Countdown to Charisma

Up until 2011 Christian had had a career free of major injuries. That changed in November of that year when he suffered an ankle injury on WWE’s European tour. It’s not been the only one he’s suffered since then. Perhaps karma's making up for lost time.

You've got to feel for the guy. 2011 was the year he finally hit it big in WWE, becoming a two time World Heavyweight champion during a main event run opposite Randy Orton. He entered some of the best performances of his career, both in the ring and on the microphone, during that feud, proving he belonged at the top.

As good as his performances were his first run as a headliner was never going to be a permanent thing. WWE management, in particular head honcho Vinnie Mac, have made it clear over the years that they don't view 'Captain Charisma' as main event material. Had he not suffered his injury and remained a regular on TV it's possible he could have earned his way back to the top. Losing that face time on TV derailed him. At the very least he’d have had a slot on the WrestleMania card.

Not a sight we're likely to see again

When he returned last year it was to a mid-card position. Perhaps to hammer the point home he was given a meaningless two month-long reign as the Intercontinental championship. Because nothing says "this guy's no longer a headliner" quite like putting a meaningless mid-card belt on them. Not that it mattered: he barely had enough time to re-establish himself before he was struck with another injury, this one to his shoulder. He disappeared from our screens again shortly after dropping the Intercontinental title to The Miz at RAW 1000 and, barring a brief appearance to testify that Sheamus's Brogue kick is indeed formidable, hasn't done anything noteworthy since.

For the second year in a row 'The Instant Classic' missed WrestleMania. That must have been a blow to him. It's unlikely, given how packed this year's card was, that something would have been found for him, but we (and he) can't know for sure. It’s possible he’d have found himself involved with something had he been in the right place at the right time.

Christian has apparently been healthy enough to return to action since before ‘Mania. Personally I thought he'd be back on TV by now. It seemed logical to assume that 'The Man of the Peeps' would be brought back once all the big names had departed. That more big names departed than was expected makes Christian's continued absence stranger still.

It no seems as though his return will happen sometime after Extreme Rules. Brock Lesnar and Triple H will probably both disappear both disappear after May 19^th. I don't think 'The Pain' will be back until around SummerSlam and Triple H will probably be gone for longer. Undertaker will likely be joining join them on the benches, if he even wrestles on the show to begin with. There's even a chance that current WWE champ John Cena will be taking some time off.

If all of these departures happen WWE are going to have to scramble for name performers to replace them, and the already absent CM Punk. Christian may not be the biggest name available but he's a reliable guy who can work as either a hero or an antagonist and seems to be far more popular with fans than management like to admit. His feud with 'The Viper' shows he'll be accepted as a top line guy.

Should Cena require time off and the title ends up on Ryback Christian isn't the worst guy that could be pitted against him. He could work a brief one month feud with Ryback culminating at Payback (a first time match occurring on a show titled after revenge isn’t going to bother WWE), allowing something more substantial to be planned for the summer. He’d be a placeholder but at this stage of his career it seems like that’s all he’s destined to be.

I admit Christian wrestling for the WWE championship on pay-per-view is a longshot. He’d be more likely to come back into the same middle of the card spot he was given last year. Even if that’s what happens at least we’ll have a reliable hand back on TV. That’s what WWE needs right now.

That RAW Recap 14.01.13

On Monday night WWE celebrated the twentieth anniversary of their flagship show. This landmark episode of RAW was surprisingly low key by WWE standards. It had not been as hyped incessantly as the 1,000^th episode was last year, in part because it fell so close to the start of the year. Last week's show was the first of the year and WWE pushed the boat out putting that together.
 
It's worth noting that the show was decidedly lacking in star power. Yes, The Rock was there, but he's set to be a regular for the next three months. His contribution is welcome but it doesn't necessarily equate to being special. It's more that it's not yet stopped being novel.
 
The real disappointment was that more stars didn't join him. Mick Foley and Ric Flair showed up, but neither did anything particularly noteworthy. Foley was there as part of his Hall of Fame induction announcement (which is richly deserved) and 'The Nature Boy' was there to up the number of former stars and attempt to give a rub to The Miz.
 
I got the feeling that WWE beefed Flair's part up partially because they had no access to 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin or Shawn Michaels. They were at some sort of hunting convention, and that they were signed to appear there several months ago could be another reason why WWE chose not to make a bigger deal of this show.
 
As far as I'm aware there's no prior engagement to explain why the Undertaker wasn't present. Perhaps he was omitted from plans so that he can be used to boost viewership in a few weeks’ time. Or maybe the booking team just couldn't come up with anything worthwhile for him to do. If the rumours are true and he’s going to be facing CM Punk at WrestleMania then holding off his return would make sense: there’s no need to have him interact with Punk until his programme with The Rock is done.
 
The result of all this was that the twentieth anniversary did not have the Big Event feel it was expected to a few weeks ago. The mildly understated nature of the hype doesn't seem to have hurt WWE though, the show got its best viewing figure since RAW 1000 last July.
 
Despite not being deemed especially important the episode still managed to muster together an above average number of memorable segments. The first was Vince McMahon opening the show. It was a nice touch and served as confirmation that fans still react to the boss. Things deteriorated after Vince had made his speech: Big Show shuffled out to complain about losing the World Heavyweight championship. Vince cracked jokes, Show demanded a rematch. You all know the routine.
 
Memorable Moment Number Two was Randy Orton's surprisingly clean loss to Intercontinental champion Wade Barrett. The champ went over with his Bullhammer Elbow. Not only was this a nice thing for Barrett it will also apparently play into 'The Viper's' heel turn. I'm beginning to think he'll turn based on people having forgotten how dangerous he can be, having become distracted by playing to the fans. Or something along those lines.
 
CM Punk’s promo was not the third highlight of the show. It was good, but it was standard Punk fare and wasn't as impactful as his main event segment with The Rock on January 7^th.
 
No, the next big moment of the show came directly before Punk's promo when he wrestled Brodus Clay. It was a short television match that was, in the grand scheme of things, pretty generic. What grabbed me about it was Punk's wild bumping, going out of his way to make 'The Funkasaurus' look like as much of a threat as possible. Two weeks away from a match with The Rock Punk could easily have played things safe (or asked not to wrestle at all) to protect the main event of Royal Rumble. That he wrestled and did such a good job of elevating Clay shows why he's in the spot he's in.
 
For his part, Clay wrestled with a vigour that has deserted him in some outings over the last year. It goes to show what a higher spot on the card and a chance to stand out can do for someone's confidence and their willingness to perform at a higher level than usual.
 
The brief exchange between The Rock and Mick Foley (which took place backstage) was nice to see too. The Rock 'n' Sock Connection was a short but enjoyable part of the careers of both men and it was nice seeing it referenced on the 20^th anniversary show. The seemingly adlibbed two lines about Rock giving Foley a Rock Bottom last year was a great comedy moment.
 
