WWE RAW & Smackdown Thread

[Majingir]

Miz: You see what happened!? I want a match with he who shall not be named. Come on Aldis, give me a match with him!

Aldis: Him? You mean Carmelo Hayes?

Miz: No..well yes, I'd love a match with Carmelo but that's not who I'm talking about!

[Majingir]

Dirtsheets saying that

Spoiler

Trick Williams

could be going to Smackdown soon.

Given their next show is January 2nd, I see them kicking off the new year (or the following week) with that happening.

It makes the most sense too that it'd be SD given that

Spoiler

Carmelo is on the show (and now suddenly teaming with Ilja), so perhaps they do insert him in to that story? The old friend comes on to the main roster to see his former best friend and former rival now friends.

But also, Lash is on the show too so obviously they don't often split up pairs.

[TheMatrix31]

Netflix says tonight and next weeks are taped. They already have the recap for both episodes.


Edit-One of the many reasons the modern format takes people out of shows at times...it took 6 minutes in to this show before anyone's music even hit. Everything prior was 5 minutes of recap and 1 minute of showing the city skyline and superstars arriving. This really is like sports where you tune in at 7 but the game doesn't start until 7:09.

Yeah, it sucks.

Wrestling is an adrenaline rush.

Opening promo, fireworks, music hit.

Boom.



This episode was worthless. I'm over stables just brawling every week.

[Majingir]

Looks like we've had good reasons to feel like the shows lately have felt more off and ad filled than usual.

Typically these 2.5 hour Raws have had about 2 hours and 5 minutes worth of shows when you removed ad breaks.

However, since November 10th they've been around 1 hour and 45 minutes!

So that means 45 minutes of ad breaks in a 2.5 hour show.

Factor in the ads built in to the show and the recaps from the previous week, and that's probably closer to 1 hour and 30 minutes of actual show/new content.

So to sum it up, I'm not watching today's show until 9pm and I'll still finish by time it ends live.


Edit-This weeks show is only 90 mins. Sure its taped but still....

Although one thing I always like about watching these pre taped episodes, Netflixs skip ahead feature shows you the video thumbnails while you skip so it's so much easier to see where you should skip until.

[UFCMPunk]

So Je'Von Evans is deciding whether to go to RAW or Smackdown and other call ups expected.... so who is beating Oba Femi?

[Majingir]

For all the attempts to put Theory over (The Way is still the only one which has worked), he's only 28! Feels almost like he's in Ricky Saints situation where he feels like a young prospect but is 35, but Theory is still so young in his career.

[Majingir]

So Je'Von Evans is deciding whether to go to RAW or Smackdown and other call ups expected.... so who is beating Oba Femi?

Leon vs Oba feels like such an easy David vs Goliath story that I could see NXT kicking off the year with a huge shock like a big upset win.

Slater takes the title from Oba which sends him to SD, and with TNA premiering on AMC on January 15th, maybe they have the NXT title on that show?

[TheMatrix31]

Tonight's episode was pointless. Taped events always stink now.

Completel lack of immersion. 90 minutes. Dumb

[UFCMPunk]

Is this the final taped show? I assume RAW is live on Monday given the big Women's Triple Threat Championship Match between Stephanie Vaquer, Raquel and Nikki Bella.

[UFCMPunk]

I was thoroughly sports entertained with that match. Hendry being on the main roster ready is quite surprising, but I guess USA Network said his name.

[UFCMPunk]

Can we get a Best of 7 series between Ilja Dragunov and Carmelo Hayes? I could watch those two wrestle every week.

[UFCMPunk]

Cody Rhodes vs Drew McIntyre for the WWE Championship set for the January 9th edition of Smackdown from Berlin, Germany. This match will be a 3 Stages Of Hell Match, which means three different match types in one. For example, Austin vs Triple H from No Way Out 2001 had the following stipulations. Match 1 was a Normal match, Match 2 was a Street Fight and Match Three if needed was a Steel Cage Match. Drew didn't name the stipulation for each stage, I assume that will be announced next week.

Also find it funny how they have a Live Event on January 10th from Glasgow, Scotland the day after that Smackdown in Germany. I don't think Drew wins, but imagine if Smackdown was in Glasgow instead and he finally wins one in his home country. Or, the idea is Drew wins on Smackdown then walks into the live event in Glasgow as WWE Champion.

[Majingir]

All these years of wondering and we finally get our answer.

Debuting with the Rose buds and continuing since, we find out the easter bunny has been R Truth.

Is this the final taped show? I assume RAW is live on Monday given the big Women's Triple Threat Championship Match between Stephanie Vaquer, Raquel and Nikki Bella.

Back to live episodes next week starting with Raw, but SD will be live AND 3 hours (presumably for the first 6 months again like we saw last year)

I was thoroughly sports entertained with that match. Hendry being on the main roster ready is quite surprising, but I guess USA Network said his name.

Two Joe Hendry concerts in less than a week!

"Miz has tiny balls, he'd rather be in Hollywood but they won't return his calls. This song is getting weird, but now something is clear, why he got kicked out of the locker room for half of his career"


But I do like the free agency angle we're seeing, as long as they stay on that brand for the entire year and don't get drafted away 2 months later. That's one thing on the brand extension I wouldn't mind seeing, making it more like GM Mode where everyone just has contracts that could expire during any given month. Doesn't mean 99% of those have to be angles at all, but every now and then we could see someone bring up the fact that their contract is expiring and they need something or else they'll walk to the other show.

[TheMatrix31]

For a taped show that was a very good show. From the Miz/Hendry stuff to backstage appearances during the show for Cody and a "running storyline" throughout the show to the promo with them to Ilja/Carmelo.


Good stuff.

Worst part was finding out there's *another* ****ing overseas tour. Well, here's hoping WWE is forced to change venues for the Rumble.

[UFCMPunk]

Worst part was finding out there's *another* ****ing overseas tour. Well, here's hoping WWE is forced to change venues for the Rumble.

I don't mind the European tours leading up to a major PLE, like Mania this year and Rumble next year. You know those crowds are going to be good and alive, versus North America where you get What chants in 2025.

WWE has to be careful though as overdoing the European tour is going to wear the crowds out, what makes all these international shows so good is that they haven't had shows in over a decade in some cases, so those fans were starving for PLES and what not.