John
04-07-2010, 06:42 PM
This week we have an interesting situation for the Monday Night Wrestling Situation on cable networks that are available on Bright House Cable because Impact moved up to an 8:00 pm Eastern start while Raw started at its usual 9:00 pm Eastern time slot. This is one of a series of columns this week. This one will look at the common segments between 9:00 pm and the end of Impact as well as the segment by segment comparisons as if Impact aired its normal time. There will be another special Side By Side that will compare another aspect of the time period for Impact. For the individual thoughts on the shows, you can check out my Thoughts Columns for Raw and Impact as well as Buck Woodward’s ‘Looking At . . . ‘ columns.
Part One: Looking at the Live Side By Side Comparisons (9:00 PM to End of Impact Overrun)
9:00 to 9:15 PM Segment
Raw
Jack Swagger/John Cena/Randy Orton/Big Show/Miz/David Otunga
Impact
Ken Anderson versus Kurt Angle Ladder Match continues; Hogan in the back; Lethal/Hogan; Hall/Nash/Waltman arrive
Preferred Show: Impact gets this segment based solely on the ladder match. The rest of the things from Impact during this segment were average at best. Why was Hulk Hogan standing around in the back doing work when he has an office? The segments with Jay Lethal have been done to death and we already heard the Elizabeth references when Lethal was ‘engaged’ to So Cal Val (so that means that the current ‘bosses’ never knew it happened). I guess the Band does not have to follow any rules because they showed up more than an hour late for the show.
The Raw segment was harmed by the sheer number of people who were involved in the promo. If it was simply Swagger and one other person, it would have probably beaten Impact.
9:15 to 9:30 PM Segment
Raw
Kofi Kingston versus Sheamus; Sheamus using the pipe; Sheamus promo
Impact
Matt Morgan promo; Motor City Machine Guns versus Team 3D; Hall/Nash/Waltman attack; Hall/Nash/Waltman promo
Preferred Show: This segment goes to Raw. I thought the match between Kofi and Sheamus was good, but it is just a sign of the start of the way that his character has been misused since Madison Square Garden. At least Sheamus has been doing well in his feud with Triple H and now he has a weapon. Sheamus cut a decent promo to set up the continuation of this feud that should keep Sheamus at the top.
The Matt Morgan promo was weird and to have him use plural pronouns to talk about himself did not help his character. When you have a match for a title match, maybe it shouldn’t be built on an internet only and international show angle. And then to make things worse, the match ended in a no contest because of outside interference. Why did Hall, Nash, and Waltman have to wait for their mouthpiece to come to the ring to start their promo? The promo went down from there and sucked any energy that Impact had at that point.
9:30 to 9:45 PM Segment
Raw
Sheamus and Triple H confrontation; Divas Battle Royal;
Impact
Dinero promo; Wolfe/Dinero confronation; Doug Williams promo; Douglas Williams versus Jeremy Buck; Douglas Williams versus Max Buck; Moore/Williams confrontation;
Preferred Show: This segment goes to Impact because of Doug Williams’ promo. I like that Doug is different than the typical X Division wrestler. Williams also showed his versatility in his matches against the members of Generation Me in the two man gauntlet, but showed that Generation Me is going to be stuck in the tag part of the X Division. Shannon Moore demands another title match? Is that all you need to do to get a title match? Why haven’t others thought of this? The Dinero promo in the back was okay but he cuts the same promo every week. Why is Desmond Wolfe still feuding with Dinero and do we need another two minute match on television between these two men?
The Sheamus and Triple H confrontation was good because Sheamus tried to up the ante but the wily veteran showed that he is the cerebral assassin because he made sure that the GameHammer did not get seen by the steel pipe that Sheamus is using (and I am still taking suggestions for the official Raw Report name for the pipe so e-mail me). Maryse had her best mic work as she was the French Canadian mix of Don Cherry and Ryan Seacrest with her red carpet comments about the Diva dresses. The battle royal was not good and showed that there is a huge canyon of the talent level of the top Divas and the rest of the women in the company.
