Blowin’ Smoke with Kemper Jones
I have returned, and I am happy to say that my desktop computer is back from the dead. It was a pain in the ass, but it’s fully operational. I can now go back to bringing my laptop to work with me again.
Before I get to Raw…
On the Smackdown vs. Raw 2011 front, I have completed the Road to Wrestlemania stories for Chris Jericho and Christian. They were both very well put together stories. I did find it odd that there was a MitB match at Elimination Chamber in Christian’s. That didn’t make any sense. My friend, Vic and I had some good exhibition matches on Friday night, but I’ve barely scratched the surface of the game yet. Now that all the work is done on my PC, I should be able to get some more game time in.
One other thing that stood out during my play through of Christian’s story was the teaming of R-Truth and Mike Knox. They were going by the name Truth and Consequences. The lines of dialogue recorded for Truth had him in full heel mode. I wonder if this was just the developers putting together hypothetical tag teams or if it was something that was originally planned for WWE TV that never panned out.
I thought I’d mention that I made a point to check out Zigger/Bryan III from Smackdown. While it didn’t live up to their Bragging Rights, or even Raw match, you would’ve never known that these two mixed it up three nights in a row (considering SD is taped on Tuesdays). They did a masterful job of giving us something different each time. I wouldn’t mind seeing this lead to an eventual IC/US unification, but at this point I’d have to assume Ziggler would get the win if that happened. I can’t imagine they’d bury him to the point of being 4-0 against Bryan. For the time being, it’s probably better to keep them apart for a bit before they meet again.
I’m really disappointed by the news of CM Punk needing hip surgery. Early estimates put him on the sidelines for 3 months. I guess this means that Bryan/Punk won’t be happening any time soon. It sucks, but I hope they pick up where they left off with the tease last week. Word is that he may stay on TV throughout his time on the disabled list, in a non-wrestling capacity. He brings something to the show no matter what he’s doing. If he were to sit-in on commentary semi-permanently, I’d have no objections.
In other video game news, Disney Epic Mickey is coming out on November 30th. If you own a Nintendo Wii, this game needs to be on your radar. It’s being developed by Junction Point Studios, which is headed by Warren Spector (Thief, Deus Ex). This is not a game for kids. It’s a game for gamers. Don’t be put off by the fact that it has Mickey Mouse in it. Do a little research, read some articles, and watch some videos. If that doesn’t get you excited for this title, I don’t know what will. Amazon is running the same deal that they were on SvR 2011, where you get the $10 gaming credit with pre-order.
Damn, I’m almost at a page already and I haven’t even gotten to the show yet.
Raw 11/01/10 Afterthoughts
We begin with Randy Orton already in the ring. He calls out Cena and questions him about what he’s going to do as referee at Survivor Series. Cena went on for a while, but all he essentially said was, “I don’t know what I’m going to do, but I won’t go quietly.” Barrett came out with the rest of Nexus and stated that it really doesn’t matter what Cena says. Barrett insists he will become WWE Champion.
The GM interrupted and lined up a match pitting Orton against Barrett with partners of their choosing in the main event of the evening. Cena was named special guest referee. This was the GM’s way of testing what Cena might do at Survivor Series.
This angle is really starting to get to me. It is now apparently all about Cena. The WWE title is an afterthought. Why a GM would allow this situation to go on this long is beyond me. He would rather wait and see what Cena does, rather than have a legit match at a PPV for what is supposed to be the biggest prize in all of pro wrestling. Please, let Cena cost Orton the title, so the Barrett/Cena feud will revolve around the title. I said it before, and I’ll say it again: GET ORTON OUT OF THE MIDDLE!
The newly crowned tag team Champions had their first actual match. Heath Slater and Justin Gabriel defeated The Hart Dynasty in an OK match. This was more about continuing the break-up of THD. I still don’t like it, but it’s obviously going to happen whether we like it or not.
Initially, I didn’t think either Slater or Gabriel would fit in with the heel stable, but they’re doing a fine job. I would’ve much rather seen Slater or Gabriel on a team with one of the bigger Nexus members. If Skip Sheffield and Michael Tarver weren’t both out with injuries, one of them would have probably been teaming with Slater.
The backstage conversations between R-Truth and John Cena continue week after week. I don’t like either of them much and have a hard time understanding why they’re trying so hard to push Truth lately. I know he hasn’t gotten a title shot or anything, but it seems like WWE is trying to push him towards the upper-mid card.
Alberto Del Rio vs. Edge was announced for Smackdown. Crap, I might have to watch that one.
Sheamus continued his mini-feud with Santino. Their verbal exchanges were good. I can’t hold that against them. Santino has always been funny on the mike, and Sheamus has greatly improved since he won the WWE title the second time.
Instead of a rematch, Santino had Vladimir Kozlov fill in for him. I knew right away that we were about to see a horrible match. Anytime you get two muscleheads in the ring, it’s going to be bad. All you can do is hope it’s quick, and it was. Sheamus got the decisive win after hitting the broque kick on Koz.
