Mystery GM and other Newsworthiness

PLEASE NOTE: In This Very Ring will podcast tomorrow night after Smackdown sometime, so that we have had an opportunity to actually see a wrestling program this week before going on the air. Thanks for bearing with us as we went on vacation. :)

So ... we come back from Orlando to hear that WWE has had an eventful week! While Bret Hart has been kayfabe fired - taking the blame from Vince McMahon for firing the NXT guys who are a talented bunch of up and comers - there is a new, mystery GM issuing edicts by email, read out by Michael Cole as they come in. This is actually a potentially fascinating storyline that could breathe some new life into Raw. Is it Michael Cole himself? Jim Ross? Daniel Bryan? All sorts of possibilities abound ... someone I haven't mentioned here? This could easily be ruined by hotshotting the angle, or having it go too long, or having the punchline be the wrong guy ... but for now it's somewhat original and intriguing. I hope they can stay in tune, keeping this storyline pitch-perfect until the reveal we all know is coming. No awkward guest host sounds like it was refreshing too.

Meanwhile, this Raw came on the heals of the Fatal Four Way PPV - while it sounds like it had some glitches (ending 25 minutes before the top of the hour as opposed to the typical 10-15, despite people paying $45-55 dollars a pop for the show; several excellent, yet unadvertised matches such as the Harts vs. the Usos), but overall offered a strong and newsworthy wrestling program with two world title changes (Sheamus is Raw's new champion, while Rey Mysterio has stepped up over on Smackdown), a new Diva's champ, and lots of good, fun matches in between. Definitely hope to catch one of the replays this week. Impressed at the sounds of the program WWE has been putting forward, and a nice change from some of the missteps of the previous few weeks. It might have been an awkward build, but it sounds like WWE has finally gotten where they want to be in terms of pushing some new guys and filling some of the holes that have needed plugging due to releases and injuries of late. Here's hoping they can keep it up.