9:45 to End of Impact Segment
Raw
Otuna NXT video; Otunga/Santino/Hornswoggle; entrances for Tag Title Match 1; Big Show and Miz versus John Cena and Batista; Announcement of Tag Title Match 2;
Impact
Team 3D with Christy Hemme; D’Angelo Dinero versus Desmond Wolfe; Styles/Dinero; Styles/Dinero/Wolfe/Abyss; Lock Box Opening
Preferred Show: Raw barely wins this segment, but it is more of a situation where they backed into it. The tag match was the best part of this segment for WWE and it showed that John Cena is turning into the Sting of the WWE. Santino was used perfectly in this segment with Otunga.
Team 3D just had a match where they might have lost their chance at a title match but there is no definite decision so they might be able to get another shot at the title match so they go after Hall, Nash, and Waltman next week? Dinero and Wolfe had the stereotypical Impact television match that turns me off seeing either man in a pay per view because they have a two minute match so why should I expect to see a long pay per view match and care. Then we see A.J. Styles attack Dinero after the match (at least it looked like him because the camera man was too close and got knocked down when A.J. hit Dinero). Then Abyss who has no issue with Dinero or Styles any more comes to the ring to join in the brawl? Even if we saw something on the level of Undertaker/Shawn Michaels during this segment, the finish to the show would have given this segment to the other show. There was so much wrong with the Lock Box segment that I think my brain tried to escape from my head when I watched it.
Preferred Segments:
Raw: 2 (last week 6)
Impact: 2 (last week 2)
Tie: 0 (last week 0)
Overall Totals for Preferred Segments
Raw: 19 Impact 14 Tie: 3
Overall Preference: When you look at the four quarter hours that overlapped, this ended up being a tie. Impact had the advantage of starting earlier so they were not dealing with an introduction to the show like Raw. However, while Impact had their best match of the night going on at this time, Raw countered with a cluttered talking segment. Things went back and forth because Impact had a bit of a let down going from the ladder match to a series of promos. While Raw started off slowly, we saw Sheamus save the second quarter for Raw. Impact hit its plateau and started its dive into the final segment that was utterly forgettable. Doug Williams kept the second half of the direct competition from being a Raw sweep and he is a bright light on Impact.
Total Show Preference: Raw: 3
Impact: 1
Tie: 1
Current Streak: Tie
Part Two: Quarter Hour Side by Side Comparison
Quarter Hour One
Raw
Jack Swagger/John Cena/Randy Orton/Big Show/Miz/David Otunga
Impact
Lock Box Showdown explained/Beautiful People; Team Hogan and Team Flair promos;
Preferred Show: Raw. While both shows started off with talking segments, the presence of the new champ and an attempt to resurrect the man who was losing to Santino Marella a few months ago. Too many people talking during this segment for my liking.
On Impact, we had to deal with a match that had more stipulations than King of the Mountain. Tara is in this match and she can ‘win’ a key and still lose her title? Where is Caude Henry Smmott to cure my migraine? Then we got a segment for the Lethal Lockdown Match that became a shouting match between the two participants in the segment who are not in the match. And one of those people didn’t even know the gimmick of a member of his team. Shouldn’t the focus be on the wrestlers in the pay per view match?
Quarter Hour Two
Raw
Kofi Kingston versus Sheamus; Sheamus using the pipe; Sheamus promo
Impact
Rob Van Dam versus James Storm; Storm attacks Van Dam
Preferred Show: Raw. Kofi was able to get in some offense before he realized that he is on his way to being the next generation of Virgil. Sheamus continued to look strong and cut an okay promo to continue his feud with Triple H.
James Storm and Rob Van Dam had a decent match, but the way that security reacted to the post match attack took away from the segment.
Quarter Hour Three
Raw
Sheamus and Triple H confrontation; Divas Battle Royal;
Impact
Beer Money/Van Dam/Hardy; Angelina/Hamada/Tara/ODB promo; Rob Terry versus Homicide; Orlando Jordan shows up; Madison and Velvet stretch while Lacey shows her panties; start of Lock Box Showdown
Preferred Show: Raw. Sheamus and Triple H continue to have a strong angle and the use of weapons makes it ripe for Extreme Rules in a few weeks. The Divas Battle Royal was good until the bell rang to start the match. Maryse’s pre match commentary saved the match from being a complete waste to set up the next person to face Maryse.
