Just got done finally finishing this week's Raw and I was impressed. The idea of a three hour Raw sounded down right dreadful but this week more than any it delivered. The segments were entertaining and the matches for the most part mattered going into SummerSlam. Some great matches with Rey/Punk and Bryan/Cena leading the pack. I of course, have a few things I feel I need to touch on so lets get at it.
First thing that comes to mind with this Raw, is the first thing we see, the opening segment. Raw had a great opening segment due to the great performances from two of Raw's most featured and talked about acts: AJ Lee and CM Punk. First off, AJ Lee is doing a great job in the General Manager role and the only downside is she's one of the few women in the company that can work and isn't going to be wrestling anytime soon. What I noticed this week (and this is just as much a compliment to the writers as it is her) is that she is coming off very in control, which is fun to watch. From settling down the ol' "every guy comes down to the ring" chestnut to looking these guys dead in the eyes and not cracking, AJ is being positioned as a very good character and a strong, positive influence for women (if you skip past the fact that she kinda got around the last few months). Its fun to watch this like 5'5 girl have control over all these giants. We'll get to CM Punk later.
Greatness in this business is only handed to a chosen few. People can work their ass off and become great wrestlers in the ring or good talkers on the mic, but it seems that only a chosen few have that aurora about them. Watching Paul Heyman and Shawn Michaels go at it on the mic is a huge moment to me. They can sit on their couch for years or months and not only come back and be entertaining, but be driving forces behind a major angle. This angle is nothing without Heyman and Michaels added a lot with his mic work on Raw and promised presence at SummerSlam. I'm very proud to say I grew up watching these guys and every time they even do a guest appearance I feel like I should write a book about them, but I'll have to settle for a paragraph in a inconsistent blog.
I thought the Zigglar loss to A-Ry was very interesting and didn't see it coming, not to mention it was a very good match. Zigglar can obviously afford the loss while he holds the briefcase, it'd be nice if it goes on to mean a little something for him (though it probably won't). I'm looking forward to Jericho Vs Dolph as it could be Jericho's last match for awhile, or who knows, ever. I feel bad, honestly, as somebody who calls themselves a huge Jericho fan. I don't feel like I've really cherished this latest run, or even paid a whole lot of attention. Maybe it'd because reports kept saying it wouldn't last long, maybe it's because his feud with Punk was largely overshadowed by Lesnar and Rock, whatever the case I've just been sorta...waiting for him to leave. I'm gonna watch that Summerslam match like it could be his last though, because you just never know.
Finally, let me get to CM Punk and his Raw performance. As a huge fan of Punk and his work let me say...Thank God CM Punk is interesting once again! Punk was very much lossing my interest and to an extent, getting on my nerves. Punk's fight the system attitude and "Pipe bomb" routine was becoming just that, routine. Everything you say is not a biting pipe bomb, to say the least. For Punk to have that bite that he had in the "Summer of Punk 2", he's got to have something to fired up about and I think this storyline is perfect. He has been overshadowed by Rock, Lesnar, and even AJ (I'd like to think WWE forshadowed this with the Eve segment a few weeks ago) and he's sick of being overlooked by not only WWE, but the fans he fought so hard for only a year ago. It's entertaining and more than anything the thing I love about it, it makes sense. I'm not hard to please, just make it all make sense.
To sum it up simple, that's why I loved Raw this week. Kofi and Truth's beef with the Prime Time Players, Sheamus messing with Del Rio, HHH and Lesnar's feud, Jericho and Dolph's story, and CM Punk's turn are all realistic, well thought out storylines. Raw was at it's best this week the more I think about it, and yet, I'm sure most probably still complained. That's why you read my blog, and not the other's.
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