By Wade Keller, PWTorch editor

KELLER'S WWE RAW BLOG 2/27
FEBRUARY 27, 2012
LIVE FROM PORTLAND, ORE.
AIRED ON USA NETWORK

-So will this show give us more clues about what the real dynamic is going on between John Cena and The Rock? They coexisted cordially at the WrestleMania 29 press conference earlier this month and even gabbed with some friendly small talk. But Cena has amped up the biting comments, and they opened Raw with Cena declaring last week he doesn't respect Rock, that he's fighting for every person in WWE's locker room "whose dream was to become a WWE Superstar and stay a WWE Superstar," and then mockingly called him "movie star."

-Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler plugged at the start of the show that The Rock would reply to Cena. Perhaps noteworthy, no superlatives were added when talking about The Rock. Not that he needs an introduction or hype, but it's just something to jot into the margins that they're not exactly going out of their way to build up Rock as a big deal themselves; it's implied, but not overly hyped, and that's not like WWE.

-Then they shifted into hyping the other Big Feud in WWE these days - Teddy Long and John Laurinaitis - with a replay of the controversial decision on last week's Smackdown in the C.M. Punk vs. Daniel Bryan match. It's so odd how little the WWE Title vs. World Title match means when one of the big points of doing a brand split was to work toward an eventual champ vs. champ match and actually make money from it. There's no hope of that for a very long time, if ever, at this point.

-I'm still not at all comfortable with wrestlers, within the TV show itself, talking about wanting to have great matches. I don't even like in UFC when fighters talk about wanting to put on a great show. Just go out and do what it takes to win. Jericho here talked about how he was part of "a breed that cares more about having the best match on the show than personal politics." He said he developed a chip on his shoulder because he had to take everything and was never given anything. That's fine, but why not replace talk about having "best matches" with talk about how he "won his matches" and forced promoters to recognize his greatness as a result? Jericho's delivery and demeanor was top tier here, though.

-Punk had a nice comeback to Jericho claiming he was the first to ever claim to be the best. Again, I wish "best" here was clearly about winning matches and not about having the highest star ratings. Star ratings are a cool way to evaluate the entertainment value of matches as a third party observer, but the wrestlers on TV shouldn't be concerned about that. Good matches should be treated as a natural byproduct of two wrestlers trying hard to win matches, rather than something wrestlers actually aspire to as the main goal.

-Every time Jericho says he's the best at everything he does, I think back to his performance on that celebrity singing contest a little over five years ago.

-Punk took it to Jericho like Cena takes it to Rock, listing side projects like writing books and going on game shows and rock bands that Jericho partakes in. Great line: "I'm swimming with sharks while you're dancing with stars."

-Jericho's argument peaked when he said the light-up jacket and the Jan. 2 videos were all window dressing because the real reason he came back was to embarrass Punk on the biggest stage in the world and shove down his throat that he is the actual "best in the world at what he does."

-Punk went back to talking about having perhaps the "greatest wrestling match in WrestleMania history." I know they're trying to sell WrestleMania to fans who love "great matches," but I just don't think they need to sound like in the quest to beat one another, they also want to have a five-star match. Their characters should care about winning only, perhaps decisively, but they shouldn't express an ounce of concern about whether it's considered aesthetically pleasing. Again, that's implied based on the history of Punk matches and Jericho matches, but it takes some fun out of it if they acknowledge it over and over like this as some sort of primary goal in their bitter fight to prove who's better.

-Quotebook - Punk to Jericho: "Screw your stupid Lite-Bright jacket."

-Quotebook - Punk to Jericho: "It's not going to be the end of the world, it's just going to be the end of yours."

-I like that they gave viewers a taste of action between Punk and Bryan, but didn't officially start the match before cutting to a commercial. It's annoying - especially in a WWE Champ vs. World Champ level match - when WWE cuts away from a match. Isn't the point of everything that happens on Raw building up toward wrestlers fighting in the ring? So when they stay with promos but cut away from the actual fights, it undercuts the whole structure. In this case, the match began during the break, but I can live with that more than cutting away from a match within a minute of it starting. If WWE is a simulated sport, what other sport cuts away from the action while it's in progress?