When what Orlando Jordan did on this week’s show is in a fifteen minute segment, a miracle would be needed to surpass the other show. TNA’s version of Kofi Kingston appeared in this segment as Homicide continues to be wasted. It is possible that the best part of this segment was Velvet and Madison stretching.
Quarter Hour Four
Raw
Otuna NXT video; Otunga/Santino/Hornswoggle; entrances for Tag Title Match 1;
Impact
Continuation of Lock Box Showdown; Kurt Angle versus Ken Anderson Ladder Match;
Preferred Show: Impact. The Angle/Anderson ladder match was the best thing about Impact even thought this angle should be done. The use of the medal to choke out Angle was a good touch.
Raw gave us a buffer segment for the hour one main event but not too much action other than Hornswoggle eating M&Ms and running away.
Quarter Hour Five
Raw
Big Show and Miz versus John Cena and Batista; Announcement of Tag Title Match 2; Ted DiBiase promo; Start of Christian versus Ted DiBiase
Impact
Ken Anderson versus Kurt Angle Ladder Match continues; Hogan in the back; Lethal/Hogan; Hall/Nash/Waltman arrive
Preferred Show: Raw. This was a solid segment for Raw because the two matches were good. It set the precedent for people turning on John Cena, and also showed that maybe there is hope with Ted DiBiase. Ted also had a good promo.
While the ladder match was in this segment, the rest of this quarter hour was full of backstage segments that were not enticing me to want to see what is next.
Quarter Hour Six
Raw
Ted DiBiase versus Christian (continued); Shawn Michaels video package; review of Sheamus/Triple H; Randy Orton walks
Impact
Matt Morgan promo; Motor City Machine Guns versus Team 3D; Hall/Nash/Waltman attack; Hall/Nash/Waltman promo
Preferred Show: Raw. We had the continuation of a good wrestling match, and another example of how great Adam in Connecticut is and why Shawn Michaels mentioned him last week.
The Matt Morgan promo did not help his character. There was a number one contender match that ended in a no contest because of outside interference and there was no announcement about who would be facing the Tag Team Champion at the next pay per view. The promo by the guys who made Eric Young look like Sting’s cousin did not work.
Quarter Hour Seven
Raw
Randy Orton versus Jack Swagger
Impact
Dinero promo; Wolfe/Dinero confronation; Doug Williams promo; Douglas Williams versus Jeremy Buck; Douglas Williams versus Max Buck; Moore/Williams confrontation;
Preferred Show: Raw. I thought this was a good match despite having ‘the wrong finish’ because it made Swagger look weak. When will Swagger get his revenge on Orton since they are no longer on the same brand?
Doug Williams had a great promo to continue his one man campaign for wrestling from the X Division but he badly outwrestled both members of Generation Me in short singles matches. While Dinero/Wolfe should be a great feud, the short matches on television have not made it compelling.
Quarter Hour Eight
Raw
Randy Orton versus Jack Swagger (continued); Big Show and Miz versus John Cena and David Otunga; Batista attacks Cena and sets match for Extreme Rules
Impact
Team 3D with Christy Hemme; D’Angelo Dinero versus Desmond Wolfe; Styles/Dinero; Styles/Dinero/Wolfe/Abyss; Lockbox Opening
Preferred Show: Raw. We had the continuation of the match from the prior segment as well as the second time that John Cena had someone he thought he could trust turn on him. We also got the announcement of a match for Extreme Rules set up by Batista’s post match attack on John Cena. Batista has perfected his heel character.
If the television matches in the Dinero/Wolfe feud were all that you know about these two in the ring, you would be sorely disappointed if they were in a pay per view match because none of their matches barely go more than three minutes. The show ended with a thud so strong that it was felt at Disney. If the final image of the show is something that makes your decision for the next show, it would have turned me off wanting to watch.
