The Official UKFF RAW Thread...

[d-d-d-dAz]

I hope the reliance on hype videos sticks around, it gave the matches a strong story and me a reason to care.

 

Compared to the last few months of story-less matches being pissed all over the shop, this show gets five bazillion stars for simply feeling like a back-to-basics wrestling show with drive and purpose.

 

I think with the leak, the Batista announcement is them taking ownership of the situation. I still think he'll be a surprise at the Rumble.

[Tim Healys Chutney Spoon]

So who can come up with the least inspiring likely card?

 

Being pessimistic I'd go Orton vs Punk, Cena vs HHH, Taker vs Brock and Bryan vs....Kane or something. No Michaels or Hogan match.

 

If last year is anything to go by, something like this is most likely what will really happen (af least Brock/Taker is still a win).

 

Least inspiring card:

 

Brock V Sin Cara, Goldberg V HHH, Bryan V HBK, Orton V Taker, Punk V Hogan, Batista V The Shield

[Guest]

I hope the reliance on hype videos sticks around, it gave the matches a strong story and me a reason to care.

 

Compared to the last few months of story-less matches being pissed all over the shop, this show gets five bazillion stars for simply feeling like a back-to-basics wrestling show with drive and purpose.

 

I think with the leak, the Batista announcement is them taking ownership of the situation. I still think he'll be a surprise at the Rumble.

How does he stay a surprise entrant when he's at the raw the week before? No one will be shocked by that

[NEWM]

The Batista hype video and the Cena/Punk/Langston promo were fucking brilliant. Stars being stars (and one hanging out with stars and looking the part). Kofi's new tights were horrendously fantastic too. I don't need too much to enjoy a show, good Raw!

 

EDIT: And I never watch or read about Smackdown so it was great to see the Shield beatdown segment to build to the Main Event. And Cena's nearly-white shorts too. Gear changes are a big deal.

Edited December 24, 2013 by NEWM

[d-d-d-dAz]

I thought the Rumble was the week before, not after.

 

In which case, its a touch soft of them to have the long awaited return on free TV the week before a clear opportunity to make some money out of it. Unless they're going to quickly cook up an angle, to pique interest for that particular section of the Rumble match. God, I hope it's a Reigns staredown.

 

The thing I've always thought about Batista is, though, is that regardless of how over he was at that time, his lack of coverage on TV or in DVD's or on the website seem to have sort of quelled much enthusiasm for his return. I've never got the impression that the 'Universe' is gagging for his return, and you get the feeling that a lot of people found it very easy to forget him. I mean, unless they turned the sound down in the arena, the reaction was muted at best (far beyond what you'd expect, even considering half the audience probably already knew) last night after the hype video.

[Killjoy_Gee]

I'm assuming the snippet from before the ad break you refer to was Big (Baby) Show...

 

Here's the full video

 

[AshC]

I mean, unless they turned the sound down in the arena, the reaction was muted at best (far beyond what you'd expect, even considering half the audience probably already knew) last night after the hype video.

Taped Raw, wasn't it? In which case, they likely put this in last minute and the live crowd never saw it.

[Nick James]

Only seen the first hour of Raw so far but, Big E and Roman Reigns having the staredown in the video package had quite a bigtime feel, kind of along the same lines of Batista and Cena before they blew up.

[d-d-d-dAz]

Fucking hell, taped Raw?

 

I'm swinging and missing all over this thread. I've clearly been knocked bandy by actually having something positive to say for once. Big E/Roman has all the feelings of Rock/Triple H and Batista/Cena, when they feuded before going over the top.

 

Speaking of which, I'd probably do Batista/Cena at Mania, with Trips on Daves team and Vince on Cenas. I wouldn't have Big Dave as a heel per se, but as a 'whose side is he on?' type cool renegade who just kills people. Maybe the end can be Dave going off script and Batista and Cena fighting off the authority, or something. Batista/Cena; Undertaker/Lesnar; Bryan/HBK and Punk/Orton for the title is alright by me. Plus, its the only card I can come up with where someone isn't left out.

[IANdrewDiceClay]

One month ago:

there are big plans for Big Show heading into WrestleMania.

 

Last week:

Well, preliminary numbers are in for this year's Survivor Series, which aired on Nov. 24, 2013, from the TD Garden Arena in Boston, Massachusetts, and they're not good. According to the Wrestling Observer, the event garnered 95,000 buys domestically and 84,000 buys internationally for a total of 179,000 buys.

 

Here's how that compares to recent years:

 

2012: 208,000 buys

2011: 312,000 buys

2010: 244,000 buys

 

This week.

 

Edited December 24, 2013 by IANdrewDiceClay

[PunkStep]

Good. As much as I like Show, he doesn't really pique my interest and unless there's a special attraction deal going on (like Floyd), there's not much for him at Mania.

 

Also, looking at those Survivor Series numbers, The Rock's return doesn't seem that bad number-wise.

Edited December 24, 2013 by PunkStep

[Astro Hollywood]

JBL is absolutely unbearable.

 

Next year's Christmas Raw needs to be a retelling of a Christmas Carol with Vince as Scrooge.

[FLips]

I know blaming HHH is so cliche that it's barely worth doing, but him and Steph have been nothing but detrimental to everyone since they started their power trip storyline. Burial after burial, and then they wonder why buyrates are down. Who cares about Big Show when all you have him do is get humiliated and cry, then shoot your load on the HHH knockout punch weeks before the conclusion.

[Killjoy_Gee]

Next year's Christmas Raw needs to be a retelling of a Christmas Carol with Vince as Scrooge.

 

I've been saying for years that WWE needs to do a version of Christmas Carol - I think I even posted my casting for it on here last year

 

Here it is for those who care

 

Narrator

[METAL ON METAL]

First Raw of 2014 (Jan 6th) will be an 'Old School' show.