Cyber Sunday Predix

So between my computer being messed up, the busy week, Halloween parties, Ari's schedule, I'm giving up on the ITVR thing for this week - thought I'd still include some comments about Raw and Smackdown this week in this post, and do a second post (to control length) including my Cyber Sunday predictions, and then we'll move on next week, where you'll hear on Wednesday night, as always, our thoughts on the PPV, how we think it's building to Survivor Series, and any other interesting happening in the wrestling world. Since there haven't been that many this week I haven't commented on, I figure this isn't a bad week to do that, and I appreciate your bearing with me these last few days where my most frequent posts have been 'more tomorrow', which never ended up happening. Trust me, I'm glad to be off that roller coaster too, and moving forward with you guys, since we've touched on the main 'real world' news items, to discuss the on-air wrestling product of the past week. Which was crap.

Actually I shouldn't say that - mostly, it was unmemorable; which means, in a PPV week, that it was crap; the shows this week should have been compelling and pushed us forward into tonight's show. I honestly don't remember much about Raw, and I watched pretty darn close to most of it. I get they're building up for a Miz-Morrison vs. DX match for the 3-hour special coming up, and I thought Santino Marella was genius (although I know his segment this week was hit or miss, from the other reactions I've read); it made him look SO creepy, however unintentional that was, and I think it added an interesting element to his character if WWE chose to go with and develop that. But let's think about that; those are the two segments that stood out to me; of them, one built up to an upcoming free show; the other built to the PPV, but towards what is really intended to be a comedy match (in which I wouldn't be at all surprised to see clever mimic Charlie Haas come out in place of whoever the fans vote in - which would be a bad move in terms of building up fan goodwill).

The one other brief segment that stood out in my head - Chris Jericho saying Steve Austin was the special guest ref he was least interested in having officiate his match with Batista at CS -
made no sense to me given (a) his recent history with Shawn Michaels and (b) Shawn's blatant statement that he would do anything in his power to make sure Chris Jericho left the PPV without his belt if he were the ref the fans selected. Illogical, and poor build on a Raw I didn't really have time to watch. Aggravating.

And as for SD, I only have one comment by way of a compliment or a complaint: its big feature bout this week was Triple H vs. Undertaker. Now I know Big Show came out and interfered, as did Vladimir Kozlov; but people. This is a Wrestlemania-level main event match. Much as Triple H and Batista four years ago, these two men should not have so much as exchanged a GLANCE until at least the Royal Rumble. This is a feud which hasn't taken place in years - after hotshotting two major matches that had NEVER happened and deserved a Wrestlemania stage this summer (Triple H-Edge and Batista-John Cena), I'd think the one relatively new and rejuvenated feud left to them should have remained intact. Oh well ... don't save up and build for something that could pop you a rating now I guess.

And I will give them that - by doing this on a taped show, people knew what the main offering would be, and so it would at least boost SD's ratings on their new home, MyNetworkTV, which have suffered a hit. So I "get it", I suppose - doesn't mean I like it. Want a free offering to toss the fans? Have Edge return. Have a high profile roster switch (Cena to SD or such). GIVE Vladimir Kozlov his #1 contender run on free TV and don't throw him a PPV bone just yet - hell, that would kill two birds with one stone. I'm all for adding some bells and whistles for free to your program now and then to remind fans that HEY! That's a valid part of your entertainment package too, and to throw the networks who expect you to deliver ratings a bone. This just seemed WAAAY over the requirements of 'let's pop a rating'. Especially when the first Trips-Taker match in YEARS was mainly used as a backdrop to push a couple of not particularly highly anticipated matches on a not particularly highly anticipated PPV. But I'm getting ahead of myself ... :)