Preferred Segments:
Raw: 7
Impact: 1
Tie: 0
If the shows were airing opposite each other for the entire two hours and aired the same segments, it would have been a slaughter for Raw. When Impact had good things, they were opposite better things from Raw.
Part One: Looking at the Live Side By Side Comparisons (9:00 PM to End of Impact Overrun)
9:00 to 9:15 PM Segment
Raw
Jack Swagger/John Cena/Randy Orton/Big Show/Miz/David Otunga
Impact
Ken Anderson versus Kurt Angle Ladder Match continues; Hogan in the back; Lethal/Hogan; Hall/Nash/Waltman arrive
Preferred Show: Impact gets this segment based solely on the ladder match. The rest of the things from Impact during this segment were average at best. Why was Hulk Hogan standing around in the back doing work when he has an office? The segments with Jay Lethal have been done to death and we already heard the Elizabeth references when Lethal was ‘engaged’ to So Cal Val (so that means that the current ‘bosses’ never knew it happened). I guess the Band does not have to follow any rules because they showed up more than an hour late for the show.
The Raw segment was harmed by the sheer number of people who were involved in the promo. If it was simply Swagger and one other person, it would have probably beaten Impact.
9:15 to 9:30 PM Segment
Raw
Kofi Kingston versus Sheamus; Sheamus using the pipe; Sheamus promo
Impact
Matt Morgan promo; Motor City Machine Guns versus Team 3D; Hall/Nash/Waltman attack; Hall/Nash/Waltman promo
Preferred Show: This segment goes to Raw. I thought the match between Kofi and Sheamus was good, but it is just a sign of the start of the way that his character has been misused since Madison Square Garden. At least Sheamus has been doing well in his feud with Triple H and now he has a weapon. Sheamus cut a decent promo to set up the continuation of this feud that should keep Sheamus at the top.
The Matt Morgan promo was weird and to have him use plural pronouns to talk about himself did not help his character. When you have a match for a title match, maybe it shouldn’t be built on an internet only and international show angle. And then to make things worse, the match ended in a no contest because of outside interference. Why did Hall, Nash, and Waltman have to wait for their mouthpiece to come to the ring to start their promo? The promo went down from there and sucked any energy that Impact had at that point.
9:30 to 9:45 PM Segment
Raw
Sheamus and Triple H confrontation; Divas Battle Royal;
Impact
Dinero promo; Wolfe/Dinero confronation; Doug Williams promo; Douglas Williams versus Jeremy Buck; Douglas Williams versus Max Buck; Moore/Williams confrontation;
Preferred Show: This segment goes to Impact because of Doug Williams’ promo. I like that Doug is different than the typical X Division wrestler. Williams also showed his versatility in his matches against the members of Generation Me in the two man gauntlet, but showed that Generation Me is going to be stuck in the tag part of the X Division. Shannon Moore demands another title match? Is that all you need to do to get a title match? Why haven’t others thought of this? The Dinero promo in the back was okay but he cuts the same promo every week. Why is Desmond Wolfe still feuding with Dinero and do we need another two minute match on television between these two men?
The Sheamus and Triple H confrontation was good because Sheamus tried to up the ante but the wily veteran showed that he is the cerebral assassin because he made sure that the GameHammer did not get seen by the steel pipe that Sheamus is using (and I am still taking suggestions for the official Raw Report name for the pipe so e-mail me). Maryse had her best mic work as she was the French Canadian mix of Don Cherry and Ryan Seacrest with her red carpet comments about the Diva dresses. The battle royal was not good and showed that there is a huge canyon of the talent level of the top Divas and the rest of the women in the company.
