Review In The Raw: 11-26-12, Shield Your Eyes

Did Raw build upon a mostly positive show last week? Let's find out...

Opening Narration.

-People can bust on WWE for ripping off TNA all they want, but the fact is, this is a good idea. Almost every other popular "weekly, episodic" tv show does a recap at the beginning of the show to bring viewers up to speed. It makes it feel more like a tv show and let's face it, that's what Raw is. I know purists like to entertain dreams of WWE returning to its roots and becoming a rasslin' show again, but that's not going to happen anytime soon. So, for the way WWE is trying to present their product, I think the opening narration is a smart move.

-Furtherance of the John Cena-Dolph Ziggler feud taking place on Smackdown this past Friday is alluded to. As an adult, I groan at this because I just don't care enough to watch every second of WWE programming. But as a kid, I was such a hopeless devotee, that I think I would have LOVED having this much wrestling to watch and would have kept up on it religiously. Still not sold on this approach by WWE. I think a less-is-more approach with a better overall product would result in a greater overall viewership, but I can't say that I don't see the logic in doing things this way either.

Segment 1. Ryback def. Titus O'Neil. Ryback refuses to leave the ring.


Old-school type match in which the singles star goes over the tag team specialist. I don't have a problem with it.

Titus is so horribly green it's disgusting. But he makes a strong showing.

-"Feed Me More" chant, and Ryback, really starting to get over.

Last Word: PLUS +

Segment 2. Ryback attacks security. Vicki gives him a TLC title match against Punk at next PPV. Hornswoggle, Rosa, ADR & Khali backstage.

-Nothing wrong with the Ryback-Vicki segment other than illogical booking. How does Vicki Guerrero have the authority to book pay-per-view title matches when she's just the Raw (whatever title they're using now)?

-The backstage segment with the also-rans was to set up for a match between Del Rio and Khali. This is the kind of thing that I can do without and lends credence to my argument that a three-hour Raw is just way too long.

Last Word: MINUS -

Segment 3. ADR def. Khali clean with Rosa watching backstage. Punk and Heyman confront Vicki backstage.

-Not sure where the Rosa, ADR angle is going to lead but again, this isn't the kind of thing that I think needed to be part of this show.

-The whole concept of a fan poll deciding Punk's opponent is another concept that old-school fans can't stand but it's actually a good idea. Whether or not it's legit is always going to be a question, but social media is more important right now than TV ratings and WWE is doing its best to stay at the head of the pack, even posting a graphic during the show of their "Social Media Ranking." Even if it is bogus, it keeps fans involved.

Think about how often you check Twitter or Facebook throughout the day. Not that a non-wrestling fan will suddenly watch wrestling because a related topic is trending, but if you can show investors and stockholders that millions of people on social media are talking about your product, that makes your product relevant and marketable to advertisers and sponsors. So criticize all you want, wrestling fans, it's smart business.

-All that being said, this segment really wasn't needed.

Last Word: MINUS -

Segment 4. Cole interviews Ambrose, Rollins and Reins. They call themselves The Shield.

-Not crazy about the name. But loving the gimmick and the concept behind it. Why? BECAUSE IS MAKES SENSE. We're always complaining that storylines don't make sense anymore, and with good reason. This one does. Ambrose has already confronted Mick Foley about something similar, the "purity" of wrestling. And their declaration of protecting what amounts to the "old-school" way of doing things is an extension of that.

-It is clear that Ambrose should be the leader of this group. He has a natural gift for speaking. I say, give them guns and make him The Joker! As a rogue group, they should be able to get away with pushing the envelope a little bit.

-I don't see them getting over as individuals with this angle unfortunately, but it's a nice way of making three guys the WWE Universe is probably not at all familiar with seem important right off the bat.

Last Word: PLUS +

Segment 5. Fandago vignette. Tamina def. Alicia Fox.

-Vignettes are such an effective way of debuting someone. It worked for Damien Sandow. Whether or not a dancing gimmick is the best way to go, I'm not exactly sure. It'll draw some heat initially which will be good for him and he can always change things later. I have no complaints.

-Tamina's outfit looked like she was trying to hide her period. And the match was terrible. Fans can't help but pop for the Superfly splash though.