The next notable in-ring segment was Miz TV. I'm not usually a fan of 'The Awesome One's' alleged chat show. This week's instalment proved an exception for two reasons. Firstly the guest was Ric Flair. Secondly Antonio Cesaro interrupted.
 
I am not actually the biggest Flair fan. I appreciate that he was once a great wrestler and that he's still a solid promo when he has someone to give him direction (which he didn't have in TNA). I don't begrudge him a spot on RAW, especially on any sort of anniversary episode. Just because I'm not wild about him doesn't mean other people aren't.
 
The reason I point this out is because Flair alone wouldn't have been enough to make me interested in Miz TV. What saved the segment, in my view, was Antonio Cesaro. His recent decision to wave the US flag as he enters arenas is priceless, as were the trunks he debuted on RAW that are very clearly based on said flag. His anti-Flair comments, which included a dig at the man's four failed marriages, were brilliant too. In short Cesaro is a riot. He understands how to portray himself as a menacing threat whilst also sending himself up.
 
Miz TV ended with Flair blasting 'The Swiss Superman' with some chops and then encouraging Miz to slap a figure four leg lock on him. Miz did so, making a poor stab at impersonating Flair along the way. With that done 'Naitch' threw his jacket to the mat and elbow dropped it. From anyone else that would be absurd. From him it works.
 
Things then went quiet until the final match of the evening, a cage match between rivals Dolph Ziggler and John Cena. Sadly that was memorable, at least in part, for the wrong reasons.
 
The match itself was good. It was on par with most Ziggler outings and far better than the average Cena bout. The crowd were into it and there were numerous well planned and executed spots, such as Ziggler's standing drop kick on the top rope. That said the wrong man won and 'The Show Off' was not protected in defeat.
 
Had Ziggler won, with a large audience watching it would have been a huge boost for him. Even if it hasn't been a clean victory it still could have raised his status in the eyes of fans.
 
Ziggler threw everything he could think of at Cena, progressively upping the stakes. A surprise super kick earned 'The Sole Survivor' his first convincing near fall. He reversed the No Pressure STF into a sleeper only for Cena to power his way out and climb the cage with Ziggler on his back. Big E cracked the cage door onto Cena's head for another close two count. Moments later 'The CeNation Leader' was distracted by a chair wielding Langston, allowing Ziggler to sneak in a Zig Zag. That only got him two as well. Finally Ziggler connected with a DDT from the second rope for yet another two count.
 
The finishing sequence then kicked in, with Big E getting into the ring and being accidentally hit with the Money in the Bank briefcase by Ziggler. Cena then effortlessly hoisted his foe onto his shoulders for the match winning Attitude Adjustment.
 
Cena withstood an onslaught from two men. Ziggler went down to a single AA. There could be no doubt who the bigger star was.

Cena has to be the only guy in wrestling who wrestles cage matches in trainers

 
What's so frustrating is that spectators clearly wanted Dolph to win. That in and of itself is not usually enough of a reason to have somebody win, but it does indicate who fans want to see more of. WWE didn't have to book a clean Cena loss. In fact this is at least part of the reason cage matches were invented: to give a rising star a win over a headliner without the headliner having to take a pinfall loss. The rising star simply escapes the cage instead.
 
Even if they were intent on having Cena win he could at least have let Dolph put up more of a fight. Even having Big E ejected from ringside would have helped. At least it would have seen Ziggler losing with the odds even. As things stand he couldn't even beat Cena with a two-on-one advantage.
 
Ziggler's popularity is clear and WWE squandered an excellent opportunity to advance him. This is nothing new, but it never gets any less disappointing.
 
The evening concluded with The Rock giving a Rock Concert. Each entry into this series (this was the fourth) seems to get shorter. Perhaps that’s just me. After singing a few lines directed at Paul Heyman 'The Great One' called Vickie Guerrero out onto the stage. Oblivious to the laws of wrestling logic that governed her fate (basically that she is a heel and Rock, as a face, would provide her with her comeuppance) Vickie smiled away as Rock started rewording an Eric Clapton song, addressing her as he did so.
 
Rock called Vickie a bitch probably around a dozen times, then Vickie left. It was amusing, but not uproariously so. The audience disagreed with me. They thought it was one of the greatest things ever.
 
Rock then called out CM Punk, who came out onto the stage alongside Paul Heyman. Rock referred to the latter as Twinkie Tits. The crowd lapped that up too. Perhaps they were just big fans of American snack brands. Rock certainly seems to be.
 
Rock told Punk that he'd beat him for the WWE championship at Royal Rumble. The champ then charged the ring and the two had a believable brawl until they were separated by referees and officials, including luminaries such as Finlay (he loves to fight!) and Arn Anderson.
 
With two weeks to go before they face one another on pay-per-view it made sense for Rock and Punk to close the show. Having them fight was a smart move too, it provided a taster for what is WWE's most hotly anticipated match since last year's WrestleMania. This is likely the image we'll think of when we think back on RAW's 20^th anniversary.
 
Overall it wasn't a bad show. There was more filler than I'd expected but they were accompanied by a greater number of enjoyable segments than I’d expected, so it balances out. All things considered I think that's an accurate reflexion of RAW's twenty year history: mostly good with a bit of bad mixed in.

Generally Mismanaged

When AJ was paired with Daniel Bryan as his on-screen girlfriend at the end of last year it felt like WWE was thrusting two acts together to see if they would flourish. Beyond using AJ as bump fodder for then-crowd pleaser Big Show there didn't seem to be a long term plan in mind for the two.
 
The combo proved to have good chemistry and made what storylines they were given work so well that the writing crew kept giving them more to do. Bryan emerged as a controlling, manipulative bully of a boyfriend using the frail and timid AJ to massage his own ego and gain an unfair advantage in his matches.
 
A good luck kiss famously caused 'Beautiful' Bryan to eat a Brogue Kick and lose the World Heavyweight title in 18 seconds at WrestleMania. Naturally AJ was blamed for this, which ultimately proved the starting point of the Bryan and AJ breakup (sob). 'The Diva Next Door' admitted she still had feelings for 'D-Bryan' but also seemed attracted to WWE champion CM Punk. In an odd twist Kane became involved in proceedings too, leading to a triple threat match at No Way Out and a cracking singles contest between the ROH boys, with AJ as guest referee, at Money in the Bank, among other matches.
 
It was around that time that I last wrote about AJ. I suggested that her surprising but welcome popularity boom could be used to elevate the Divas division. A popular figurehead like AJ could have done wonders for the league and its combatants.
 
Instead WWE elected to reinstate make AJ’s surname and make her the RAW General Manager on the show's 1000th instalment. It's become clear since she moved into the role that little, if any, planning went into the decision. AJ Lee has heard boos on more than one occasion and seems to have spent most of her time since the move flitting from one meaningless segment to another.

