The biggest Booking problem Monday Night RAW has had is revolving the entire show and Brand around two things for the last six months: Jericho and Owens and the RAW Women’s title.
Yes, other things have occurred: Sami Zayn and Strowman, Seth Rollins’s quest for Hunter, Goldberg/Lesnar, Joe’s debut, the evolution of Cesaro and Sheamus, but nothing as prevalent as Jericho and Owens. And all of those things mentioned at one point has tied into Jericho and Owens.
Jericho and Owens, Sasha and Charlotte have been the rock that has kept RAW afloat. They have been the only worthwhile things on RAW from the split until the Rumble.
Truthfully, without Jericho and Owens and their chemistry and comedy skits we wouldn’t have had a RAW. And none of that includes any matches.
As for matches, in all honest if they just aired Charlotte versus Sasha weekly for thirty minutes we’d have had better shows.
That doesn’t mean they have been booked well though. Charlotte and Sasha had great makes, but the title was passed around between them like a hot potato. This did nothing to help the prestige of the title, instead it devalued the title. The feud would have worked better with no title involved.
As for Owens, he and the universal have become what Reigns called Owens leading into the Rumble: Joke Owens Joke. They turned Owens into someone who couldn’t win without Jericho. It made Owens weak, and after Fastlane and the Goldberg squash Owens is near useless.
The Universal Title is in Limbo and near worthless. Having it on Goldberg does nothing to help it. Neither will Brock. Even if Brock wins, what then? He shows up once every few weeks and never wrestles like his last title run?
Whoever though we would see El Generico on RAW?! And we haven’t. Sami Zayn is there, but he has become nothing but the butt of a bad joke. He was used to put over Strowman, made to look like a fool, constantly buried by Steph and has yet to have a huge Marque win (except for maybe the Jericho win).
Roman – still beloved by Vince – has been floundering. Despite being the Tag Team champs, Gallows and Anderson were long booked to look like idiots. Not long ago, I was hoping they would quit and go back to Japan.
On the plus side, they have done a very good job of building up Braun Strowman and Nia Jax. Handled Joe nicely since his call up and finally dumped Mick Foley (show better already).
Of course, they have built up Goldberg well. But building up Goldberg (burying Lesnar), for the last five/six months showcases my thoughts perfectly.
The Brand Split was done because of the size of the roster, to give more space to build new stars and to look to the future. So, what do you do?
Bring back GOLDBERG! Yep. Let’s move forward by going back a century. This is what is called BAD BOOKING.
This is part of the problem the world has in general, going for quick short term gain over long term success.
The good news is this Mania season has brought with it renew excitement. Since The Rumble RAW has been better, not great, but better. They have done a good job of building up the matches for Mania – even if by Video Package because principles of a certain match aren’t there weekly.
The biggest problem I have is this: RAW can be good. RAW has been GREAT. We know it can be done, so why isn’t it?
The fans who tune in every week (like me) do it for one reason and one reason only: LOVE OF THE WWE.
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The State of Monday Night RAW – Part Three – Tuesday 4/4
Mania AfterMath; RAW Thoughts and The Future
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