-I don't have a problem with this segment because I realize the importance of furthering both characters, I just wish it had been a part of a two-hour show instead. The fact that I had to watch this on top of everything else just left a bad taste in my mouth.

Last Word: MINUS -

Segment 6. Another replay of Cena-Ziggler-AJ. Vicki gives Cena & AJ a "gift." More gross make-out stuff. Ziggler interrupts.

-Cena's involvment in this angle has made almost everyone else lose their appeal. Sure, AJ is adorable but her lack of chemistry with Cena just makes it feel like her presence is wasted. And Vicki always has heat but it looks like not even she believes in her "crusade" to expose Cena and AJ. Dolph so far, has been able to maintain some conviction but he started to lose it this week when he made the feud with Cena to suddenly be more about AJ than about furthering his career.

Last Word: MINUS -

Segment 7. Some football player gets a Spinner Belt. Wade Barrett on commentary while Kofi Kingston def. Tensai.

-Along with the constant reference to Vince and other Superstars visiting a U.S. miliatry aircraft carrier, the short video featuring the football player is just more intelligent PR by WWE.

-Wade Barrett is so good on the mic, I find it hard to believe that he won't be a top heel someday.

-Unfortunately, Kofi is over but Tensai made an excellent showing and could possibly build on this if they decide to use him in something worthwhile. I think he impressed the fans by kicking the crap out of Kofi.

-I really like the way the Intercontinental title is being showcased as something important.

Last Word: PLUS +

Segment 8. Daniel Bryan and Kane backstage. Kane revealed as winner of the fan poll.

-Bryan is still crazy over. This segment was funny. I just wish they could turn these segments into more success for these two wrestlers in the ring. I realize they're tag champs, but both of them ended up losing tonight in mediocre fashion.

Last Word: PLUS +

Segment 9. Rey Mysterio vs. Daniel Bryan, Part One.

-In case you didn't catch it on Monday, this is the FIRST TIME EVER these two have wrestled a singles match against each other. UGH! Overkill much?

Last Word: PLUS +

Segment 10. Rey wins (of course). ADR, Ricardo & Rosa backstage.

-The match was decent by WWE standards, but when you realize how much more these two are capable of, it just fell a little flat. Bryan looked like he hadn't even broken a sweat when it was over. And why does the WWE Tag Champion who is over like mad have to fucking lose?! Just a disappointment on every level.

-Can't say much about the Del Rio, Rosa angle except that what I care most about is how it's going affect Ricardo and I'm not sure that's a good thing.

Last Word: MINUS -

Segment 11. Yet ANOTHER replay of AJ-Dolph-Cena. Ziggler vs. Cena, Part One.

-Cole almost reluctantly acknowledges Cena's "torn meniscus" as Cena runs full speed to the ring and then executes a leapfrog without favoring the limb at all. At least the jorts are gone.

-Dolph Ziggler may be the new Shawn Michaels. He just needs to develop HBK's refusal to do jobs.

Last Word: PLUS +

Segment 12. Ziggler can't even beat a hobbled Cena.

-When Cena suddenly aggrivates his "injury" hitting the ropes I groaned thinking Ziggler would win but only because Cena was hobbled. Not sure how I let that thought even enter my brain because of course, Cena can't lose no matter the odds or how hurt he may be. Silly me!

-I realize Cena's over. And despite the "Cena Sucks!" chants, the crowd popped huge when he won. But when Ziggler countered the AA by hitting the Zig Zag, I don't think Cena's reputation as a "Superman" would've been hindered at all had he just eaten the pin. It was a brilliant counter and Ziggler's best move, yet Cena still kicks out. Dolph, on the other hand, gets caught in an Attitude Adjustment, or in layman's terms, a fireman's carry takeover, and 1-2-3, the match is over! It just made Ziggler's winning streak disappear because no matter what kind of a roll he was on, he still can't beat even an injured John Cena, meaning he's not in the same class as The Rock or....well, gee, I guess that's it actually.