Meanwhile the three men that she shared screen time with over the summer have all progressed. Bryan has become one of the most over men in the promotion and has formed the comical Team Hell No alongside Kane, while Punk has assumed the mantel of lead baddie and remains the champ. AJ has developed little in her new role and feels stagnant as a result.

White suits are so 1970s

 
The mentally unstable direction her character has taken over the course of the past two months hasn't benefited her or the show she appears on. What made the character popular in the first place was that she felt like a real character. We could relate to her. The whacky mood swings and maniacal grin she’s been sporting recently are far too cartoonish to make AJ seem a believable person. The nature of the GM role has also led to her becoming overexposed.
 
At this point AJ Lee does not feel like a woman with masses of potential. She doesn’t look like the saviour of the WWE Divas scene or someone who could become a big merchandise shifter. It's taken just two months for this negative change to occur. If some time had been spent properly preparing stories for AJ's new role then this might not have been the case.
 
It's not too late for WWE to reverse their mistakes. Creating reasons for people to sympathise with AJ is what made her popular in the first place. The natural thing for the writing team to do would be to create reasons for people to actually like her again. If a storyline were constructed that saw her lose her job then people could be encouraged to rally behind her. Give her a month or so off of TV to recover from her recent overuse and then she could be brought back to TV for babyface duties.
 
In an ideal world she'd be launched straight into the Divas title scene. There's already a perfect heel opponent in place in Eve Torres, and something interesting could be concocted between AJ and former pal Kaitlyn without too much effort. I remain convinced this is the best way to use AJ Lee. Hopefully WWE won't make the same mistake twice.

434 Days of Solitude

CM Punk is currently enjoying one of the longest WWE title reigns in years. Not since Triple H's 210 day run at the top stretching from April 27^th to November 23^rd 2008 has a WWE champion enjoyed a reign in excess of 100 days.
 
While Punk is still a couple of months off of holding the strap for a year he's the first contender for that particular honour for quite some time. The last man to have a reign lasting longer than 365 days was John Cena (you may have heard of him), capturing the gold on September 17^th 2006 and holding it for 380 days until vacating it on October 2^nd 2007.
 
There's a reason WWE has recently started directing Michael Cole to mention these sort of facts regarding Punk's championship run. They realise that long reigns make the belt more prestigious, elevating the wearer and the company by association.

There's also a reason I'm channelling Cole here. I've realised that if Punk can hold onto the WWE championship until January 1^st 2013 he will become the first man to hold the title throughout a calendar year in over two decades. The last man to start and end a year as the WWE champ was Hulk Hogan during his original title run from January 23^rd 1984 to February 5^th 1988.

 

How long can Punk keep hold of the WWE championship?

 

The likelihood of Punk repeating Hogan’s feat seems pretty good at this point. Several things that have been said and done since RAW 1000 indicate that ‘The Second City Saint’ will clash with The Rock at the Royal Rumble. It’s possible that Punk could lose and regain the belt between now and the Rumble but it’s not very likely.

Punk v Rock seems like the way WWE will go at the Rumble. Keeping the belt on the man from Chicago until then will build the belt’s prestige and solidify his spot as one of the company’s top all-time performers. Having Punk overcome every challenger and finally lose the gold to a man of ‘The Brahma Bull’s’ calibre would help to portray him as a bigger name too.

I would love to see CM Punk keep hold of the title into 2013. So few people get to have credible, long reigns these days, especially in WWE, and it can really help a performer’s legacy. Punk deserves the accolade of being the first man since Hogan to hold the title for an entire year.

It’s probably a bit soon to be thinking about Punk breaking Bruno Sammartino’s 2,803 day (eight year) reign though. Probably best to assume that’ll never happen.

The Heel Turn That Wasn't

RAW 1000 ended with CM Punk giving The Rock a GTS. It was viewed as the WWE champion turning heel. It’s true that Punk’s demeanour and promos have been decidedly more villainous since he attacked ‘The Great One’ on July 23^rd but does that make him a heel?

No. Not yet at least.

The GTS to The Rock was designed as a starting point, not a definitive signal that Punk is now a completely different character who must be booed by fans. Getting to that point will take time. The man has been pushed as the promotion’s number two babyface for over a year. Fans will not just turn on him for that one act.

Some people will support ‘The Straight Edge Superstar’ more because of his assault on ‘The People’s Champion’. The sentiment behind the assault doesn’t contradict Punk’s character. Nor does it contradict the fact that he speaks his mind, which is what helped him gain support in the first place. What will encourage the majority of fans to jeer instead of cheer is his new habit of demanding respect and using shady tactics in his matches.

It’s impossible to say when Punk’s turn will be finalised and he will be considered a bad guy. Whenever it occurs he will undoubtedly be the new lead heel. There’s not really much competition for that spot anyway (Brock Lesnar’s part time, Daniel Bryan hears as many cheers as boos, and everyone else is either a mid-carder or a glorified mid-carder) but Punk’s push, status and lengthy title reign would help him to supplant even the most dominant of heels.

 

This man is on a collision course with The Rock

 

I expect the champion’s clash with John Cena at Night of Champions will see him go farther down the path to the dark side. Cheating to beat the hometown hero would get a lot of heat and portray Punk as a poor sport, especially if the announce team were bright enough to remind us that Cena played fair in Punk’s hometown at Money in the Bank 2011.

If I had to guess I would say that Punk will be a full on heel champion by the time of Survivor Series. By that point he will be two months away from a clash with The Rock and will need to start being built up as an unstoppable villain in order to convince people that he can beat ‘The Great One’ at the Royal Rumble.

It’s an interesting character development and one that benefits the Chicago native. It allows him to stay fresh and relevant and opens him up to new feuds and situations. It’s also something new for the wrestling business and its fans. We’re used to things taking place in a very short period of time. It’s nice to see a turn booked with some clear forethought applied to it.

RAW 1000 was a signal. Get ready for the heel turn. It’s coming.

Wight Elephant

A month or so ago on RAW Vince McMahon told Big Show what a disappointment he’d been since signing with WWE over a decade ago. Those comments were not a work. They may have been part of the script but the fact is that Paul ‘Big Show’ Wight has been a letdown for the sports entertainment company.

Paul Wight debuted at the St Valentine’s Day Massacre pay-per-view on February 14^th 1999, attempting to help Vinnie Mac defeat his arch nemesis ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin in a cage match. Wight lobbed ‘The Rattlesnake’ into the cage a few times, eventually causing the structure to collapse. In the whacky world of wrestling this meant Austin won (because his feet touched the ringside mats before Vince’s did). This storyline blunder beautifully encapsulates Wight’s entire WWE run.

Since then he has ballooned in weight and failed to meet expectations in the ring. The giant could famously execute a top rope moonsault when training at WCW’s Power Plant facility in the mid-90s. Even by the time he’d signed with the WWF this was beyond him.