9:45 to End of Impact Segment
Raw
Otuna NXT video; Otunga/Santino/Hornswoggle; entrances for Tag Title Match 1; Big Show and Miz versus John Cena and Batista; Announcement of Tag Title Match 2;
Impact
Team 3D with Christy Hemme; D’Angelo Dinero versus Desmond Wolfe; Styles/Dinero; Styles/Dinero/Wolfe/Abyss; Lock Box Opening
Preferred Show: Raw barely wins this segment, but it is more of a situation where they backed into it. The tag match was the best part of this segment for WWE and it showed that John Cena is turning into the Sting of the WWE. Santino was used perfectly in this segment with Otunga.
Team 3D just had a match where they might have lost their chance at a title match but there is no definite decision so they might be able to get another shot at the title match so they go after Hall, Nash, and Waltman next week? Dinero and Wolfe had the stereotypical Impact television match that turns me off seeing either man in a pay per view because they have a two minute match so why should I expect to see a long pay per view match and care. Then we see A.J. Styles attack Dinero after the match (at least it looked like him because the camera man was too close and got knocked down when A.J. hit Dinero). Then Abyss who has no issue with Dinero or Styles any more comes to the ring to join in the brawl? Even if we saw something on the level of Undertaker/Shawn Michaels during this segment, the finish to the show would have given this segment to the other show. There was so much wrong with the Lock Box segment that I think my brain tried to escape from my head when I watched it.
Preferred Segments:
Raw: 2 (last week 6)
Impact: 2 (last week 2)
Tie: 0 (last week 0)
Overall Totals for Preferred Segments
Raw: 19 Impact 14 Tie: 3
Overall Preference: When you look at the four quarter hours that overlapped, this ended up being a tie. Impact had the advantage of starting earlier so they were not dealing with an introduction to the show like Raw. However, while Impact had their best match of the night going on at this time, Raw countered with a cluttered talking segment. Things went back and forth because Impact had a bit of a let down going from the ladder match to a series of promos. While Raw started off slowly, we saw Sheamus save the second quarter for Raw. Impact hit its plateau and started its dive into the final segment that was utterly forgettable. Doug Williams kept the second half of the direct competition from being a Raw sweep and he is a bright light on Impact.
Total Show Preference: Raw: 3
Impact: 1
Tie: 1
Current Streak: Tie
Part Two: Quarter Hour Side by Side Comparison
Quarter Hour One
Raw
Jack Swagger/John Cena/Randy Orton/Big Show/Miz/David Otunga
Impact
Lock Box Showdown explained/Beautiful People; Team Hogan and Team Flair promos;
Preferred Show: Raw. While both shows started off with talking segments, the presence of the new champ and an attempt to resurrect the man who was losing to Santino Marella a few months ago. Too many people talking during this segment for my liking.
On Impact, we had to deal with a match that had more stipulations than King of the Mountain. Tara is in this match and she can ‘win’ a key and still lose her title? Where is Caude Henry Smmott to cure my migraine? Then we got a segment for the Lethal Lockdown Match that became a shouting match between the two participants in the segment who are not in the match. And one of those people didn’t even know the gimmick of a member of his team. Shouldn’t the focus be on the wrestlers in the pay per view match?
Quarter Hour Two
Raw
Kofi Kingston versus Sheamus; Sheamus using the pipe; Sheamus promo
Impact
Rob Van Dam versus James Storm; Storm attacks Van Dam
Preferred Show: Raw. Kofi was able to get in some offense before he realized that he is on his way to being the next generation of Virgil. Sheamus continued to look strong and cut an okay promo to continue his feud with Triple H.
James Storm and Rob Van Dam had a decent match, but the way that security reacted to the post match attack took away from the segment.
Quarter Hour Three
Raw
Sheamus and Triple H confrontation; Divas Battle Royal;
Impact
Beer Money/Van Dam/Hardy; Angelina/Hamada/Tara/ODB promo; Rob Terry versus Homicide; Orlando Jordan shows up; Madison and Velvet stretch while Lacey shows her panties; start of Lock Box Showdown
Preferred Show: Raw. Sheamus and Triple H continue to have a strong angle and the use of weapons makes it ripe for Extreme Rules in a few weeks. The Divas Battle Royal was good until the bell rang to start the match. Maryse’s pre match commentary saved the match from being a complete waste to set up the next person to face Maryse.