I understand that he's supposed to be this era's Hulk Hogan, but the way I look at it, you can give Cena marks in the Raw crowd the cheap pop, then give the Cena marks in the next crowd the cheap pop again by having him continue to go over every single time. OR, you can have Ziggler win the match, and show everyone that John Cena IS human, that he can lose, and help everyone get behind the illusion and suspend their disbelief and actually generate some interest in a future match between the two at say, TLC, when fans will actually have to PAY TO SEE IT. I don't know, it makes sense to me but when has that ever mattered to WWE when it comes to booking their Golden Nugget?

-Very good match. Fantastic showing by Ziggler. All spoiled by a cheap Cena win and Cena trying to swallow AJ's face afterward in a revolting display. Hopefully WWE has realized the utter lack of chemistry between these two and will put this angle out of its misery. This article by PWMania gives me some hope.

Last Word: MINUS -

Segment 13. Sheamus def. Antonio Cesaro by countout. A pay-per-view match worth caring about.

-What an excellent, physical match! It's just a shame that neither of these guys are as over as John Cena. The crowd was clearly more involved in the previous match. I think these two eventually won them over though with some hard-hitting action.

-The finish wasn't going to generate much of a pop, but it was the right call. Cesaro is too good to be jobbing to main event guys in non-title matches. And Sheamus needed another good showing but also needed to win. This way, both purposes are accomplished.

-I like the build for Big Show-Sheamus. Their match at Hell In A Cell was very good and this has turned into an old-school championship series that I actually wouldn't mind seeing through to its final resolution.

Last Word: PLUS +

Segment 14. Damien Sandow gets his token win over Zack Ryder. Josh Matthews interviews Paul Heyman outside CM Punk's dressing room.

-This is the point in the show when I start wishing it was still two hours.

-Sandow, whose recent stint as a tag team foil for Team Hell No I wasn't particularly fond of, is back to singles competition again which is great BUT...this Wednesday he's going up against The Golden Nugget on Main Event, John Cena. Now, why should ANYONE with ANY SENSE AT ALL think Sandow has a snowball's chance in Hell of actually winning? Honestly, they wouldn't! But that hardly matters. The Universe will tune in anyway just to see their "hero" make his monkey faces and resort to his standard "drop the town name to get the cheap pop" antics.

BUT...WWE has to at least make some kind of effort to make Sandow look like a threat. So of course, they give him a token win against a token jobber who used to be somebody once upon a time, Zack Ryder. I was surprised at the pop Ryder got when his entrance music hit. Maybe that's a sign that the character is not completely dead and could still enjoy a resurrection should the right opportunity present itself.

-As much as I understand the logic in booking this match, I don't think it accomplished the goal because Sandow barely beat Ryder, which if I were him, wouldn't exactly fill me with confidence in my chances of beating Cena.

Last Word: MINUS -

Segment 15. Shield interview replayed. CM Punk vs. Kane, Part One.

-Glad they replayed the Shield interview. It honestly felt like it had happened LAST week by this point in the show!

-Apparently, in some more investigative reporting done by PWMania, CM Punk wrestled the wrong opponent in this match. According to this article, Daniel Bryan actually won the fan poll.

My take is, it's wrestling. Who gives a shit if they fix the outcome of a poll?? The outcomes of the matches are fixed! But my question is WHY? What difference would it have made if Punk wrestled Bryan or Kane? Do they honestly think we are so stupid that we simply CANNOT BELIEVE that a man of average size like Bryan couldn't beat CM Punk? They obviously don't think we believe that Bryan can beat ANYBODY the way they have him lose EVERY. SINGLE. MATCH.

How hot would the crowd have been for an all-out war between Punk and Bryan? They could have played up Punk's "relief" at not having to face Kane. His smugness at feeling like Bryan would be an easy win. And you know the crowd would've been rabid in their support for Bryan beating the champ! So you have Bryan trap Punk in the "No Lock", the crowd's going crazy thinking Punk's about to tap, and Shield intervenes just like they did.

Not that the match with Kane was bad, but a Punk-Bryan match has the potential to be so much better and is the hotter ticket the way Bryan is over. Worst part is, you have the guy WHO THE FANS ACTUALLY WANTED TO SEE lose a meaningless match to Rey Mysterio!

