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

[RIDDUM_N_STYLE]

Still the greatest move Trips ever made, rehiring Cathy

[air_raid]

We also learned this week that middle rope Canadian Destroyers onto chairs are now something we might see on Raw occasionally.

What a time to be alive.

[Devon Malcolm]

I didn't enjoy Raw very much and I don't say that very often these days.

So, Cena. Can't fault his performance during this, he delivered everything really well and he slotted into being a heel seamlessly. The problem was that it went far too long and the material wasn't very good. I feared a reference to 'not being a heel or a babyface' and that's why I got. Pure shit. I feared a mention of 'toxic relationships' and that's what I got. Material written with no sincerity either by a sniggering anti-woke writing team or by someone who heard it once on a podcast and thought it would sound good. It did not. They didn't need to go this hard with this so early but they can save it because he's so good and because the core idea, of him being a mard arse pulling a strop, could work in his hands. 

Cody Rhodes mostly saved it by being succinct and to-the-point. I didn't mind that they didn't fight, that'll obviously come. But overall this was a classic case of not being able to reach such high levels of expectation. No Rock though, so 5 stars.

Penta had another match with Kaiser, did the taunt 5 times that I counted, so he's slowing down. I see nothing special or particularly awful about him to care one way or another. As noted, the highlight was Cathy Kelley cosplaying Miss Hancock from WCW.

Dakota Kai and Ivy Nile had a nice enough little match but both are capable of better even though they hardly had any time. Give them a feud or something, fucking write some more stories in the women's division.

The Rhea / Iyo / Bianca stuff continues to not be good and not just because of Iyo. Its one saving grace is Bianca clearly being a natural heel and the switch over should be easy, so that shows some promise. This was mostly stupid though. All they had to do was Bianca vs Rhea. Did even Iyo Sky fans want to see her in this scenario?

Jey Uso is ageing and slowing to alarming degrees on a week-by-week basis. I don't have an issue with him having a squash match even though the finish was bizarre but the fucking dive and his slowness, what has happened to him. A mess.

LWO had a match.

Rollins did a promo.

Karrion Kross looked great in AJ Styles' hair.

FNBLR, or Fumbler as it looks like to me, lost again and still hasn't gone away. I prayed for it and it still hasn't happened.

Raw is Chore.

[air_raid]

2 hours ago, Devon Malcolm said:

Did even Iyo Sky fans want to see her in this scenario?

No. I like Io but her being repeatedly pie-faced and held up as the third wheel in a feud for her title really negates any value she might have earned winning it. Be FAR better at this point acting like Damage CTRL was still a real thing and pointing Kai'n'Sky towards the Heartbreak Liv and Big Raqqy Cool for a proper tag title feud.

Edited March 19, 2025 by air_raid
Big in Japan, be tight.

[Olly1984]

14 hours ago, Devon Malcolm said:

 

Dakota Kai and Ivy Nile had a nice enough little match but both are capable of better even though they hardly had any time. Give them a feud or something, fucking write some more stories in the women's division.

Agree 1000% Dev, match just got going and then Kai kicked Ivy in the arm, and that's it. 

Jey Uso is ageing and slowing to alarming degrees on a week-by-week basis. I don't have an issue with him having a squash match even though the finish was bizarre but the fucking dive and his slowness, what has happened to him. A mess.

Top Dolla is probably happy about Jey's utter shit dive, lad's been usurped by Chow Mein Event Uso!! 

 

FNBLR, or Fumbler as it looks like to me, lost again and still hasn't gone away. I prayed for it and it still hasn't happened.

Agreed but who do you think is gonna replace him, other than the bleeding obvious Alexander Black hocus pocus bullshit nonsense?. 

Raw is Chore.

 

Edited March 19, 2025 by Olly1984
Make it clearer who's comments are who's?

[RedTwoster]

On 3/19/2025 at 8:20 AM, Devon Malcolm said:

The Rhea / Iyo / Bianca stuff continues to not be good and not just because of Iyo. Its one saving grace is Bianca clearly being a natural heel and the switch over should be easy, so that shows some promise. This was mostly stupid though. All they had to do was Bianca vs Rhea. Did even Iyo Sky fans want to see her in this scenario?

