RAW Sets the Scene for Extreme Rules....

 A Good Monday to You, Enthusiasts.

 

I hope it’s going well. There’s not much circulating today in terms of gossip so, this will be a short post.

 

What did catch my eye was the news that MVP had knee surgery recently. That explains the “broken rib” he supposedly suffered on RAW. Let’s wish him a speedy recovery. He’s been solid as Bobby Lashley’s managerial counsel. He was cracking me up last week looking like he was going to go upside Riddle’s head with his cane. He’s a natural. Already looking forward to his return.

 

On a side note, I’m kinda curious about how Riddle will fair going forward. With all this talk after the recent Dark Side of the Ring episode, I wouldn’t be surprised if his past gets kicked back up again. I know the matter is settled but I don’t have enough to forgive him. It doesn’t seem like he’s repentant to me. That’s key in such a matter because you like to see that the offender is willing to make a positive change. I can understand a person changing. I’m always willing to give someone a second chance. I’m just not sure Riddle deserves one. He just seems like he’s glad it’s over. And so, I’m not going to be the least bit surprised if he ends up getting retroactively canceled. He was a risky acquisition anyway.

 

All right, so that brings us to tonight’s RAW. SmackDown took a slight dive in the ratings this week which is to be expected during No Man’s Land stretches. We are in the Go-Home week before Extreme Rules and I’m not sure if we should get excited. Ideally, RAW starts things off by giving us little to no choice but so far, WWE has been itself with matches on repeat and missing the point when it comes to developing a story. If I’m working for RAW I would be pushing for a return to basics. Keep it fun and active. Wrestle when all else fails. I’d see who hasn’t been on TV for a while and throw ‘em in a tournament or Battle Royale. I suppose the only real incentive is for the 24/7 Title but the King & Queen of the Ring Tournaments are coming up, I’d maybe do early rounds of that.

 

They need to see who works on camera and who works with who so they can develop better programming. For whatever reason, RAW comes off phoned-in which may be why Roman Reigns and The Usos will grace us with their presence in a match against the New Day. Both factions know what they have to do out there and we shouldn’t be disappointed.  No doubt much of the roster could get there if they’re not there already but they’re not being given the space. They’re being made to inject life into uninspired content. Getting back to basics could make it easier to see what everyone has to offer. That’s what’s more important. Seeing what makes these ladies and gentlemen talented. Making them perform subpar material will never display them at their best. These fundamental facts have to be honored if progress is actually going to be made otherwise WWE inadvertently settles for silver.

 

If people are still comparing, AEW and WWE are sitting at about even right now. Dynamite is doing well ratings-wise technically beating out RAW in the same demographic yet Rampage appears to be treading water. Looking at fan sentiments, the 10pm EDT airtime may have to be reconsidered. People aren’t willing to wait up for it. And being a Friday night, there’s a good chance that the target demographic is busy socializing. Same goes for TV watching, it’s all about location, location, location. When it comes to WWE it’s should be about quality, quality, quality.  The location is fine but product is very so-so. Tonight offers a “one night only” type of deal, with some repetition on the side. Let’s see if it hits the spot. Funny tweets and Likes get retweeted. We’ll see if they get us ramped up for Extreme Rules. It’d be the first time in a long time.

 

 

See You in a Bit,

-Nicole Alexis (^_~)