-As soon as I praise them for not cutting away at the start, they end up cutting away after just a few minutes of wrestling. I get the desire to fit as much into Raw as possible, and I understand that the idea is fans will stay around through a commercial if a match they care about is in progress, but I think more damage is done in the macro sense to the edge of your seat drama of a competitive match when any given three minute period is completely superfluous enough to cut away from in order to air commercials. Every other real sport puts commercials between fights, between rounds, between quarters or during halftime, or during time-outs, but not during actual action. It tells fans, "We know when the finish is planned, and it's not planned during the next three minutes, so don't worry." Or else it tells fans, "Nothing that happens in the matches we ask you to pay to watch is actually all that important."

-Santino's flop off the ring apron after John Laurinaitis yanked on his t-shirt was more transparent than any NBA player trying to draw a charging call from a referee I've ever seen.

-I like the backstage update from Josh Mathews regarding Punk's condition after the Jericho attack on the stage. Mathews saying he's more angry than hurt is a good follow-up, letting fans know that Punk isn't seriously injured or being written out of future matches.

-The Undertaker-Triple H video - with Edge, Steve Austin, Big Show, Miz, and Randy Orton commenting on their epic battle last year - is how compelling pro wrestling can be when the hype centers around two people fighting to win, not fighting to have a four-star "great match."

-Jerry Lawler said the only thing that compares to Rock vs. Cena is if Muhammed Ali boxed Mike Tyson in their respective primes. More talk like that, please. That's what this match should be about, not whether Rock is loyal to the wrestlers in the back or betrayed Vince McMahon by taking a job that paid more after years of dedicated, productive, loyal service to WWE during its peak years.

-The Miz's pre-match promo was good to add a little juice to his match against Cena, but as he talked about all the hard p.r. work he does for WWE and said his name has yet to be called for WrestleMania and he was about to rectify that crime and prove he is WrestleMania-worthy, I just thought he was in for another TV loss. And indeed that's what happened. Anytime Cena wrestles on TV the announcers should make a huge deal of it, and a WrestleMania main event rematch should be a huge deal when given away on TV, yet this was just tossed out there at the start of the second hour without any sense it was a big deal - other than the two minute promo Miz gave beforehand to at least give it a little context and establish what was at stake for him.

-Miz is such a company guy, this does seem like a temporary setback in his career and not a sign that he's been given up on by management. His p.r. work and overall company-man persona is coming in handy during a time when he is otherwise in the dog house for a few things and out of favor a year after he was on the fast track to the top.

-They shot of Rock backstage after Cena beat Miz was a good way to tease Rock's appearance later and give fans a glimpse of what was to come without giving away Rock speaking yet. Between that and the multiple plugs by Lawler going into commercial breaks, it would be hard for a viewer - even one flipping channels to other things - to miss out on the fact that Rock would be showing up later to address Cena.

-It seems like Dolph Ziggler should be doing something right now more than being lost in a triple threat tag team title match and taking bumps for a post-match Kane run-in. I get that Kane is a monster heel right now, but it just seems like this defines down Ziggler as being at the R-Truth level as a perennial mid-carder with an occasional teaser of a main event. He seems too valuable to WWE to be anything but protected right now for when they need him to be taken seriously as a top tier heel.

-The Long-Laurinaitis battle, as a pleasant surprise, didn't completely overtake Raw. After the shenanigans in the opener, it took a back seat to everything else until well into the second hour when they exchanged rumors of the other's demise.

-Big moment for Eve to get a solo center-ring promo segment to establish her heel persona. "I tell men what they want to hear and they love it. There isn't a man in this world who wouldn't love to be used by a woman like me. It isn't my fault men fall in love with me… or that they're so easily seduced by me. You think I ask for this? Men crumble at my feet, like little puppies begging for my affection." It was all solid in terms of content and delivery for the most part, but ultimately felt a little too smooth and memorized, as if rattling off one rehearsed sentence after another.

-Did Michael Cole just say Randy Couture's name on Raw? Yep. He said it in the context of Mark Henry being inducted into the inaugural International Sports Hall of Fame this Saturday.

-Cody Rhodes has great facial expressions when introducing the "humiliating" footage of Big Show losing at WrestleMania in 2008 to Floyd Mayweather. Not that humiliating considering Mayweather used brass knuckles. Cody's quick tag to Henry as soon as the bell rang so he could avoid facing an enraged Big Show was well played, too.