Having Iyo inserted into the Rhea/Bianca match makes that match feel less significant. Having her challenge for the IC belt, on the other hand, would elevate that match (providing it’s not a multi-person affair). I wish they’d just done that. 

It’s the least I’ve felt invested in a Wrestlemania card for quite some time, which is a shame as I’d generally enjoyed what WWE had been doing up until the Wrestlemania build.

[air_raid]

26 minutes ago, RedTwoster said:

It’s the least I’ve felt invested in a Wrestlemania card for quite some time, 

For me its only the least I've been into one since 39, because I stopped giving a shit for years, and then they managed to reel me back in, because of Cody a pretty compelling build for 40.

I can't currently figure out whether I'm watching it on Netflix because its more interesting than any point since 2019, or just because its on Netflix so easy for me to watch and I'd have been watching it through the shite years regardless.

[Devon Malcolm]

What I would say is that WWE have had a good habit of turning in a really good PPV when the build and/or line-ups have been underwhelming so I'm hoping that will be the case here.

[Supremo]

In retrospect, that post-show press conference after Elimination Chamber is aging terribly. Hunter, all smug and cocky after the Cena turn going, “does it feel like the Road to Wrestlemania now?”

And then proceeding to pump out mostly bad television, building to a mostly rubbish Mania card. Even the one good idea they do have - Cody vs. Heel Cena - there’s this weird sense that it’s still being re-written and changed at this late stage in the story.

Meltzer has reported that, “something is going on,” regarding them not mentioning The Rock on Raw and that, “there’s more to it than meets the eye.”

Best case scenario, maybe they can’t write anything involving The Rock unless Dwayne and Gerwirtz are there to sign off on it. Worst scenario, maybe Rock’s had a couple of Ket Shandies and changed his mind again. Maybe he wants to be Cody’s mate again. Maybe he wants Cody to still turn heel regardless. Maybe the Tag Dream match with Vin Diesel is back on. Or maybe he fancies inserting himself in the match and rubbing his fingers all over Cody and Cena’s faces. Mania 41? Triple Threat Match?

[air_raid]

25 minutes ago, Supremo said:

Hunter

The Rock

Mania 41

Please!

[digforvictory]

22 minutes ago, Supremo said:

Meltzer has reported that, “something is going on,” regarding them not mentioning The Rock on Raw and that, “there’s more to it than meets the eye.”

I thought that was interesting too.

We're nearly 3 weeks out from the heel turn and I think other than a fiery CM Punk promo the night after on Raw I don't think The Rock has even been mentioned since. They definitely didn't reference him in the Cena and Cody segment on Raw. Wasn't even a hint of a mention of him.

Very odd.

It wouldn't be a huge shock if he doesn't appear again before Mania would it? Maybe not even at Mania. Just totally gone from the story.

[DavidB6937]

I'd love it if Cody has put his foot down and said he's fed up of Rock coming back every year and being a twat. And they've taken his side rather than Dwayne.

[Supremo]

9 minutes ago, DavidB6937 said:

I'd love it if Cody has put his foot down and said he's fed up of Rock coming back every year and being a twat. And they've taken his side rather than Dwayne.

I'd love it!

"Wrestling is cool again, and that's why you're barred!"

Everyone else feels uneasy saying, "No Black Adams allowed," but Triple H is unusually enthused while shouting it. For reasons.

[Devon Malcolm]

12 minutes ago, digforvictory said:

It wouldn't be a huge shock if he doesn't appear again before Mania would it? Maybe not even at Mania. Just totally gone from the story.

A huge shock, possibly. A huge relief, absolutely.

[RedTwoster]

1 hour ago, Devon Malcolm said:

What I would say is that WWE have had a good habit of turning in a really good PPV when the build and/or line-ups have been underwhelming so I'm hoping that will be the case here.

I’ve no doubt the show will be good - most of the wrestlers involved are more than capable of putting on a strong match, and it’ll likely be a great show from that perspective. If I don’t feel invested in the build, I find it harder to care about the show even if the actual wrestling is fantastic. That’s very much a ‘me’ thing, though, and is certainly unfair on the wrestlers.