event, Triple H vs. Hardy was great, but not better than the match Hardy had with Cena last week. Congrats to the winner of the $250,000. Overall, this was a decent Raw, kind of a step down from last week. I'm still not anticipating Night Of Champions, but knowing me, I'll still be ordering the show. Also, Vince was quite funny in acting like this night was his first time using the phone. All in all, an okay show, but nothing that'll be remembered.

Terrie Neilson of Las Vegas, Nev. (5.0): Best: The Barber Shop - uh, Highlight Reel Worst: Santino/Carlito vs. Cryme Tyme; Vince's Millions. I'm feeling generous with the 5.0 as I figured I could write off the McMillions segments to focus on the rest of the show. Just couldn't do that when the majority of the time was given the to million. None of the matches and promos were given enough time to do anything worth its existence as as soon as they were done it went right to the McMillions segments. The only things allowed the time were Cena-JBL, Triple H-Hardy, and the Highlight Reel. The two matches weren't very good but at least given some time to tell some amount of story. Even The Highlight Reel suffered as the Jeritron was set too high to be hit properly. And while it is a prop for protective purposes, the screen did shatter... but no blood? And it was as if they stayed with the segment too long as Shawn had to sell the moment with mics too close to hear him whimpering, cameras too close to let him blade, and try hard not to notice the cameras still on him. They should have waited at least one more week to add one more thing to show that Shawn gets a pass while Chris can't catch a break before having this Highlight Reel where Jericho comes unhinged. Speaking of coming unhinged, will someone also please tell WWE that it was them who chose Shawn Michaels to be The Man? His storylines have suffered greatly since WrestleMania, which has also taken Chris Jericho and Batista with them. Think Batista is thanking his lucky stars that he's getting out of Dodge and moving on to Edge. And having J.R. say that Triple H is The Man comes across as such an insult, and I sometimes get the feeling that even J.R. doesn't want to say it. Come on, Ross, time for some independent thinking.

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.