It's as if WWE is going out of their way to make Daniel Bryan NOT MATTER. As I've said countless times, he's a survivor and he's make the best of it, but he's got to be fuming on the inside. I'm just a fan and this situation's got me pissed off. He deserves better than the treatment he's getting.

Last Word: MINUS -

Segment 16. Punk defeats Kane with the help of the Shield. Ryback to the rescue.


-As if Bryan's mistreatment wasn't bad enough, WWE rubs salt in the wound by sending him out to save his partner to yet another huge pop, only to get beaten down for his trouble.

-As much as I maligned the booking of the match, it was another step in the right direction for Shield. According to their interview, having the WWE Champion wrestle the winner of a fan poll would be considered an injustice, thus prompting them to get involved. Again, it makes sense. And they were able to get the best of Ryback yet again.

-Speaking of Ryback, this angle has been very good for him. The crowd knew who they wanted to see come out and save the day and it wasn't John Cena (Thank God!). And the pop when Ryback did appear on the scene proved it.

Last Word: PLUS +

Final Tally: 8 PLUS, 8 MINUS

So from a mostly positive show last week, to merely breaking even this week. A couple of side notes: no Randy Orton this week, and no Brian Maddox. Don't be surprised if that angle is just conveniently no longer mentioned. My chief points of praise are:

+ The Shield. Not just because I'm a big fan of stables. But I am a big fan of stables featuring talented workers that are booked well.

My chief complaints:

-Sorry Dolph, but AJ's not trash, your angle with her, Cena, and Vicki is trash!
-Although there was plenty of action, aside from Sheamus vs. Cesaro and Kofi vs. Tensai, it was pretty lackluster.
-Gross misuse of the talent, especially Ziggler and Daniel Bryan.

As optimistic as I was last week, I am equally trepidatious heading into the rest of this week. WWE hasn't completely fallen off the porch but Granny's rocking chair is getting awfully close to the edge. They don't need a major overhaul. Some things are still going in a positive direction. Just the way certain talents are being handled needs to be corrected immediately.

That's the last word for now, rejects. Time for you to put in YOUR two cents. Don't let my wealth of wisdom and disarming charisma rob you of your manhood (or womanhood for that matter). Speak your mind. Let's get a discussion going. And tell your friends to check out the blog and make their voices heard as well. Until next time....DISCUSS!

{Our beloved author is mentioned regularly on his favorite wrestling show, The Shining Wizards Wrestling Podcast. Follow him on Twitter, @DansLastWord.}

Reviewed Raw 11-19-12: CM for "Celebrate Me"

[Dicko Author's Note: I'm hoping to make this a recurring post in which I review WWE Monday Night Raw. But for now, just enjoy this one.]

Segment 1. Ryback's in-ring promo. Vicki Guerrero interrupts. Ryback def. Tensai.

A good showcase for Ryback who needs to continue to be booked strong.

Last Word: PLUS +

Segment 2. Kofi Kingston vs. Wade Barrett, Part One.

The conspiracy to keep a belt on Kofi continues. Wade's post-Survivor Series promo was excellent. Spoke like he actually cares about the Intercontinental title.

Last Word: PLUS +

Segment 3. Barrett def. Kofi. Brad Maddox video package. Punk, Heyman & Stryker backstage.

I was surprised at how well Cole and Lawler sold for Barrett, even pointing out his strategy. Classic example of winning a crowd with wrestling. Match started slowly but with Barrett dominating in ruthless fashion. Then the fast-paced finish really got the crowd back into it. Crowd pops for a Barrett win. Excellent build to an eventual title match.

Don't know what the payoff is in the Maddox angle but the video package was well done.

Striker's pornstache nearly distracted from the entire backstage segment with Punk and Heyman.

Last Word: PLUS +

Segment 4. Kaitlyn def. Aksana.

These girls are both sloppy but the action came across as stiff. I was more impressed with Aksana's character. I have yet to be impressed with Kaitlyn. Not a terrible effort. At least it was mercifully short.

Last Word: PLUS +

Segment 5. Antonio Cesaro def. Brodus Clay. R-Truth on commentary. John Cena, Make-A-Wish video package.

