The Official UKFF RAW thread (part 2)...

[FLips]

For those worried that Smackdown was rubbish because it was building to a big Raw you can stop worrying because Raw might have been even worse.

How is the product so bad between last Wrestlemania and this one? Jesus wept. Between John Cena’s promo taking up the first hour, an Austin Theory vs Jey Uso match and a Finn Balor main event I was clamoring for Charlotte and B-Fab to come out and put on a rematch to get me back in it.

[mim731]

John Cena's promo

Edited March 17, 2025 by mim731
Spelling (not witchcraft)

[Daaaaaad!]

I seem to be in the minority from what I've read, but I quite liked the Cena promo. At first I was annoyed about the same music/look etc. but I enjoyed the justification for it - giving him a heel theme and outfit would probably play into it more whereas keeping him as same old, same old adds to the reasons he gave. As for the time it took - come on, it's the John Cena heel turn. It needed some time!

What I didn't like nearly as much was Cody then coming out, facing him down and... leaving? Like, no physicality between them at all? This bloke booted you in the bollocks and let a rapper slap your eye out, and all you've got is 'soz m8 see you at mania eh'? They could've surely found some angle to explain the lack of contact between them.

Edited March 17, 2025 by Daaaaaad!
i used the word 'justification' three times in two paragraphs ffs

[TheScarlettChad]

The heel turn seemed a waste of time. Hopefully they pick it up soon. 

[Matthew]

5 minutes ago, Daaaaaad! said:

What I didn't like nearly as much was Cody then coming out, facing him down and... leaving? Like, no physicality between them at all? This bloke booted you in the bollocks and let a rapper slap your eye out, and all you've got is 'soz m8 see you at mania eh'? They could've surely found some justification for the lack of contact between them.

And if they’d have done that, this forum would be full of “another brawl tear apart”. It’s been done the last few weeks for different feuds, so likely would’ve been over-overkill.

[NeverYield]

I enjoyed the promo from Cena aswell, at first the premise did seem like whiny bitch behaviour as Cody put it, but he brought it back round with his justification of it which may well have come from a genuine place to a degree, which for me made it that bit better.

And what a crowd! Show wasn't that great apart from the opening segment, and Jey Uso is lucky he didn't smash himself to bits with that dive, but I'm interested to see where Cenas heel run goes next from here.

 

 

Edited March 17, 2025 by NeverYield

[Daaaaaad!]

1 minute ago, Matthew said:

It’s been done the last few weeks for different feuds, so likely would’ve been over-overkill.

You're absolutely right and I guess I should've phrased it differently; I would've liked them to establish some reason given to keep them apart. Maybe the Final Boss has used his pull to ensure Cena can't have a hand laid on him or Cody loses the title. Or even just have Cena back down when Cody arrives, something we're used to him never doing. 

[FLips]

I was kind of hoping they'd bring out DIY every show on the run just to embarrass them.

[RedTwoster]

I also liked the Cena promo. I also think that Cody’s dismissive response indicates that some sort of edge to the character is coming. I don’t think what he did there is something that can sustain itself for an extended period.

I actually enjoyed the show on the whole too, even if the Wrestlemania card is shaping up to be much less interesting than it could be. In front of a quieter crowd I might have felt differently, though.

Edited March 17, 2025 by RedTwoster

[RIDDUM_N_STYLE]

I thought it was a fun show tbh, the crowd were amazing throughout

Two things need to happen though, get Finn away from Judgement Day and pull the damn trigger on Austin Theory’s face turn

The Penta/Kaiser match was fun and I’m well down for Bron and Penta to go at it for the IC

The Cena/Cody segment was well done, justified reasons from Big Sellout John for the turn and Cody’s response was great as well, Cole’s rant calling out Cena was good as well if only for Graves’ dumbfounded look

[FUM]

3 minutes ago, RIDDUM_N_STYLE said:

pull the damn trigger on Austin Theory’s face turn

I have no idea why people think this is a good idea. I have a mate who keeps suggesting it too. Austin Theory isn’t getting cheered anywhere, I really don’t know why people think he’s going to be one day. He’s very unpopular.

Fun show and enjoyed the Cena segment too. 

[FLips]

Austin Theory has one of the most smug punchable faces maybe in the history of pro wrestling and he's bombing as a heel. God forbid how useless he'd be as a face.

[Supremo]

On 3/4/2025 at 11:59 AM, Supremo said:

In fact, I’ve put my theory to the test and concluded all the worst things about WWE’s current product is because Hunter is a massive fucking mark for himself and his career.

That Rhea angle where she signed the contract was as eerily familiar as it was spectacularly dumb. I wonder where we’ve seen that before. I wonder what loser continues to take further inspiration from his own, massively overrated career.

Good old Hunter Hearst Helmsley. Watching this segment back as he binges Netflix to create his own Hall of Fame vignettes. Deciding it’s a super cool angle they should repeat. So stupid. Then, now, forever.

Not only did it make Rhea look like a right knobhead, but it once again completely undermined the past three months of television.