-I know Sheamus is getting a Big Push right now as his WrestleMania World Title shot approaches, but I still see such a lost opportunity to get someone over huge by being the first to pin Mark Henry. Seeing Henry lose quickly here to Sheamus's brogue kick just further eliminates any chance of Henry getting back to the level he was at just a couple months ago. Had Henry remained strong headed into WrestleMania, a top face could have gotten over just by ending his streak of dominance. These losses won't matter a ton once he turns babyface, which I assume is the plan shortly after WrestleMania, because Henry can deliver on the mic and rebuild himself against a strong heel personality, but it still is one of the biggest lost opportunities of the last year the way WWE destroyed the invincibility he had late last year.

-With the strong ratings performance of HBK in the segment with Triple H few weeks back, no surprise he's being brought back again. Plus, Triple H and Undertaker need something to fill the shows between now and WrestleMania. The video package this week was a great bridge to next week, and obviously The Rock's appearance negated any need for Undertaker or Triple H to appear live and in person again this week.

-As far as The Rock and John Cena segment goes, it was one of the most compelling things I've seen as a wrestling viewer ever. I'm not crazy about this storyline and think tearing down Rock before WrestleMania like this is asinine, it's not a complete disaster, either. I think fans are going to think Cena and Rock really are going to tear into each other at WrestleMania. The tension here felt as real and palatable as anything I can remember between two wrestlers hyping a match. The fact that it's likely the result of real-life resentment and tension and attempts to show one another up makes it even more fascinating.

-Rock was in damage control mode, really wanting to set the record straight. He wasn't in full-on Rock mode, but instead was more conversational at the start, more Dwayne Johnson, as he explained what he meant by "I am back and never going away." He said that didn't mean he'd be back at every Raw, every Smackdown. "That wasn't what was expected," he said, then he said it wasn't meant to be taken literally. He said he respects the audience's intelligence and they know he was born into pro wrestling, or "this business" as he repeatedly called it.

-I do believe Rock when he said he was standing inside the ring only because he loves WWE and always will be part of WWE, implying he doesn't need the money or fame or promotional time to hype his movies.

-It was interesting that Rock brought up that Cena graduated from a private school and suddenly became "The Doctor of Thug-o-nomics" and "was from the streets, was from the hood." He said he realized he wasn't a phony, he was that guy who ran him down last week even though he wasn't in the building. I don't know if he ever finished that point about why he realized he's not a phony, though, because then he went into detail about how Cena doesn't have to go through people to get to him, pointing out that he has his cell phone number and has used it before.

-Then he introduced his latest catch phrase, "Kung Pao Bitch." The notion that it would trend on Twitter took for granted that people would spell it the same way in large enough numbers to actually trend. It seemed Rock expected that chant to catch fire, and when it didn't, he had to regroup and decide where to go next. He seemed to stumble a bit at this point before going into Cena saying last week he'd fight for the people in the back. If Cena took pride in rattling Rock, this was a moment he could take pride in maybe throwing him off his game.

-Rock made a nice point, though, in saying he would be fighting for the fans, not for the wrestlers in the back. He threw in the insider term "babyface" when referencing how he was booed early in his career, but didn't have anyone fighting for him at that time. He listed Steve Austin, Triple H, Mick Foley, Randy Savage, and Roddy Piper, asking if anyone was fighting for them. His point was that no one fought for them "because we were men." That was, perhaps, Rock's way of telling the guys in the back who are legitimately buying into Cena (and Vince) pushing this counter-productive propaganda campaign that Rock is to be resented for returning part time and not full time to grow a set and fight for themselves, not rely on Cena to fight for them. There is legit frustration by Rock that Cena has turned a portion of the locker room against him.

-There were few times where it seemed Rock was checking his wrist for talking points. He'd look down, then lifted his head smiling and move on confidently to the next bullet point.