I don't really care about Brodus Clay losing because I don't believe the character had any real longevity to begin with. He can still lose and be given the occasional push now and then. Cesaro on the other hand, has a very bright future. I think he has impressed crowds enough with in-ring performances like this one to be taken seriously and I like that they're taking the time to build toward something with R-Truth even though he sucked on commentary.

Although we're all tired of John Cena, this video piece was excellent PR for the company. More wrestling promotions, meaning TNA, could learn from this.

Last Word: PLUS +

Segment 6. Vicki, AJ & John Cena in-ring. Dolph Ziggler attacks Cena. Cena gets "injured."

Vicki still has legitimate heat. AJ still gets a big pop. That's what makes this situation eerily similar to the Cena-Zack Ryder-Eve Torres angle from a year ago. Ryder was the trendy Superstar who seemingly came out of nowhere and suddenly developed a cult following. Cena was out of the title picture at the time, so I guess it was easy to stick him in a program with a guy who was already over. That way the fans are guaranteed to be emotionally invested. Unfortunately it didn't work out to well for Ryder so I'm not terribly optimistic for AJ's future. She's a talented actress but not a great wrestler though so, the way I see it, she doesn't have much a future anyway. Hopefully Ziggler avoids any negative blowback from his involvement in this angle and ends up in perfect position for cashing in his MITB contract.

Basically, this angle shouldn't be happening. I think there are better ways of putting this talent to use rather than sacrificing them all on the altar of WWE's Golden Goose and Cena and AJ's make-out session was just gross.

Last Word: MINUS -

Segment 7. ADR vs. Randy Orton, Part One

Del Rio really needs a gimmick change. It's like he's doing "The Darn Amigos" and nobody cares. Randy Orton, on the other hand, has reached that point in his career where he is now a "Money Guy." You put his name on the card, I think fans are going to show up and go home happy to have seen him regardless of what else happened on the rest of the show.

BUT...the reason for that is because he's a winner. Sure, he may lose from time to time, but he's never gone on a real lengthy losing streak the way some other guys have, Ziggler most notably. So yes, he has the great look, the cool gimmick, the cool move, he's got decent charisma and is a pretty good worker, but most importantly, he has the respect of the fans. This is where WWE really needs to re-evaluate the handling of their talent and strongly consider bringing back squash matches even for top level talent and not just debuting monsters. And by squash matches, I mean against local talent or journeymen vets who are no longer worried about getting a push. If that did that, perhaps they might a few more "Money Guys."

I appreciated the psychology behind Del Rio getting DQ'd in the first fall.

Last Word: PLUS +

Segment 8. Orton def. Del Rio.

The crowd really came alive toward the end of this match and I attribute that to their respect for Orton and the excellent psychology employed throughout the match.

Last Word: PLUS +

Segment 9. Great Khali squashes Primo & Epico.

I don't understand this. At all. There seems to be some effort finally being put into rebuilding the tag team division and you sacrifice two very good workers to a sideshow freak? Khali may be an attraction in the carnival sense, but he's not a good worker the way Andre the Giant was. Andre knew psychology. Khali just knows how to be a big guy. Regardless of what their future plans are for everyone involved in this segment, this was an utter failure in every way.

Hornswoggle's involvement is just more dung heaped on the pile.

Last Word: MINUS -

Segment 10. The Miz def. David Otunga.

They're not a little late for a Miz face turn, they're a lot late. This turn should have come at WrestleMania. What has the Miz done since his involvement in that Team Laurenitis vs. Team Teddy Long fiasco? Provide horrible color commentary? The last eight months have been a waste of a solid talent.

That being said, I believe Miz will make a great face as long as he doesn't change his character and become a pandering John Cena clone.

This was a good showcase for both guys. I don't have a problem with Otunga losing to someone like Miz at this point in his career.

Last Word: PLUS +

Segment 11. Sheamus-Big Show, dueling microphones. Sheamus vs. Damien Sandow, Part One.

We're entering the third hour so every segment is going to have to really impress me because at this point I'd much rather be doing something else.

I don't understand why Sheamus is being such a whiny bitch. I felt like they finally "made" him at Hell In A Cell with his show-stealing performance against Big Show and now it's like the crowd is back to hating him. Griping to referees isn't helping, I'm sure.