Clumsy and injury-prone Wight has received varying degrees of push from WWE over the years, in a variety of roles. He has portrayed a bullying monster heel several times. He’s had numerous runs playing the affable yet powerful babyface. In 2000 he even did the tried and tested mid-carder gimmick of impersonating other wrestlers. That the promotion happily put a man on headliner salary in this role told us all we needed to of what WWF management thought of their seven foot acquisition.

Not only has Show been given gimmicks that should really be below his station he’s even been demoted to WWE’s training facilities throughout his career. When his weight first became a serious issue the former WCW champion was sent to OVW. It was an obvious demotion, one designed to motivate Wight into dropping some weight and earning his way back to the main roster. That didn’t happen. While he did make it back to a feature spot on WWE television it was more because the company was lacking in star power than because it was believed Show had gotten the message.

His role as smiley babyface has been the role Show has played the best. He is a naturally likeable and funny man, which comes across in his promos when playing a good guy. There’s nothing wrong in theory with using him as a heel: he has the size and strength to intimidate and is built to work a heelish strength-based style of bout.

The trouble with booking him as a terrifying baddie is that long-time fans have memories of dozens of smaller mid-card workers earning victories over Show. It’s hard to take him seriously as a threatening force when you know the likes of Carlito have pinned him.

Another part of the problem is that WWE has always seemed reluctant to keep one of his monster pushes going for longer than a couple of months. 2011 saw Mark Henry, one of the few people on the roster even more limited than Show, get over as a vicious, unbeatable bad guy. Had Show received a push like that at any point in his career he would very possibly be easier to accept in the role now.

He never has. His pushes have always petered out quickly. Fans remember that and cannot take Show seriously as an unbeatable monster because they know that sooner or later someone of average size will beat him again.

CM Punk tells Big Show that sooner or later he'll start being jobbed out again. The champ's not wrong...

It’s ironic that the last twelve months have arguably been the best of Show’s career. You would imagine that his increased age and blubbery belly would have made him more of a liability than ever. It is surprising then that he had a successful run as a babyface. While his feud with fellow mammoth Mark Henry (which spanned a whopping seven months!) failed to provide enjoyment Show was more over than he ever had been before.

His World Heavyweight championship win at TLC on December 18^th was little more than an angle to get the belt off of Mark Henry and onto Daniel Bryan, but it showed how far Show had come that he was accepted in that scenario. Just a year before he would have looked out of place in a world title match.

The giant’s subsequent rivalry with Cody Rhodes accomplished little except curtailing Cody’s rise to the top. Show captured the IC gold at WrestleMania XXVIII but dropped it back to Cody four weeks later at Extreme Rules. It did less for him than his minute-long reign as World champ had done in December. That’s both a reflection on the state of WWE’s booking and the status of the mid-card strap in 2012, not Show’s effective as a face.

The recent heel turn has done Show no favours at all. As a babyface he could play to his strengths. As a heel he is forced to appear imposing and fearsome. It’s failing already, thanks to his high profile losses to Blunder Machine John Cena. Things have tailed off so quickly for Show that he was relegated to a bit part role on the 1000^th episode of RAW, appearing only to interfere and attack WWE’s king of merchandise during the main event.

A reversion to the face side of the fence seems unlikely for the time being. Big Show has only just become a heel and has yet to end the first feud of this latest run. There are a number of babyfaces left to pit Show against before allowing him to soften his character again.

Top of the list is probably Randy Orton. CM Punk will defend his belt against Big Show and John Cena at SummerSlam, but after that event it’s reasonable to assume that Punk and Cena will drop the giant and continue the feud between themselves. That will leave Show without an opponent and with ‘The Viper’ recently returned from suspension pairing the two up seems a natural step.

Hopefully WWE won’t wait too long before switching Show. As a heel he is mostly laughable. As a babyface he is affable and surprisingly sympathetic for a man of his size. Playing the loveable underachieving giant is how Show should spend the last years of his career.

Bryan v Sheen

If last week’s RAW is anything to go by we may be seeing a match between Daniel Bryan and Charlie Sheen at SummerSlam. Yes, that’s the actor Charlie Sheen, famed for his roles in Two and a Half Men, Hot Shots! and... erm… Spin City. These days he’s probably most well-known for going off the rails last summer.

Involving celebrities at big events is nothing new for WWE. It’s been a key aspect of the company since the very first WrestleMania and is a large part of the reason Vince McMahon’s national expansion of the 1980s succeeded. It’s part of the package with WWE. For some people it’s part of the promotion’s appeal.

Charlie Sheen’s appearance on last week’s RAW 1000 was fairly low key. He appeared three times in total, talking to Michael Cole and Jerry ‘The King’ Lawler about what he’d thought of particular segments of the show. In his second appearance Sheen made light of Daniel Bryan being stood up at the altar. This prompted the former ROH champion to blast the actor during a backstage interview. When Sheen appeared to talk to the commentary team for the third time it was clear that a SummerSlam showdown between the two was being teased.

I’d say there’s a good chance this will happen. Sheen’s not got much else going on in his career right now and WWE will always want to bring in celebrities. The logic is that Sheen’s fans who usually don’t purchase WWE events will have tuned in to RAW 1000 to see what whacky misadventures Sheen would enjoy and will do the same at SummerSlam. The hope will be that some of these people will find something to like about WWE programming and become fans.

The problem is that WWE have (as usual) left it too late to capitalise on Sheen’s popularity.

It was this time last year, when the guy was going off the rails and cutting bizarre, wrestling-esque promos about “winning” and gobbling hefty amounts of various narcotics, that his popularity was at its height. A combination of WWE management not having their finger on the pulse as they did in the 80s and the fact that outside stars will not willingly associate with the wrestling business until their popularity wanes means that WWE is once again late to the party.

This is the same expression Bryan pulled when Vince told him he was considering booking him against Charlie Sheen at SummerSlam

This isn’t to say that Sheen’s involvement in a match or angle at SummerSlam won’t garner media attention and increased viewing figures before the event. It will. It’s just that he would have been more effective had he appeared at last year’s show.

I think this match will happen. WWE wouldn’t have scripted the jibes Sheen and Bryan directed at one another if they hadn’t confirmed something with Sheen (or at least you hope they wouldn’t). The attitude towards SummerSlam this year seems to be to make it as big as possible, and that means bringing in a celebrity for a high profile appearance. That Bryan’s ex-girlfriend AJ has just been made the General Manager means there is a logical way for Bryan to be booked into a gimmick match such as this.

This could be Bryan’s toughest challenge since leaving the indies. No, I’m not being sarcastic! Bryan has travelled all over the world and produced excellent matches with everyone he’s faced. He’s the guy who has worked classic wrestling matches from everyone from Samoa Joe to Kamala (yeah, seriously, Kamala. Watch it here).

What he’s never done is wrestle a non-worker with no wrestling experience or known interest in the business. If anyone on WWE’s roster can pull it off though it’s Daniel Bryan.