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UPCOMING EVENTS LISTING

Articles Grouped by Category
Torch Today
TORCH MONTHLY AWARDS: List of the 2009 Torch Monthly Award winners through October
TORCH MONTHLY AWARD VOTING: Results for Best/Worst in pro wrestling for October
TORCH MONTHLY AWARD VOTING: Polls OPEN for best/worst in pro wrestling from the month of October (Part 2 of 2)
WWE News
WWE News: NBA player awarded WWE Title belt for Iron Man competition
Torch Talk Daily with ERIC BISCHOFF: Could Bret Hart have been better utilized in WCW after strong initial PPV business?
WWE News: "Target" of Chris Jericho's drunken slur turns the incident into a joke (w/VIDEO)
TNA News
TNA News: Ratings are in for Thursday's Impact - did TNA retain the audience from last week's Hulk Hogan Impact?
TNA News: Next week's TNA Impact - Sting reappearing to talk Hulk Hogan, A.J. Styles vs. Samoa Joe
TNA News: Watch TNA president Dixie Carter's "Love it or Leave It" speech to the roster from Impact (w/VIDEO)
ROH News
11/7 ROH in Edison, N.J. results (live reports wanted)
ROH News: Jim Cornette officially begins as ROH executive producer at today's ROH TV tapings (w/VIDEO)
ROH News: Ring of Honor receives positive press for ROH TV taping this weekend
Other News
DGUSA News: Untouchable PPV debuts for most Indemand customers this week
Hogan News: Can Hulk Hogan wrestle again? Hogan needs help walking during TV interview (w/VIDEO)
DGUSA News: Gabe Sapolsky predicts the wrestling industry will die without new TV wrestling stars
PPV Reports
RADICAN'S DGUSA "Untouchable" PPV review - Doi vs. Danielson, Shingo vs. Richards
10/25 WWE Bragging Rights Results: KELLER'S detailed match-by-match PPV report - Cena vs. Orton Iron Man match
CALDWELL'S WWE BRAGGING RIGHTS PPV REPORT 10/25: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of Cena vs. Orton, Team Raw vs. Team Smackdown
TV Reports
WWE SMACKDOWN ROUNDTABLE REVIEWS 11/6: Donofrio, Mezzera, Parks rate and review
WWE SUPERSTARS ROUNDTABLE REVIEWS 11/5: Caldwell, Donofrio, Parks rate and review
PARKS' WWE SMACKDOWN REPORT 11/6: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of the show, including Batista vs. Hardy
Arena Reports
11/6 ROH on HDNet tapings results: Pick 6 contender series continues, Strong-Richards, Omega-Hero
11/5 ROH on HDNet tapings results: Pick 6 contender series announced, Aries defends title in four-way
11/6 WWE in Brussels: Undertaker vs. Punk casket match, Christian vs. William Regal, Cryme Tyme vs. Hart Dynasty, of course
MMA / UFC Coverage
Strikeforce News: Fedor vs. Rogers Fight Results - Exciting fight lives up to expectations live on CBS
FEDOR VS. BRETT ROGERS - Keller's detailed report, analysis, star ratings of CBS live MMA fight card (redirect)
FEDOR vs. BRETT ROGERS on CBS Saturday Night - Torch Team Coverage (redirect)
KELLER'S TAKE
KELLER BLOG: WrestleMania goes up to $55, all other PPVs $45 - let the pirate feed frenzy begin
KELLER BLOG: Dixie Carter asks wrestlers to step it up, but what does that mean? Shouldn't their goal to be winning matches and nothing else?
KELLER FLASHBACK: Review of Hulk Hogan's first autobiography - Hogan's political maneuvers evident in who he protects and buries
MITCHELL'S TAKE
MOJO MITCHELL'S RAW 11/2: Stream of My Fourth Grade Hero and The Mid-Card Kicks Main Event Ass
MITCHELL FLASHBACK #4: In 1993, after Hogan first left the WWF, he had a lot of career choices
MITCHELL FLASHBACK #3: Hogan's autobiography review - insight into his world
MCNEILL'S TAKE
McNEILL BLOG: The Big Questions About Hulk Hogan in TNA
Fight For Your Right to Bragging: McNEILL Previews WWE Bragging Rights!
Glory, Glory, Hallelujah! McNEILL Previews TNA Bound for Glory 2009
CALDWELL'S TAKE
CALDWELL'S BLOG: Vince McMahon is officially delusional, plus Vince's hidden message to Stephanie McMahon
CALDWELL'S TUESDAY CHAT w/GREG PARKS: Raw & Smackdown discussion - Orton-Kofi build-up compared to Rey-Batista, DX dissension, Sheamus stands out
CALDWELL FLASHBACK: TNA Year-End Review 2005 - Must-read flashback to when TNA became a choice for wrestlers in an era very, very similar to 2009
RADICAN'S TAKE
RADICAN: Daddy's little girl V 2.0 debuts on Impact
RADICAN: Wolfe-Angle follow up displays typical warning signs of danger from creative standpoint
RADICAN: TNA finally straps a rocket on the right ass
The Specialists
ABSURDITY OF IT ALL - Greed Is Good For PPV Business (Just Not For You), Jericho vs. Undertaker, Punk vs. Scott Armstrong, Batista vs. My Boredom
GARDNER'S KEY MOMENT OF THE WEEK: WWE's Even-Steven booking isn't elevating younger stars, just benefiting Triple H
11/7 WWE Smackdown Hits & Misses: Mysterio vs. Knox, Punk vs. Truth, Batista vs. Hardy
Guest Editorials
GUEST EDITORIAL: Disgruntled TNA fan says he's done with the promotion after today's Impact taping (Contains SPOILERS)
GUEST EDITORIAL: The ultimate irony - Hulk Hogan appears on TNA Impact and pre-taped TV sitcom promoting WWE on the same night
GUEST BOOK REVIEW: Hulk Hogan provides strong defense of his public image in new autobiography
Torch Feedback
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"
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
VIDEO GAME REVIEW - Smackdown vs. Raw 2010: WWE's latest video game called best since the No Mercy measuring stick
RADICAN'S ROH DVD REVIEW SERIES: 7/24 DBD VII: N1 - Hero & Richards vs. Storm & Steen
RADICAN'S CHIKARA DVD REVIEW: 5/24 "Anniversario Yang" - The Colony vs. F.I.S.T, 8-Man Tag
Torch Flashbacks
TORCH TALK FLASHBACK with Hulk Hogan: Hogan talks to PWTorch editor Wade Keller about Eric Bischoff, the demise of WCW
TORCH TALK FLASHBACK with Hulk Hogan: Hogan talks to PWTorch editor Wade Keller about his relationship with Ric Flair
TORCH TALK FLASHBACK with Hulk Hogan: Hogan talks to PWTorch editor Wade Keller about his relationship with Vince Russo
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11/7 Bruce Mitchell Audio Show: Reader questions on Goldberg's Winning Streak, Zbyszko's HOF Credentials, Overrated Matches, X-Pac Sucks Chants, Test's Name, Paul Ellering's Story (44 min.)
11/6 Bruce Mitchell Audio Show: Why Vince McMahon said WWE isn't a family business, Hulk Hogan-TNA analysis, Dixie Carter's last-gasp speech (65 min.)
Torch Trivia
TORCH TRIVIA 2/28: Which wrestler backed out of a WWA PPV in February 2002?
TORCH TRIVIA 2/27: Who said this quote about Hulk Hogan's athleticism 11 years ago?
TORCH TRIVIA 2/25: What said this quote about WWE's mid-1990s drug testing policy?
Torch Instant Polls
INSTANT POLL: How will WWE's price raise to $4.95 per PPV affect you?
SMACKDOWN POLL: Who was the MVP of the 11/6 Smackdown if you saw the show?
TNA IMPACT POLL: Who was the MVP of the 11/5 Impact if you saw the show?
PWTorch Free Podcast
11/4 Nostalgia Audio with Brian Hoops: Format change to the show, new guest host, upcoming shows
FREE FOR ALL: 10/27 Bruce Mitchell Audio Special: Hogan-Bischoff-TNA story from all angles including Monday Night War II possibilities (32 min.)
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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