The verbal sparring match between he and Show started out verrrrrry slowly but eventually got heated only then they kept stepping on each other. "You listen to me!" "No, YOU listen to ME!"

First part of the match was nothing spectacular.

Last Word: MINUS -

Segment 12. Sheamus def. Damien Sandow. AJ, Tamina & Vicki backstage.

Good showing for Sandow even though he lost. He controlled most of the match, just got careless and Sheamus was able to pull out a win. Sheamus fired up at the end but I think he could've done more with that comeback to really get the crowd on his side. They didn't pop like they did during Orton's comeback win. Perhaps they're couldn't get off their seats because all their asses and feet had fallen asleep after sitting for over two hours.

Sheamus has "Money Guy" potential but I'm afraid they're still just pushing him too hard and there's something about his character that comes across as unlikeable.

It's nice to see Tamina re-packaged. I think she's one of the better female wrestlers on the roster. This segment is penalized though by the fact that it's tied to John Cena.

Last Word: MINUS -

Segment 13. AJ, Layla walking backstage. AJ confronts Dolph then attacks him. Cena tries to rescue and gets beaten up.

Strong showing by Dolph but Cena's involvement just feels so contrived that the whole angle is falling flat for me.

Last Word: MINUS -

Segment 14. Sin Cara & Rey Mysterio vs. Team Hell No, Part One with Prime Time Players on commentary.

I'll bet Darren Young was wishing he had taken Monday night off the way Michael Cole was raking him over the coals! Titus O'Neil on the other hand, held his own on commentary. I was impressed.

This is a match-up of four "Money Guys." For all his botcharifficness, Sin Cara has been built up well since Day One and he wins consistently. Go figure. You book a wrestler as a force to be reckoned with and the fans actually take him seriously!

Can Daniel Bryan be any fucking hotter? He has really proven to be a survivor the way he has found something to keep himself relevant despite the company's best efforts to bury him and take everything away that got him over.

Last Word: PLUS +

Segment 15. Tag match, Part Two.

PTP get involved and one of the teams gets DQ'd as a result (can't remember which). Decent match. Nice way to bring some attention to the tag team division.

Last Word: PLUS +

Segment 16. CM Punk's celebration. Ryback interferes gets jumped again by Rollins, Ambrose and Reins.

The focus of this angle is the WWE title and I like that. Punk and Heyman had the crowd eating out of the palms of their hands. They're not trying to be liked. They're trying to be hated and so far, they're succeeding. Heyman even went so far as to turn the Attitude Era and ECW heel by current WWE Universe standards.

I think Punk was given a raw deal as a babyface champ. I think he could've been booked much better than he was. But I also feel like he's much more comfortable in this role.

Not sure where this is leading for Ryback's young attackers but even if they end up like the Nexus did, they could still bounce back from that the way Ryback, Barrett, Bryan, and Heath Slater all have.

Last Word: PLUS +

Final tally: 11 PLUS +, 5 MINUS -

Yes, I am regarding this as a MOSTLY GOOD episode of Raw. My chief points of praise are:

+ Plenty of in-ring action with good psychology for the three hours.
+ Handling of the secondary singles titles. Making them seem important.

My chief complaints would be:

- John Cena being shoehorned into an angle with AJ, Vicki, and now Dolph.
- Meaningless squash of a good tag team for the sake of a Khali push.

That's just for this show. My chief complaints about WWE's product as a whole are the fact that at the 2-hour mark I'm done. Three hours is just WAY too long for a wrestling show. Two matches featuring the secondary singles champions seemed a bit redundant. One of those matches could've easily been moved to next week. The Khali squash of course, was a waste of time. And honestly, I can do without this whole Cena-AJ angle. Just give Cena some time off for crying out loud! His elbow injury was the perfect excuse to just give him a break until the Royal Rumble. I realize he's the company cash cow but so many fans are tired of him that getting him off our TV for awhile might make those that do hate him, hate him a little less and appreciate him more when he does come back.

My other complaint is, there are still FIVE MORE SHOWS TO GO! If this were the only WWE show for the week, I would be looking forward to how they're going to follow it up. The talent was left, for the most part, in a good position to further storylines and characters. But now, who knows what will have happened by the time next Monday rolls around?! Who knows what wrestlers will have lost unnecessarily just for the sake of filling time?