Working in their favour are Sheen’s charisma and the fact that the pay-per-view is being held in his hometown, along with Bryan’s immense popularity and ability to turn crowds against him. He may be over, in large part thanks to his “Yes” catchphrase but I am convinced that if this match happens the former American Dragon will be able to ensure he hears more jeers than cheers.

Bryan v Sheen will by no means by a classic or the best match of the night at SummerSlam. But if handled correctly a match between the two could be a memorable spectacle for the show and potentially a way of attracting some new regular viewers to the product.

That 1000th RAW Recap 23.07.12

There was a lot of hype to meet with the thousandth episode of Monday Night RAW. Did WWE’s booking team manage to meet expectations or was the first regular three hour show a washout? I’m pleased to say that for the most part RAW 1000 was a very enjoyable episode.

Vince McMahon hit the ring to kick things off. It was nice to see him. Unusually he didn’t take up much time. He thanked the audience for their support, dusted off his trademark RAW intro and then brought out D-Generation X.

The DX reunion was a perfect example of how to book a nostalgia act well. The gang ran through all their old catchphrases, made people laugh and then interacted with a current star. That star was Damien Sandow. ‘The Self Proclaimed Intellectual Saviour of the Masses’ appeared to attempt to save DX from themselves (or something). He took Sweet Chin Music and a Pedigree for his trouble.

Triple H doesn't look happy being at the back does he?

As a big fan of the New Age Outlaws it was great to see both ‘Bad Ass’ Billy Gunn and Road Dogg again. Road Dogg is still great with a microphone and Gunn looked to be in great shape. A gimmick match between them and a heel combo sometime in the not too distant future would be very welcome.

X Pac was also present.

The reunion was followed by a six man tag team match, for which Jim Ross joined Michael Cole and Jerry ‘The King’ Lawler at the commentary desk. Sheamus, Sin Cara and Rey Mysterio beat Chris Jericho, Alberto Del Rio and Dolph Ziggler when ‘The Show Off’ lamped ‘Y2J’, allowing ‘Great White’ to hit a Brogue Kick for the victory.

As six man tags go it was a decent affair. More importantly it advanced the Ziggler v Jericho rivalry that was started on show 999. A match between the two is expected at SummerSlam. It has the potential to be a highlight of the event.

Next up was a backstage segment that existed to get some faces in front of the cameras. Divas champion Layla (who didn’t have her belt and wasn’t acknowledged as the champ) was hanging out with bride to be AJ and discussing the upcoming wedding. As they did this Jim Duggan, R-Truth, Roddy Piper, Little Jimmy, Mae Young and a man in a hand suit (a gag for long-time fans) appeared in a corridor.

Young’s son aside it was not a good vignette.

JR had vanished from commentary for the next match, a squash battle pitting ‘The Funkasaurus’ against Jack Swagger. Dude Love was introduced to stand in Clay’s corner, and danced in the ring after ‘The All American American’ had been defeated. Foley looked appalling and his dancing was embarrassing. That he was given more air time than Swagger is not a good sign for the former World Heavyweight champion’s future prospects (or should that be future endeavours…?).

A brief shot of Daniel Bryan backstage was shown, talking to several men in white coats. This was a swerve designed to make viewers think that Bryan was going to have AJ committed during the ceremony. Instead we got a fairly standard exchange of vows (presided over by Slick) that ended with AJ yelling “Yes! Yes! Yes!”

She interrupted Slick just before he could proclaim the two man and wife, telling him that she hadn’t been saying yes to Bryan but to another man who’d made her an offer earlier in the day. Vinnie Mac then put in his second appearance of the evening and revealed that he had hired AJ as the new General Manager.

This should ensure AJ’s push continues, which is a good thing for her and viewers. It will be interesting to see how she’s booked in the role. I’m also keen to find out why accepting the role of GM meant she was unable to marry Bryan. Surely the two aren’t mutually exclusive? I bet we never find out.

AJ skipped backstage and left Bryan to destroy the wedding set. This he did with surprising speed and efficiency. If ever he gets bored of wrestling he’d make a great stagehand.

After a break CM Punk came out to taunt Bryan. ‘The Voice of the Voiceless’ basically said Bryan had gotten everything he deserved for treating AJ so poorly over the last several months. Bryan responded by screaming that he was the greatest WWE superstar of all time, which brought The Rock out to the ring.

Rock disagreed with Bryan’s lofty opinion of himself. He told Bryan that the people get to decide who the greatest ever is, then told him he looks like the offspring of an oompa loompa and a homeless lumberjack. ‘The Great One’ then revealed that he will challenge for the WWE championship on January 27^th at the Royal Rumble, no matter who holds the gold. The scene ended with Bryan taking a Rock Bottom.

The announcement that ‘The People’s Champion’ will face the WWE champion at the Royal Rumble is big news. It will become more relevant as the event draws near but it’s clear from this that WWE will be making use of The Rock throughout WrestleMania season next year. He was present on several shows this year but I’d expect his presence to be greater for the build to ‘Mania XXIX. The Rock appearing at the Rumble should ensure a high buy rate and will allow his match for the extravaganza in New Jersey to be setup with a large audience watching.

The third match of the night finally rolled around after another break. Introduced by Bret ‘The Hitman’ Hart it saw Christian defend his Intercontinental strap against The Miz. I’d predicted a title change based on the fact that WWE would want to switch a belt on the landmark episode. I wasn’t wrong. ‘The Awesome One’ dropped ‘Captain Charisma’ clean with a Skull Crushing Finale.

An awesome new Intercontinental champion

I could go off on a tangent and talk about how disappointing it is that yet another former world champion has been given a mid-card belt. But I won’t. At this point I’m just happy Miz has been given something to do and has the chance to reinvigorate the IC gold (something which nobody on the roster seems capable of doing).

Triple H opted not to change into his usual business attire for his showdown with Brock Lesnar. Instead he went to the ring in his DX camouflage gear. He could not have looked less like a COO.

Paul Heyman came out in place of ‘The Pain’. After teasing that he would be accepting ‘The Game’s’ challenge he announced that the SummerSlam match would not take place. The two men started insulting one another’s kids, which brought out Stephanie McMahon, who coerced Heyman into agreeing to the match in an exchange that didn’t quite work. She didn’t say anything that her husband hadn’t said but for some reason hearing it from her pushed Heyman’s buttons.

Wanting to get in a final shot Heyman once again targeted the McMahon-Helmsley kids, prompting a slap from Steph. As the two rolled around on the mat (prompting memories of Beulah McGillicutty’s battle with Bill Alfonso) Lesnar’s music played and the former UFC champion marched down to the ring. He and Triple H slugged it out before ‘The Game’ clotheslined him to the outside. The heels retreated backstage as Triple H ripped his shirt off and posed in the ring.

The Triple H v Brock Lesnar match is official for SummerSlam. If the company keeps doing a good job with the storyline it should help the show draw a high number.

