First RAW Of 2017: Hit or Miss?
New Year, No New Start
I expressed on twitter last night that one of the biggest issues I'm having with Monday night RAW is the lack of diversity in the openings of the show. Week in and week out we are being given the exact same opening consisting of the exact same superstars. We see the show start out with Mick Foley or Stephanie McMahon along with the likes of Kevin Owens, Chris Jericho, Seth Rollins, and Roman Reigns and yet again a series of matches between these superstars will be set up for the night. The first episode of Monday night RAW in twenty seventeen was no different. With Foley opening the show with a cheesy promo and sporting a new haircut it was only a matter of time before the usual faces were making their way down to the ring and I found myself bored within the first five minutes of the show. One of the biggest issues I have with RAW is the general lack of diversity and last night's show really did highlight this issue. The WWE really had a chance to kick start the year off strong with RAW and show us fans that we can expect something different from last year, but they just didn't. We got nothing new, different, and exciting and I was so disappointed to be so disinterested in the show so early on. I am hoping that as the year progresses we start to see little changes made to Monday night RAW. Since the brand split Smackdown LIVE has been completely dominating and the fact they bring something different to the table week in and week out plays a huge part in that. The same old same old openings are doing nothing for the four superstars mentioned and are only creating more issues.Another week Without Emma
One of the things I and many other wrestling fans have been anticipating over the past few months is the return of Emma and the debut of her new character, Emmalina. For months now we have seen video packages, tweets and so on hyping the return of the former NXT star but she really has left us waiting and it's safe to say fans are only growing frustrated rather than excited. I will admit that I loved the angle they did with her when she was revealed to be returning on a certain date and when the day rolled around she once again didn't make the appearance. Now, at first I was fuming about the entire thing but a tweet she sent out the same night had me changing my mind and opinions once again. Stating that the fans only wanted to know about and see the four horsewomen and now they want to see her in action, claiming that that was not going to work or happen. However, while I understand exactly what they are doing with her character and she does continue to keep me interested in what they may be doing with her once she is back in action but they really are now reaching the point where the WWE universe just doesn't care. Emma is doing a great ob keeping hr character alive and interesting on social media but we do all just want to see her debut already. I wasn't a fan of her not appearing on the first show of the year. I think they really did miss out on something there. If the WWE want this to work with Emma she's going to have to make her return very very soon of the feeling and the hype will just completely go. Personally, even though I hate the idea, I don't think we will be seeing her back on our screens until much later on in the month. Maybe at the Royal Rumble pay per view.
Sami Zayn and Braun Strowman Steal the Show
The match of the night was without a doubt the last man standing bout between Sami Zayn and Braun Strowman. I have mentioned plenty of times recently how much I have been loving this feud. I have said how I believe this is the best thing currently going on on Monday night RAW and the storytelling really has played such a huge part in that. For once the WWE really have created a gripping and entertaining storyline between two superstars that are night current main eventers. While the WWE are shoving Kevin Owens, Roman Reigns, Chris Jericho, and Seth Rollins down our throats at the moment in a storyline that I honestly have zero interest in, they are doing everything right between Sami Zayn and Braun Strowman and I have to say that they have got me completely hooked on the work between these two superstars. This feud has done wonders for both men with Strowman being able to show more of his character and the exact same can be said for Zayn. Until now I haven't been as much of a Sami Zayn fan as I was during his time in NXT and this feud really has changed that. He's come alive for the first time since he joined the main roster and I have loved that we are seeing more of the Sami Zayn we all knew and loved back down in NXT. He has the fans behind him, he's involved in an entertaining, gripping storyline and it's doing wonders for him. Last night the two superstars collide once again in what was without a shadow of a doubt the match of the night. Usually, a last man standing match is very hit or miss with me. There have been some I have loved and have gone down as some of my favourite matches of all time and there are others that I have honestly hated and got bored of within minutes. This match last night was one of the ones that will for sure be getting a thumbs up. This wasn't a match where Zayn could showcase his fantastic wrestling ability but more of a fight for survival and boy did he put up a fight. That amazing never give up, never back down attitude from Zayn was shining bright last night with Strowman throwing quite literally everything in his way. Zayn continued to get back up and fight on as the pair brawled around the arena. However, the former NXT champion just couldn't get the upper hand long enough to score a win and the closing moments saw Strowman walk away with a victory over Sami. Once the match had ended Strowman continued to attack Zayn making sure to prove a point and send a message to general manager, Mick Foley. Personally, I believe this was the strongest moment of the night. The match was far better than I expected. It was the only match I truly believed was unpredictable and the only match I had a genuine interest in. I'm certainly excited to see what awaits around the corner next for both these superstars.