All these mugs fighting in the Qualifying Matches, then the Rumble Rumble and/or and Elimination Chamber, to try and secure Main Events and Title fights at Wrestlemania. Absolute waste of time. Just pick a fight with Roman to secure a main event, or scribble your name on someone else’s contract to secure a Title fight! On the Metaphorical Road to Wrestlemania, it’s now clear that only the losers take the recommended route. Just Hitchhike or take a Shortcut!

Speaking of such mugs, poor Jey Uso can’t catch a break! I fully expected another week of him going 50-50 with a jobber, so was pleasantly surprised when he smashed Austin Theory so quickly. Is it? Could it be? Are his fortunes turning and there’s still a chance he could Main Event Night One?! Nope. He proceeded to hit a flying Top Dolla and looked like a complete wally. It’s not happening, Jey. Fate has spoken. You’re opening the show. Warn Rikishi ahead of time. Try and stop him booting off online the night of the show.

Seth Rollins is a truly special talent. I’d accepted the rubbish Triple Threat Compromise Match. I’d made my peace. And yet the way he delivered this promo, it was like he was trying to re-open the wound. Doing that dog shit, “visionary, revolutionary….,” thing. And then explaining how ROMAN REIGNS and CM PUNK would be in a ring together on Smackdown and he planned on gate crashing the party and getting IN BETWEEN THEM. Genuinely impressive for him to find a way to reframe this match to once again highlight how much his involvement dilutes it. Imagine CM Punk vs. Roman in a singles. It’d genuinely rival Cena vs. Cody in marquee value. But no. As Seth reminded us here. We’re getting this instead.

I laughed out loud at the vignette Hunter aired on himself, about how fucking great he is and how that return from injury in 2002 was the greatest thing ever. Weirdly no mention about how Hogan politicked the shit out of him a month after Wrestlemania. Anyway, it just made me smile. For all Vince’s sins, at least he had the humility to tell people not to thank him at the Hall of Fame. By contrast, Hunter is putting himself in as the headline act and spending the weeks beforehand getting everyone to take turns wanking him off. Such a loser.

Corey Graves was infinitely easier to listen to than Pat McAfee, and I don’t say that lightly. Graves sucks, but Pat is unbearable.

On a more positive note, the Chad Gable angle continues to be silly fun and Penta vs. Ludwig was a blast. I guess that confirms yet another multi-person match at Wrestlemania, for the Intercontinental Title. If nothing else, I hope Sheamus gets in it and wins. That’s the story. That’s the Mania moment, fella.

Funny when they did the big stare down between Bron Breakker and Penta and you heard that super loud RIP of the Velcro belt. Absolute boner killer. You cannot look cool with a Velcro belt. Grow up.

Bianca Belair in glasses. Good grief.

Best news is that the Cena thing mostly delivered. Reading about it before watching it, I expected the worst. “I’m not a babyface. I’m not a heel. I’m a human being.” Get in the fucking bin. Dreadful. And it sounded really stupid that after waiting weeks for revenge, Cody just did some PROMO BATTLING rather than swinging for the prick. But then watching it, it worked. Despite the flaws, it really fucking worked. Big time. Wild. Absolute scenes hearing the heat for Cena and listening to him tell everyone to get fucked. Especially that one kid. That was hilarious. It’s actually genius that they barely tweaked the act. At his core, Cena was always an unlikable weirdo. It makes perfect sense to just lean into it slightly more. What a prick.

Cody actually ended up looking cool as fuck, too. Doesn’t need to swing here and now. He’s that confident in himself. He’ll deal with you on the big stage. Almost like he has a plan. An ace up his sleeve. Give me a hell yeah.

Overall, more of the same. A messy, convoluted Road to Wrestlemania, filled with compromises and bad ideas, but carried entirely by Cena and Cody being the fucking best. Actual top guys. Mega stars. Aces. Everything Hunter incorrectly thinks he was and will tell you at every given opportunity. Do you remember the tank?

Edited March 18, 2025 by Supremo

[digforvictory]

So much of the build to Mania on both shows just feels a bit of a mess. 

Even the Cena turn, which was a great moment and did give WWE some much needed momentum,  doesn't make much sense when you really think about it, The Rocks involvement in particular is all over the place. 

Cody gives Rock his Mania title match spot for some reason then changes his mind and takes it back so now they're enemies , then a few months later off screen he apparently becomes great pals with Cody and they're having a lovely babyface time together on the first Netflix Raw , then again for some reason Rock turns back heel off screen and wants Cody to be heel with him but he says no so Cena turns heel and joins Rock and they all beat up Cody. There's a rapper there too. All very convoluted.

All the feuds currently feel like that, a sloppy mess. It's just that Cody and Cena have the star power to overcome that and still make it  mostly work.

[Kfogg1991]

Yeah personally I kinda liked Cenas promo while it was fittingly childish and fitting with his market he's a hero (you were mean to me and bullied me so I beat up someone unconnected or undeserving) but then Cody came out with a entrance that lasted longer than him being in ring where he did nothing to the man who violently attacked him leaving him bloody and embarrassed, just quickly spoke from a distance and left. He wasn't being paid by the hour he had stuff to do.

The rest of the show was uncharacteristically dull considering the time of year and road were on. Finn being the main says it all.