When what Orlando Jordan did on this week’s show is in a fifteen minute segment, a miracle would be needed to surpass the other show. TNA’s version of Kofi Kingston appeared in this segment as Homicide continues to be wasted. It is possible that the best part of this segment was Velvet and Madison stretching.
Quarter Hour Four
Raw
Otuna NXT video; Otunga/Santino/Hornswoggle; entrances for Tag Title Match 1;
Impact
Continuation of Lock Box Showdown; Kurt Angle versus Ken Anderson Ladder Match;
Preferred Show: Impact. The Angle/Anderson ladder match was the best thing about Impact even thought this angle should be done. The use of the medal to choke out Angle was a good touch.
Raw gave us a buffer segment for the hour one main event but not too much action other than Hornswoggle eating M&Ms and running away.
Quarter Hour Five
Raw
Big Show and Miz versus John Cena and Batista; Announcement of Tag Title Match 2; Ted DiBiase promo; Start of Christian versus Ted DiBiase
Impact
Ken Anderson versus Kurt Angle Ladder Match continues; Hogan in the back; Lethal/Hogan; Hall/Nash/Waltman arrive
Preferred Show: Raw. This was a solid segment for Raw because the two matches were good. It set the precedent for people turning on John Cena, and also showed that maybe there is hope with Ted DiBiase. Ted also had a good promo.
While the ladder match was in this segment, the rest of this quarter hour was full of backstage segments that were not enticing me to want to see what is next.
Quarter Hour Six
Raw
Ted DiBiase versus Christian (continued); Shawn Michaels video package; review of Sheamus/Triple H; Randy Orton walks
Impact
Matt Morgan promo; Motor City Machine Guns versus Team 3D; Hall/Nash/Waltman attack; Hall/Nash/Waltman promo
Preferred Show: Raw. We had the continuation of a good wrestling match, and another example of how great Adam in Connecticut is and why Shawn Michaels mentioned him last week.
The Matt Morgan promo did not help his character. There was a number one contender match that ended in a no contest because of outside interference and there was no announcement about who would be facing the Tag Team Champion at the next pay per view. The promo by the guys who made Eric Young look like Sting’s cousin did not work.
Quarter Hour Seven
Raw
Randy Orton versus Jack Swagger
Impact
Dinero promo; Wolfe/Dinero confronation; Doug Williams promo; Douglas Williams versus Jeremy Buck; Douglas Williams versus Max Buck; Moore/Williams confrontation;
Preferred Show: Raw. I thought this was a good match despite having ‘the wrong finish’ because it made Swagger look weak. When will Swagger get his revenge on Orton since they are no longer on the same brand?
Doug Williams had a great promo to continue his one man campaign for wrestling from the X Division but he badly outwrestled both members of Generation Me in short singles matches. While Dinero/Wolfe should be a great feud, the short matches on television have not made it compelling.
Quarter Hour Eight
Raw
Randy Orton versus Jack Swagger (continued); Big Show and Miz versus John Cena and David Otunga; Batista attacks Cena and sets match for Extreme Rules
Impact
Team 3D with Christy Hemme; D’Angelo Dinero versus Desmond Wolfe; Styles/Dinero; Styles/Dinero/Wolfe/Abyss; Lockbox Opening
Preferred Show: Raw. We had the continuation of the match from the prior segment as well as the second time that John Cena had someone he thought he could trust turn on him. We also got the announcement of a match for Extreme Rules set up by Batista’s post match attack on John Cena. Batista has perfected his heel character.
If the television matches in the Dinero/Wolfe feud were all that you know about these two in the ring, you would be sorely disappointed if they were in a pay per view match because none of their matches barely go more than three minutes. The show ended with a thud so strong that it was felt at Disney. If the final image of the show is something that makes your decision for the next show, it would have turned me off wanting to watch.
Preferred Segments:
Raw: 7
Impact: 1
Tie: 0
If the shows were airing opposite each other for the entire two hours and aired the same segments, it would have been a slaughter for Raw. When Impact had good things, they were opposite better things from Raw.