Heath Slater’s legends storyline did not get the satisfying ending it deserved. Lita answered ‘The One Man Rock Band’s’ challenge for a legend to battle him in a no disqualification, anything goes encounter. She revealed that she’d hired some protection for the evening and brought out the APA. She didn’t say why she’d felt the need to hire them. Perhaps she was expected some trouble from Matt Hardy.

Slater tried to make an escape but was cut off by all the legends that he’s faced over the last month. He was sent back into the ring to eat a Clothesline From Hell from JBL and a moonsault from Lita.

While this may seem an anti-climax at least we know that Slater can shine when allowed to play a comedic loser. As I’ve written before WWE should keep him in a similar role now that the legends angle has played out. It’s how he can be of most value to the promotion.

John Cena, Zack Ryder and Gene Okerlund got some airtime backstage. ‘Long Island Iced Z’ was sharing his theory that ‘Mean’ Gene was behind GTV back in the late 90s. Gene denied it. Thankfully The Rock showed up to put an end to the nonsense. He wished Cena luck in his title match against Punk (as he had done with the champion earlier) and said he’d like the two to have a rematch at the Royal Rumble. I am indifferent to the suggestion.

Kane came to the ring, presumably for a match. I say presumably as his opponent was never officially introduced thanks to Jinder Mahal, Drew McIntyre, Hunico, Camacho and the MidCard Mafia coming to the ring to complain about their lack of opportunities. The Undertaker came out to join his storyline sibling and the two hit their signature moves on the job squad. It was nothing more than an excuse to include the Brothers of Destruction on the show.

Finally it was time for the main event: John Cena cashing in his Money in the Bank briefcase for a shot at the WWE championship held by CM Punk. I was surprised to hear that it was only the 57^th defence of the belt on Monday Night RAW. I would have guessed far higher than that.

The match itself was decent, though not a patch on their encounter at last year’s Money in the Bank pay-per-view. At around the halfway mark the ref took a bump and Cena caught Punk with an AA. With the official still unconscious Big Show lumbered out to the ring and hit Cena with a spear. Punk sat watching skittishly from the corner as the challenger pulled himself back to his feet. Cena was then KO’d by a WMD punch.

‘The World’s Largest Athlete’ vacated the ring, leaving Punk to look torn between waking John Cena and the unconscious official. Wake Cena and he would be giving his opponent the fair chance he himself had been extended the week before. Wake the referee and he would be that much likelier to retain the championship.

Punk opted to revive the ref. Having dragged him back into the ring the champ went for a cover only for the challenger to kick out at two. Punk then went for a GTS but Cena countered into the STF. Show then waddled back out and broke the hold, causing a DQ victory for Cena.

Yes, Cena became the first man to ash in the Money in the Bank briefcase and lose.

The giant stomped away at ‘The Leader of the CeNation’ as Punk turned his back and hung his head. Previously he had looked torn. At this point he looked dejected. He exited the ring, title belt in hand, just as The Rock’s music hit and ‘The Great One’ flew to the ring to make the save. Rock gave Show a number of punches then planted him in the centre of the ring with a spinebuster. After the traditional pose ‘The Brahama Bull’ went sailing off the ropes for a People’s Elbow.

That People’s Elbow never connected because CM Punk slid back into the ring and nailed Rocky with a perfectly timed clothesline. As ‘The Great One’ sold on the mat the champion mocked him by emulating the moves he makes before going for a Rock Bottom. When Rock finally made it back to his feet he turned around into a GTS. The show went off the air with Punk slowly heading backstage clutching his precious WWE championship.

Looks like The Rock has a new feud

So… thoughts on the show closing angle? A CM Punk heel turn is not what I‘d expected but it’s definitely a step in the right direction. He works better as a bad guy and has faced most of the top heels on the roster during his seven month title reign. After a year spent as one of the promotion’s top babyfaces Punk will be refreshed by the chance to portray a villainous character again.

It seems a safe bet that CM Punk’s reasoning for attacking The Rock will be jealousy. Rock turns up every few months and gets the biggest cheers of the night, while Punk is at every show with the gold and is seen as second best to the Rocks and Cenas of the world.

RAW 1000 seemed to indicate that The Rock v CM Punk is going to be the match we get at the Royal Rumble. If Punk keeps winning and is allowed to give credible reasons for his actions then I think he could be a massive heel by then. With the right hype that match could attract some monster numbers.

RAW 1000 preview

It’s interesting to note that although this is WWE’s first regular three hour episode of RAW and there’s a fairly hefty card announced there are only two matches confirmed to be taking place. One of those is an Intercontinental championship defence by Christian against an as yet unnamed opponent. The other is a WWE title match between champion CM Punk and challenger John Cena.

A three hour wrestling show with only two matches announced? That’s a worrying sign for the future.

I’m expecting Punk to successfully retain the gold in St Louis. As I’ve said before I believe Cena will be the first man to cash in a Money in the Bank title shot and lose. He would allow a memorable name to be given that dubious accolade and wouldn’t harm his credibility at all. Can you imagine Dolph Ziggler, or the majority of other former MITB winners, cashing in, getting beaten, and not losing some of their shine? No, me neither.

CM Punk enters RAW's 1000^th episode as champion. Will he leave it with the gold? 

It’s possible this match will mark the beginning of a Cena v Punk programme and lead to their rumoured match at SummerSlam. I hope it doesn’t. I’d rather see both men pitted against fresh opponents at SummerSlam. Tensai would benefit from a proper programme with ‘The CeNation Commander in Chief’ while Cody Rhodes would be a nice fit for Punk.

Speaking of Rhodes I’m expecting him to be the challenger for Christian’s Intercontinental championship. The two have been booked in a half-hearted feud for a few months now and the 1000^th instalment of RAW is the sort of landmark event WWE likes to book a title change at. As I’m not expecting the WWE title to change hands and there are no announced defences of the Divas, tag team, US or World Heavyweight belts the IC belt seems the likeliest to switch holders.

Whether it’s Cody taking it from him or not I do not think ‘Captain Charisma’ will be heading into Tuesday’s SmackDown tapings with the white leather strap.

One of the biggest segments of Monday’s RAW is going to be the Brock Lesnar and Triple H segment. This match will happen at SummerSlam and so I expect ‘The Pain’ to officially accept the challenge when WWE’s biggest TV audience of the year is watching. It’s possible Lesnar will say no and then backtrack on that decision in a few weeks. But what would be the point in that? It would be wasting the chance to confirm to a larger than average audience that a first-time-ever match is going to happen at one of the company’s biggest annual events.

I will be interested to see whether or not this segment bleeds into the DX reunion that has been announced. It would make sense. There’s not really much ‘The Game’ and his old pal Shawn Michaels can do together that hasn’t been done to death already. Lesnar and Heyman putting themselves in the middle of what has been confirmed as the show-opening segment would hook people straight away and allow the show to kick off with a huge announcement regarding a pay-per-view main event.