He then slowly followed Santino up the ramp. I must admit I enjoyed this short interaction between the two, as Santino tried to bribe Sheamus with everything in his possession. At the top of the ramp, John Morrison made the save again. Signs are pointing to either a 1-on-1 match or a traditional Survivor Series 4-on-4 elimination match at the PPV with each of them captaining a team. They already have ¾ of Team JoMo set up: Santino, Kozlov, and JoMo. Add Mark Henry and give Sheamus the Usos and Ezekial Jackson and you have a match.
R-Truth continued to not mind his own business by talking to Randy Orton about the Nexus/Cena situation. Orton asked Truth to be his partner tonight. That was way too predictable.
Pee Wee Herman made his guest-starring debut in a segment backstage with Mark Henry and the Divas. I could’ve done without this segment, but we did get a quick surprise visit from Lita. I’ve read that she may be interested in returning and I’ve also read that she’s a big Pee Wee fan. Either way, her involvement in the sketch was limited and pointless. It was an unexpected, yet welcome surprise for her to appear on camera though.
Ezekial Jackson squashed Zak Ryder. Michael Cole even mentioned that he was the last ECW champion. This guy is really sloppy. Are he and Otunga having a competition to see who can be the worst in-ring worker in the company? It surely appears that way.
I’d much rather see Zak Ryder doing something substantial. I don’t expect him to win a title or anything, but let him have a match where he actually looks competitive. He’s a decent worker and a great talker. I wouldn’t mind a few Bryan/Ryder matches. I think they could put on a good show.
David Otunga was shown with Wade Barrett. Otunga was chosen as Barrett’s partner for the main event. They also showed a commercial for the new issue of WWE magazine. How many covers has Orton been on in the last six months? I know two for sure, but I’ll even go as far as saying it may be three.
We didn’t get to see the Miz/Mysterio match that was teased last week due to SURPRISE Mysterio had a medical problem. Instead, there was a segment involving Pee Wee Herman, The Miz, Alex Riley, and The Big Show. I have to agree with my girlfriend on this one. This was probably one of the best superstar/guest star interactions that we’ve seen since the gimmick began. Second, only to the Jericho/Bob Barker Price is Raw bit. I could’ve done without the Big Show, but that’s only because I’ve seen Miz/Show enough by now. Show got the DQ victory when Miz hit him with the MitB briefcase. I figure it won’t be the end of it. I could see this leading to another Survivor Series team elimination match.
WWE aired a new “Stand up for WWE” video. This time featuring numerous celebrities that have appeared as guest hosts/stars.
In the Nexus locker room, Barrett berated Cena by issuing orders for after the show. Cleaning the locker room, sweep, mop, etc. After Barrett left the room, Otunga told Cena that he has more talent than anyone in Nexus. I’m glad this is scripted, because you know that even Otunga himself knows this isn’t true.
Dibiase made his way out with Maryse. It was at this time that I realized Daniel Bryan hadn’t been on the show yet. I started wondering if these two would face off, and I was ecstatic it turned out that way. I’ve always been a fan of Dibiase, and you know how I feel about Bryan. While the match was good, it didn’t live up to the hype that I built for myself in that short time. Perhaps I’ve been spoiled by the trifecta of greatness that was Ziggler/Bryan. The crowd was behind Bryan the whole time, and that’s all that really matters. The more love he gets from the crowd, the better it is for his career. I’m starting to think that mainstream WWE fans forgot what wrestling really is, and Bryan is reminding them week after week. They obviously like what they see.
I’m so confused about the continued Natalya/Laycool feud. Nattie earned a title shot at Survivor Series by defeating McCool. Will the PPV be her night? If not, lets end this.
We are now being told that Nexus’ attack on Vince McMahon put him in a coma. Also, Freddie Prince, Jr. is his doctor. I enjoyed Vince’s reactions to the state of WWE, but they could’ve left the political stuff out. In the end, it was all Stephanie McMahon’s dream and he’s still in a coma.
Did anyone else notice that R-Truth is adding, “What’s Up?” to his new song? I know it’s taking the live crowds time to learn the song, but why change it again by adding to it?
Truth/Orton won the main event. Cena called it right down the middle, even questioning a tag that he didn’t see between Barrett and Otunga. If there isn’t a huge swerve during the title match at Survivor Series, they’re wasting out time. Unless of course, he calls it evenly and is fired. I can’t imagine that will happen.
In Closing
A very so-so Raw. We only have two matches announced for Survivor Series, and the majority of the show was about Cena/Barrett. I don’t see much going on between Orton and Barrett. I think that’s the problem. Barrett is so set on treating Cena like a bitch that he doesn’t even worry about what would happen if Cena didn’t help him.
I’m remaining optimistic that next week will be more like last week’s show.
I’d be happy to hear any comments. Hit me up at [email protected] or search Facebook for my column to find discussion, random thoughts, and exclusive columns in the future.