-I wasn't crazy about Rock pushing the idea that he lives to entertain. He should be differentiating that in Hollywood, he loves to entertain, but he returns to WWE because he also loves to fight. Equating "entertaining" movie viewers on the screen and "entertaining" WWE fans in the ring is not the best strategy. Contrasting the two approaches is the best way to engage WWE fans who want to think of Rock as a tough guy who comes back to WWE to get aggression out of his system after long hours "entertaining" on the movie set. I think he'd rally the fans more by making WWE fans feel like they're getting a more "real" version of Rock, the unleashed aggression that he misses when he's making movies. Instead, he categorizes WWE as "just another form of entertaining." This is part of the damaging theme in WWE of talking about "entertaining" and "having good matches" as the ultimate goal, rather than an inevitable end result, of fighting with all of their heart to win matches.

-Rock seemed to be working a little too hard, without enough success, at getting fans to chant various new catch phrases. It wasn't his best work. Felt scattered and unsteady. He has lost some confidence out there, and maybe he's lost the crowd a little bit, too, based on weeks and weeks of Cena being the aggressor.

-Quotebook - Cena to Rock: "I must admit I didn't come out here to swing from The People's Strudel, or whatever you're calling your penis these days."

-Cena had a good line when Rock said he's only half right about being the guy who runs him down when he's not around, because he's also the guy who runs him down when he is around.

-Cena saying Rock is an "egotistical see-through son of a bitch who wouldn't give a rat's ass if this company closed its doors tomorrow" was heavy. But he topped it when he called out Rock writing notes about his "promo" on his wrist. That's when Rock stopped his pacing and shot Cena an intense stare and moved into his space, like Al Gore did to George Bush back in their debate a dozen years ago.

-Rock walking up to Cena as Cena dressed him down was phenomenal. Whatever is really going on here between them is working at a certain level at building anticipation for those two locking up. I mean, the line by Cena last week about Rock only returning to promote his movie was harsh enough, but to call him out for writing notes on his forearm felt like he was really trying to get under Rock's skin.

-Quotebook - Cena: "April 1st, when the millions see John Cena vs. The Rock, John Cena is going to be eying up Dwayne Johnson, and I don't like Dwayne Johnson.. I'm going to be looking into the eyes of Dwayne Johnson and see a man afraid, because you're going to be looking at a dude who may not have balls, but a dude who is going to beat the hell out of you at WrestleMania."

-Rock, at that point, looked defeated and embarrassed, like he was just barely keeping his composure. It was strange. Cena has the swagger of someone who does this all the time, has a ton of confidence, feels everyone in back has his back, and believes he is getting over on a guy who was known as the best talker in the business. When Cena stepped out of the ring, then turned back and said, "Oh, carry on. Continue trending," then dropped the mic, it really solidified him as the winner of this battle in their war.

-The crowd didn't entirely turn on Rock, but he could even sense they were watching a wounded hero. They wanted him to have a good comeback. Rock, raspy-voiced, fired back that it's just like him to talk smack and then walk away because he could slap the lips off his face. I wonder if fans will think Cena bailed out before a fight could break out, or they'll look at Rock as being a coward for holding back and giving Cena a chance to bail before punching him for his instigating comments.

-I thought it was telling, and likely improvised, that there is no difference between The Rock and Dwayne Johnson. He seemed to feel the need to go into p.r. repair mode by countering Cena's argument that he acts like a big-shot. He got the crowd back somewhat when he picked up the intensity and vowed to kick his Candy Ass all ove rWrestleMania and ended with "If you smell what The Rock is cooking." Then, for good measure, he mouthed, "Mother f---er" after throwing the mic into the crowd and pacing back and forth.

-I don't know what to make of it, but it's fascinating to watch right now. It seemed Rock was rattled and off his game and even a bit emotionally taken aback and unprepared for having met his match in this situation. If Rock was around every week and in a groove, he'd be fine, but Cena is practicing his attack in front of crowds week after week, and it shows. He's more confident out there and fans are sensing that. Will fans choose "the bigger star" (Rock) or "the more confident, sure-footed Superstar"? In Miami, we know the answer. They're going to side with Rock. But overall, has Cena (and Vince) succeeding at piercing Rock's armor? And in the process have they created a real palatable tension that could help sell WrestleMania?

-Bruce Mitchell was my guest on the VIP Keller Audio Show for nearly an hour last night to dissect the Rock-Cena promo from every angle. Check it out if you are VIP, and if you're not, visit http://www.pwtorch.com/govip to become VIP!

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