Anyhow, I'm rambling. I wish I could've kept this review shorter, but it's a three hour show? What can I do?

The WWE is not in a bad place right now with the established talent working with a lot of new faces. The overexposure however, is continuing to squelch my enthusiasm and I'm sure I'm not alone in this. I am looking forward to how things develop for next week though.

That's the last word for now, scrubs. Until next time, remember, you're feedback is important so leave a comment and tell your friends to check out the page and get involved as well. Now.....DISCUSS!

{Our intrepid author is a regular mention on his favorite wrestling show, The Shining Wizards Wrestling Podcast. Follow him on Twitter, @DansLastWord.}

The Thrill Is Gone

Remember how exciting Monday nights used to be?

Go back to 1997 with me and think about "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, The Hart Foundation, De-Generation X, Mankind/Cactus Jack/Dude Love, Goldust, Vader, and Ken Shamrock. The emergence of superstars like The Rock and Kane was just beginning. And the guy who you would almost forget about but could appear at any moment and absolutely blow the roof off the place, The Undertaker!

And what about over on Nitro where you had some of the greatest young cruiserweights like Rey Mysterio Jr., Eddie Guerrero, Chris Jericho, Juventud Guerrera, Ultimo Dragon, and Dean Malenko absolutely killing it in the ring with fantastic ten-minute matches? Move up a few pounds and you had guys like Curt Hennig, Perry Saturn, Booker T, Chris Benoit, Diamond Dallas Page, and Raven battling it out over the intermediate titles. And the main event was routinely stocked with huge names from the past like "Macho Man" Randy Savage, Lex Luger, Ric Flair, and Hulk Hogan, and guys in their prime like Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, Syxx, and The Giant. And steadily moving up the ranks, the phenomenal Goldberg who you knew was destined for greatness. Add to that the hottest angle in wrestling at the time, Sting stalking the nWo, Hogan, and the World title in particular, and Monday nights were a big effing deal for a wrestling fan!

And now think about the rest of the week. Remember how excited you'd get on Wednesdays to watch more wrestling? No? How about Thursdays? Fridays? Ok, but Saturdays for sure, right? C'mon, wrestling couldn't possibly have been hotter at that time! How could you not want to watch it every single day of the week??

Simple, because it was more fun to let the anticipation build and reflect on what you watched on Monday. That way by the time the next Monday night rolled around, you were totally jacked and couldn't wait to see what was going to happen next. And rarely did the show disappoint back then because they made the most of their respective two hours each and jam-packed it full of the stuff we wanted to see.

And then, the cycle would repeat. You could talk to friends all week long about what happened on Monday and speculate as to what would happen next. More importantly, you could have a fucking life! Everyone enjoys some type of meaningless fun for a couple of hours a week. That's not too much to ask of any normal human being. So a couple hours spent on a Monday night flipping back and forth between two wrestling shows was no big deal either.

But fast forward to 2012 and if you were going to keep up on all that's happening in the world of professional wrestling, or even just WWE, you're already in over your head on Monday because now Raw is three hours instead of two! Add to that an hour of Main Event on Wednesday, two hours of Smackdown on Friday, a half hour for Saturday Morning Slam, and if you're really dedicated, an hour of Superstars and an hour of NXT on the internet.

Before we look at what's WRONG with this, let's understand, WWE doesn't care if you watch all six of these shows >(SIX!!). The shows are on TV not to pull ratings(obviously, because their ratings suck), but for the advertising and sponsorship dollars, and for the exposure.

The people in charge of World Wrestling Entertainment could care less whether or not marks can keep up with all their programming. WWE is a BUSINESS. And as a BUSINESS, they have ONE GOAL: to make money. If you are buying tickets, pay-per-views, merchandise, advertising, or stock, they care about what you think. If you are not, then they don't.

Now I know that breaks all our widdle, weswing fan hearts, but grow up, already! Time to get your head out of the fucking clouds and realize this isn't your daddy's WWE! Actually, your daddy never had a WWE. He had a WW-F, and the WW-F was fucking awesome! The WWE on the other hand, is the drizzling shits.