It would also allow the commentary team to hype the SummerSlam headline bout throughout the entire show. That’s something I’m sure management will be very keen on.

It will be interesting to see whether the reunion is limited to just ‘HBK’ and ‘The Game’ or whether the faction’s other members will finally be acknowledged too. Yes, I’d like to see the New Age Outlaws make and appearance (and X Pac too, I suppose…). D-Generation X didn’t die when Michaels left the company after WrestleMania XIV. Some of the gang’s most memorable segments actually occurred after Michaels had left. The 1000^th RAW is a nice time to allow the Outlaws and X Pac some time in the spotlight.

For clarity I should state that I think a Chyna appearance is pretty unlikely.

‘The One Man Rock Band’ Heath Salter’s feud with the legends of WWE will come to a head on this show. I’ve really enjoyed the storyline and think it’s made good use of nostalgia acts and a fairly limited performer in Slater. He has found his niche as a comedy jobber and I hope he is kept in a similar role from show 1001 onwards.

I’ve no idea what the payoff to this will be. The most realistic options I can think of are The Undertaker returning to Tombstone Slater (which is only realistic if WWE has no plans for ‘The Dead Man’ at SummerSlam), a surprise appearance from ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin (who has been conspicuous by his absence in the hype for this show) or a legends battle royal being held with Slater entered. If the latter happens I would expect Slater to win the thing and then take numerous finishers or punches from the stars of yesteryear afterwards.

Personally I hope WWE finishes this story with a Stunner and a beer bath to Slater.

On 9^th July The Rock tweeted the following:

RAW's 1000th episode. The People's Champ returns.. As promised, my goal: THE WWE CHAMPIONSHIP. #RELENTLESS

A mere three months after first announcing his goal to regain the WWE championship ‘The Great One’ is coming back to RAW. There’s a slim chance a SummerSlam match will be set up for him. WWE seems serious about trying to make this year’s August pay-per-view into something special. A bout involving ‘The People’s Champion’ would certainly help there.

We'll be seeing this sight on Monday evening

Realistically though I think The Rock’s next excursion into a wrestling ring will occur at Survivor Series at the earliest. SummerSlam seems a little bit short notice for a man juggling a Hollywood career, and if they knew they had him for the show wouldn’t WWE have made much more of it by now? I will elaborate on the possibility of Rock wrestling at SummerSlam below but it’s not that likely.

I think RAW 1000 will see the first on-screen interaction between The Rock and CM Punk. The above tweet and his comments the nights after WrestleMania make it very clear that a WWE championship match is in Rock’s future, and even if the title switches hands by the time Rock finds himself challenging for the gold (and he will) the champion right now is CM Punk. A confrontation between the two is a natural thing to book considering the goal Rock has and Punk’s character, and would make the 1000^th show that much more memorable.

With Cena being Punk’s opponent for the night it’s possible he’ll be involved in a confrontation between ‘The Voiceless of the Voiceless’ and ‘The Brahma Bull’. Personally I’d prefer it if he wasn’t because his presence would overshadow Punk, but providing aid to other performers is rarely taken into consideration when Cena is concerned. Lesnar could be involved too, setting up a clash between him and The Rock at next year’s WrestleMania. They are WWE’s two biggest drawing cards at the moment so it would be natural to pit them against one another at ‘Mania XXIX.

It’s impossible to tell what exactly is going to happen during the wedding of Daniel Bryan and AJ. The Peep Show segment on SmackDown makes me think that Kane is heading into a feud with Bryan and as there’s nothing else for him to do on Monday night I wouldn’t be surprised if he made an appearance during the ceremony.

It feels like there’s a swerve turned coming in all this. Perhaps Bryan has only gotten back together with ‘The Diva Next Door’ in order to jilt and embarrass her for costing him the WWE championship. Maybe Bryan will be asked the question and instead of answering with the predictable “Yes!” he’ll say “No.” After a moment or two of Bryan ridiculing AJ ‘The Big Red Monster’ could come out to make the save and set something up for SummerSlam.

The final confirmed segment for the show is the announcement of a new General Manager. Well, I assume it’s still going to happen. WWE haven’t mentioned the new GM for a couple of weeks now, and last week’s RAW and SmackDown didn’t feature anybody in the role. I can’t see them dropping the idea completely. The promotion has become accustomed to having an on-screen authority figure to include on their shows.

Who could take the role? It’s very difficult to say. Paul Heyman is a possibility. He could be written into the role as part of an “out of court settlement” in his legal battle with storyline COO Triple H. That would just be a short term deal though: Heyman is only going to be affiliated with WWE as long as Lesnar’s around. If Heyman is written into the role on Monday, which is a longshot, I do not expect him to still be in it by the end of the year.

The only other candidate I can think of is John Laurinaitis. He remains under contract and has been working dark matches and house shows against John Cena. Since being removed as Head of Talent Relations there’s little else for him to do in the company besides play a character on TV. A return from ‘Big Johnny’ would be a lazy choice, but that doesn’t mean it won’t happen.

The new GM announcement is a good opportunity for WWE to surprise us. Hopefully the role will go to somebody who will benefit from the increased television exposure and not overshadow the actual stars of the show. Even better would be the position being dropped altogether, but as I’ve said WWE likes having someone on-screen to make the matches and further the plots.

Finally there’s the expected Big Angle™. The last two years have seen WWE launch big summer blockbuster storylines. In 2010 it was the NXT invasion and last year it was CM Punk’s shoot promo and subsequent feuds with Triple H and John Cena. The 1000^th episode of RAW is a landmark show and the perfect time to do something similarly surprising.

Obviously something designed to shock and surprise the audience isn’t something that can be predicted. I have some ideas of what it could be though. I’ve already mentioned the possibility of the company choosing to tease Rock v Lensar for next year’s WrestleMania. While it wouldn’t be ground-breaking in storyline terms (no matter how much name value the two have it would still just be a feud at the end of the day) it would give WWE something to work towards and fans to anticipate.

Another option for The Rock is a SummerSlam showdown with WWE champion CM Punk. It would be a little rushed and wouldn’t really feel like a huge, game-changing angle, but it could draw ratings and attract a healthy buy rate for ‘The Hottest Event of the Summer.’ Rock v Punk would be a huge match for SummerSlam, one of the few capable of knocking ‘The Pain’s’ faceoff with ‘The King of Kings’ into the semi-final spot.

Another option for involving Punk in the Big Angle™ is putting him into a segment with Steve Austin and having them agree to face one another at WrestleMania XXIX. A match between Punk and ‘The Great One’ seems likelier than one between Punk and ‘The Texas Rattlesnake’ but it’s possible they’ll go with the latter. Punk v Austin is a match I would personally like to see very much. I think it’s unlikely for ‘Mania XXIX though.