Can the Cruiserweights have a Strong 2017?
I absolutely hate the fact that I'm sitting here so early into the new year with only negative comments about the WWE Cruiserweight division. Long time readers of my blog will know that I have always been so so passionate about the division and when it was announced they would be making a return to the WWE I was over the moon. However, the WWE really have messed things up with the cruiserweights pretty much from day one. While the CWC was a massive success the WWE just haven't ben able to keep that momentum going. The crowd have very little interest in the action with superstars getting a poor reaction week in and week out and last night was no different. The superstars picked up almost no reaction at all and it really is starting to have an effect. We're getting the same superstars doing the same thing every week, the matches aren't long enough and the storylines are just weak. I do hope that things turn around for division this year but last night was not a good start and I'm so so so disapointed.Bayley is Heading to the Royal Rumble
The feud between Charlotte and Bayley is something that I do certainly have an interest in and something the WWE do seem to be doing right so far. These two women do have a lot of history and so their chemistry both in and out of the ring is just fantastic and it really has been making their feud. Last night Bayley looked to become the new number one contender but in order to do so was going to have to go through the dominant Nia Jax. Again, these two women do have a lot of history and I did get to see them go one on one at NXT Takeover London, and so I do enjoy watching them compete against one another. However, the highlight of the women's division last night didn't come from the match itself but the backstage segment between Bayley and Stephanie McMahaon where Monday night RAW commissioner admitted that she never wanted Bayley to be a part of Monday night RAW and never believed in her. Now, some people may believe that this was not a big part of the show and not something important that we should be taking away but personally, I really did see this as a key part of not only the show or Bayle's current storyline but a huge part of her character. Bayley is the ultimate baby face and she works that underdog storyline perfectly, this moment between her and Stephanie really is going to play a huge part in the Bayley VS Charlotte storyline, with Bayley desperate to prove everyone wrong. This really did get a thumbs up from me.
A Disappointing Ending to the Night
I have previously mentioned that I grew up a pretty big Goldberg fan. I would always watch tape of him and even now I continue to be a huge Goldberg mark. I have, however, also discussed how disappointed I have been with his work since his return to the WWE. I know the Survivor Series matchup between the man himself and Brock Lesnar has divided opinion but I personally really really didn't like it and my opinions remain the same. Let me be a bitter wrestling fan ok! I have really struggled to jump on board with the rest of his work since and that includes the Royal Rumble announcement and what we saw last night. Talking of last night, the WWE hyped the Goldbergs Monday night RAW return only to actually disappoint. Now, I don't know if this was because I felt the show overall was quite weak or because this really was a poor ending but I hated those last ten minutes or so of the show this week. Like I said, I really have ben struggling to jump on board with what the WWE have done with Goldberg since his return and this last night didn't change my opinion. His appearance on the first episode of "The Kevin Owens Show" was just a little of a mess in my personal opinion. I did like Paul Heyman's small involvement, he does always do a brilliant job making anything sound must see and big and that's exactly what saw last night when he was talking about his client Brock Lesnar and the Royal Rumble match. I would have liked to have seen him go into even more detail, get us excited about the new Brock Lesnar we can all expect following his
shocking loss to Goldberg last year but we just didn't get that and it was a touch disappointed. What I strongly disliked was the fact that once again the WWE closed the night with Roman Reigns the centre point and had him involved in something they didn't really need to have him involved in. The moment his music hit really did loose interest. While it may be a new year the WWE have not learned their lesson and a whole year later they are still making the wrong decisions when it comes to Reigns. The staredown between Reigns and Goldberg was a little cool moment and then I kind of snapped out of it and hated it again. We then had Braun Strowman come out and he was speared by both Roman Reigns and Goldberg yet another thing I strongly disliked. I don't want to use the word "buried" because he wasn't but seeing him taken out by these two talents in particular on an hour or so after he's fantastic performance against Sami Zayn just really pissed me off and took away some of his momentum.
Overall I wasn't the biggest fan of last night's show as you can tell. With it being the first show of the year I was hoping the WWE would kick start things nice and strong with a couple of surprises and changes here and there but it was yet another disappointing show that I really did struggle to get into. I do believe tonight's Smackdown LIVE will be a lot stronger and you can catch all of my live reaction tonight during the show by following me over at @TezangiVictoria where I will be live tweeting throughout the night. I would also love to know what you thought of last night's show! Did you like the closing moments? Do you believe the cruiserweight division can have a successful twenty seventeen? Leave a comment bellow letting me know!
Recent Blog Posts:
Social Meia Links:
Comments
Post a Comment