Not that the goal was any different for the WWF, but there were more old-timers around back then. More wrestling people had a say in the product and therefore, it was good. Those people have been gradually phased out and now, Vince McMahon's family is calling the shots. And if you know anything about history, Vince McMahon is a fucking moron when it comes to wrestling.

Vince is a businessman. He deserves credit for being a businessman. He's a hell of a performer. He deserves credit for being a great performer. But when it comes to creative ideas, you're better off asking the manager of your local Pizza Hut to book your show (those of you who get that, I salute you!).

Do your research. This is the guy who wanted to bring Mick Foley in as The Mutilator. This is the guy who called Steve Austin, The Ringmaster. This is the guy who damn near had an orgasm about "Puke." He's a fucking idiot when it comes to making up a compelling wrestling storyline and no one is going to convince me otherwise!

The point? Now that Vince and his family are calling the shots more than ever, the product is suffering. It's not the first time either. It's happened before. And thankfully, there was WCW and Ted Turner to kick Vince's ass in the ratings and piss him off enough to change things up and actually listen to the talent and the wrestling people he had around him at the time.

The result? The most entertaining time ever in the history of wrestling on TV.

But I digress. So what's WRONG with six wrestling shows, encompassing eight and half (FREAKING) hours of television per week? Simple, it's just...too...much.

Think of it this way, imagine if, back in 1997, you had this many shows. Could you really have remembered everything that happened on any one of them? It's been fifteen years and I STILL remember angles from those days! Fact is, our brains can only retain so much. And the more it has to take in, the less it's going to retain. It's a matter of percentages. The better, more entertaining something is, the greater the likelihood that we're going to retain it. But when there's this much, and most of it is easily forgettable, even downright head-shakingly awful, we're going to retain even less!

It could be better. Certainly. If more wrestling people were involved creatively like they were back in the day, if the talent was given more say perhaps. But even if it were better, it's still too much. There's no chance for anticipation to build during the week and the result is, the shows tend to run together.

I watched WWE's most recent pay-per-view, Hell In A Cell, and most of the matches (not some, not a few, but MOST) were standard fare for any one of the six weekly television shows and nothing worthy of paying money to see. If that's the case with the pay-per-views, then it's certainly the case with what's taking place on the TV shows. For instance, what sets Raw apart from Smackdown? Why couldn't the things being done on Main Event have just been done during Raw? NXT might be a refreshing use of young talent but how much time is devoted to pointless segments on Raw or Smackdown that could be devoted to this same young talent instead?

The greatest danger with WWE's current programming slate is the one thing they're desperately seeking: exposure. Nothing wrong with getting more eyes on the product. Particularly when there's so much programming on TV to choose from now.

However, not that I even pretend to understand all the dollars and cents, but the fact is, there were more people watching Vince McMahon's product when there was just a FRACTION of what he has now on TV. More people were buying tickets. More people were buying merchandise. More people were buying pay-per-views. Money, money, MONEY(Cue DiBiase laugh track)!

But not only was the product good back then, but the product was also special. Wrestling on Monday nights was an event, a national phenomenon! Like Monday Night Football or a popular weekly sitcom. Everyone would gather around the TV at a friend's house on Monday night because it was wrestling night! And we all couldn't wait to see what was going to happen.

Now? "Oh, I'll just DVR Raw and maybe watch it later if I get around to it. I still have to get caught up on Smackdown from last week!"

Where has the excitement gone? I'll tell you where. It's still buried in the hearts of wrestling fans like me. An ember at the bottom of a fire that has almost completely died out. I read Twitter and Facebook on Monday nights when you guys and gals aren't working and have the chance to catch the show live. I can detect the passion that's still in the words you type as I'm sure you can detect it in mine. The hope that maybe someday, the puppetmasters who pull the strings will hear the collective voice of "The Voiceless" and return the great thing that we love to its former glory.

Maybe someday before I type my last word. Until next time true believers, die hard and..........DISCUSS!!!

{Our beloved author, "Handsome" Dan Lopez is mentioned regularly on his favorite wrestling shows, The Shining Wizards Wrestling Podcast and Turnbuckle Throwbacks. Follow him on Twitter, @DansLastWord.}