These are suggestions for new feuds featuring big names. They’re not, strictly speaking, angles that would set WWE on a new path and guarantee viewers for the 1001^st show. I think the biggest, most shocking and most memorable thing WWE could book for this show would be something that has been discussed for years: a John Cena heel turn.

I expect the Punk v Cena championship match to close the show. That would make it easy for WWE to end with a shot of the newly villainous Cena. ‘The Leader of the Chain Gang’ could turn gradually throughout the course of the match, slowly becoming more and more desperate in his quest to topple ‘The Straight Edge Superstar’ for the belt (see Austin v Rock at ‘Mania X7). Or he could be beaten clean by Punk and attack him afterwards in a fit of rage.

RAW 1000 would be the perfect time to turn John cena heel. That doesn't make it likely though

Is this likely? No. A Cena heel turn has not materialised for the last seven years because he is the face of the company and its biggest merchandise shifter. Even if it would produce a lasting memory and set up a wealth of new booking options I believe WWE would be reluctant to turn their number one guy.

Whatever the Big Angle™ is I hope it closes the show in the right way and goes better than the last two have done. After 1000 episodes it’s tough for WWE to create fresh scenarios and shock audiences. If ever they’re going to do it RAW 1000 will be the place. The company is putting everything they have into the booking of this episode. They need it to work out well.

The Third Hour

The first 999 episodes are finally out of the way. From Monday night we'll be enjoying the four-digit, three hour version of everybody’s favourite Monday night wrestling show.
 
WWE has assured us, via head gasbag Michael Cole, that RAW will be "the most interactive show on television." That may well turn out to be true, mainly because there aren't that many shows boasting huge amounts of interactivity on any channel in the world.
 
That's because the concept is not new. I grew up in the 80s and there were many call-in shows aimed at kids available on weekends. I'd say calling in is "interacting." Such shows are still commonplace today.
 
Even if RAW does become the world's premier interactive show, is that what wrestling fans want from a wrestling show? Not really. Most of us would rather have good wrestling.
 
The trouble is that WWE hates being seen as a wrestling company. It's a vanity thing. Vince McMahon wants to prove he can succeed in other areas. He can't. The WBF, the XFL, WWE Studios and the various other side projects he’s embarked on, seemingly at random, over the last couple of decades prove that. If the company concentrated on keeping wrestling fans happy by giving us slightly lengthier matches and the blend of storylines that has become their staple then they'd be heading in the right direction.

In theory three hours of RAW could be a useful tool for introducing new acts and granting more time to currently underutilised ones. The Diva, tag team and mid-card divisions could all make use of more air time. With a bit of work these areas could become relevant parts of WWE’s programming again.

John Cena and CM Punk will clash for the WWE championship on the 1,000^th episode of RAW

 
The concern at the moment is that the writing team does not have enough material to fill three hours on a Monday night. They're having trouble writing two hours of RAW and two of SmackDown as it is. A third live hour is going to add more pressure, not help alleviate it. It seems to be a case of WWE choosing quantity over quality.
 
The inaugural three hour show should be fine. The promotion has done a good job of preparing for the 1,000^th episode. There's a WWE title match between two of the company's biggest stars, a storyline wedding between wrestling's most over female performer and one of the biggest surprise success stories to hit WWE in years, the payoff to Heath Slater's legends feud, the announcement of a new GM, the reunion of D-Generation X (who are only ever referred to as DX these days, perhaps because of WWE’s PG rating), and the first appearance of Brock Lesnar on WWE television since the April 30^th RAW.
 
That's a stacked show. But what's lined up for show 1,001? Presumably WWE will use the increased viewership to launch a big summer angle on the milestone show on July 23^rd, similar to last year's Summer of Punk II and 2010's NXT invasion.
 
Whatever this turns out to be it will have a limited run-time and, if the last two years are anything to go by, will be chronically bungled within a month. A shocking angle may attract viewers to show 1,001 but it won't keep them tuning in indefinitely. If WWE wants to make three hour, interactive RAWs work they're going to need to be very smart in the way they handle the new aspects of the show and very quick creating new stars to fill out the card.

The Fall Guy

The last few weeks of RAW have seen Heath Slater interacting with stars of yesteryear. First he was beaten by Vader. Then he interrupted Cyndi Lauper’s WWE return and ended up getting floored by ‘Rowdy’ Roddy Piper. Last week saw him get smashed by former WWE and WCW champion Sid.

This gimmick has been devised as part of the build-up to the 1,000^th episode of Monday Night RAW. It’s a clever move to have the same guy facing the returning stars each week as it becomes a storyline for them as well as hype for a show. Having a young star lose to veterans each week (the majority of whom are going to be well into their fifties) may not seem ideal but it’s better than not giving them anything to do at all. Slater hadn’t done worthwhile for months, this storyline at least makes use of him and plays to his apparent strength of playing a comedy heel.

So who can we expect to see facing ‘The One Man Rock Band’ in the coming weeks?

There’s a strong rumour that tonight’s show will feature the return of Diamond Dallas Page. If that’s true I think Slater is pretty much guaranteed to find himself on the wrong end of a Diamond Cutter. If DDP does appear I hope we get to see a “self high five” and his “PMA smile”. Entering to his WCW music would be good too.

Heath Slater did not fair well against Sid

Tomorrow’s live SmackDown is being billed as a Great American Bash event (no, it’s not a name worthy of pay-per-view status anymore) and an appearance by tiresome plank-lover ‘Hacksaw’ Jim Duggan has been confirmed. A segment in which Slater brags about being a great American only to be flattened by Duggan’s ever present two-by-far is easy to imagine.

Beyond that who can say? There are literally dozens of people who could work in the role of Slater squasher between now and the 1,000^th RAW episode, far more than will actually be required. My personal favourites for the role would be the Brooklyn Brawler, Papa Shango, Gillberg, the Bushwhackers and Steve Blackman.

"It's me, it's me, it's D-D-P"

It’s impossible to guess who WWE will use for these matches but the likelier candidates are the ones who remain on good terms with the organisation or work behind the scenes, which makes JBL , Kevin Nash, and Dusty Rhodes solid contenders for an appearance. There’s a good chance Jerry ‘The King’ Lawler and-or Booker T will join in the fun at some point, although part of the pleasure of these segments is seeing a star that is no longer a regular on WWE television.

This gimmick is likely to end on the 1,000^th episode of RAW. WWE will need someone special to deal Slater his final loss. Lawler would be a good bet there, but there’s a chance The Undertaker will perform the task instead. It may seem a wasteful use of him on such a historic episode of RAW but ‘The Dead Man’ could easily be booked to dispatch the former Nexus member and then either head backstage or cut a succinct promo, depending on WWE’s plans for him.

However the gimmick ends WWE should try to think of something similar for Heath Slater to do in the future. He will never be a world champion in the company but he makes a fine fall guy. In wrestling that’s not necessarily a bad thing.