Raw Thoughts: Vince McMahon came back for that? With ratings sagging for Raw, and April's average rating the lowest for April in 11 years, McMahon put himself back on TV after being away for nearly two months. It was a hotshot return that wasn't needed. All he did was endorse William Regal as G.M. But in the process he his the reset button on the equity building up in the mystery of why he was off TV, thus taking away any value his return might have down the line for a more important purpose. Instead, all Regal had to do was walk out onto the stage and proclaim he had the full support of WWE's top brass for what he did last week. It would have accomplished the same thing, while leaving a lingering mystery of how much McMahon endorsed Regal.
Since winning King of the Ring, I've got mixed feelings on how Regal has been featured. To be a breakout top heel, he'll have to be more than a suit-wearing authority figure. That role has not been held by an active top heel, and it's not believable that he'd be able to retain that slot as a level heel. I'd rather have had McMahon step out, endorse Regal as G.M., but then announce that he has been so impressed with Regal lately that he's going to relieve him of his G.M. duties so he could dedicate himself entirely to chasing the World Title. WWE obviously wants Regal to be an agitator, but anyone who can talk can pull that off. Regal should be aiming higher, and WWE should position him higher.
One thing really bugged me during the Chris Jericho & Shawn Michaels vs. Miz & John Morrison match. Well, two version of the same thing. Mid-match, Jericho set up a spot where he was going to duck outside interference from Miz while he was trying to lock Morrison in a Walls of Jericho. Jericho realized he wasn't near enough to the ropes for Miz to swing at him, so for no apparent reason (other than to allow Miz to get close enough to him to interfere) Jericho dragged Morrison near the ropes. It just looked terrible. It's one of those spots where if you know you're going to do it, then be sure the wrestler (in this case Morrison) is knocked down the ropes so you don't have to senselessly drag him near the ropes for that spot. Later, although less obviously, Morrison shifted himself, while on his back in the ring, into better position for Jericho's (completely harmless looking) Lionsault move. Why would any wrestler, if they're about to lie there and absorb a supposedly damaging move from an opponent, ever have the wherewithal to adjust their position so their opponent could execute their move? When a wrestler is out of position, his opponent either has to move him into position or slightly adjust the offensive move to land where he is. What Jericho and Morrison did is a disservice to viewers, who want to be wrapped up in a match, not reminded that everyone out there is cooperating and coordinating with one another.
WWE can't afford to have more than one ambiguous feud at a time (TNA has about a dozen right now), but I like that we're not being hit over the head with what we're supposed to believe regarding Shawn Michaels and Chris Jericho. Jericho has come across as a cocky jerk, but Michaels hasn't been the most inspiring, likable guy lately, either. He seems to be a in a real funk. The head-hanging, poor-me routine will grow old quickly, but if they've got some good plans for the second half of this story, it could all make sense in the end.
Randy Orton may never be the guy who sells the most tickets, but he continues to be impressive as an all-around top tier heel. To use an NBA analogy, he's like Kevin Garnett in that he doesn't score 40 points a night, but he can can produce good stats in every category, which no one else does. Orton has star power, can have great matches, and is strong on the mic when given good material. He isn't the main half of what makes a match sell tickets, but he's the other half that's necessary for those who can sell tickets to shine.
Encouraging fans to chant "DUI" at Santino Marella on Raw felt wrong. Santino's character didn't get pulled over for a DUI; a real person did. It wasn't necessary to bring it up on TV, and it definitely didn't feel right that it was positioned as something to make fun of. It's not like he got caught looking at porn at a library or pulled over for driving naked or even stealing fifty straws from a Subway. He was in the news for something serious that shouldn't be turned into a way to poke fun at a comedy heel.
LATEST PRO WRESTLING TORCH NEWSLETTER #1039 (17 PAGES)
This issue begins with a cover story by Wade Keller who attended Brock Lesnar's first UFC victory on Saturday night in the semi-main event in front of a record-setting crowd in his hometown. Keller's BBL looks at Lesnar's place in MMA and in what ways he seems more comfortable than ever... Bruce Mitchell's Memo examines the dilemma of Chris Benoit and the Hall of Fame... Sean Radican reviews the two latest TNA DVD releases... In-depth coverage of the TNA Hard Justice PPV including Keller's match report with star ratings and the newsletter-exclusive Roundtable Reviews... Jason Powell's "Page 2 Buzz" with scoops and insider analysis... WWE Newswire, TNA Newswire, and ROH Newswire with insider news, big story analysis, and notebook tidbits... Plus Keller's reports on Raw, Smackdown, and Impact, the Top 5 Stories of the Week, and more....
