Raw 7-5

I would like to start by saying my condolences go out to Ricky Steamboat. I heard he was in the hospital and my warm thoughts go out to him and hope for a speedy recovery. We have a lot to get to this week. Raw needs to step up with its wrestling and stories. The Nexus is dominating and rightfully so and I need to see more from the ladder match participants this week. Smackdown did a lot more for their MITB match than Raw has so tonight needs to help those competitors. The WWE title should finally end the show. Before we can get to Raw, we have to talk about the ladder matches in more detail.

Using money in the bank twice in one year is lazy three times is stupid. You can build stars the right way and do it without briefcases. In fact, winning money in the bank doesn't guarantee you are going to be an epic WWE star. Go back to the first MITB winner, Edge and look at what he did. The WWE was so smart on how Edge won his first title. Beating Cena after an Elimination Chamber match was brilliant. It also took a few more years after he won MITB to headline Wrestlemania. I enjoyed Swagger coming out and saying I'm cashing in right away and backed up his words but now he is falling down the Smackdown ladder. The thing is MITB is special and now the WWE is ruining it. Once a year one wrestler gets the opportunity to get a major push and win a world title. Instead of building wrestlers with say King of the Ring or giving them a big push throughout the summer, this screams of laziness much like the CPU gm. You have to know how to push stars the correct way. I know Larry really wants Morrison to win and then cash in right away before Summerslam. That's a mistake. Morrison should be built like Shawn Michaels way back when. I want Christian to win the Smackdown MITB match and hold on to the briefcase for months. Pick a time and a place and when is that time and place you ask? Wrestlemania 27 baby. Edge wins the WWE title at the Rumble from Cena or whomever. The Rumble winner can face the Smackdown champion at Mania. Christian can come out and talk about this is the opportunity he always wanted. Edge versus Christian for the WWE title at Wrestlemania 27 would be a huge match. Cashing in would guarantee Christian the spot all the while through the rest of this year and beginning of next everyone is waiting for Christian to cash in. Now that's how you can build a star. In fact, you can do that entire story without the briefcase and have Christian win the Rumble or you can even set it up without the rumble win. There are a ton of ways to go about building stars but it takes time. MITB is a good way if it's only once a year.

Nexus starting the Raw was a nice way to bring Barrett back to WWE TV since he wasn't there last week. I loved the heels attacking the faces before they got to Nexus. See that's smart writing because they shouldn't team up. By adding matches for all 8 participants that gives the Raw ladder match more focus, bout damn time. The final line by the emailing gm "and that's the bottom line because the gm said so", yeah that's to get the Internet buzzing that Austin is back. Don't count on it and that's the bottom line cuz the best damn WWE blogger on the planet told you so. All in all the beginning of Raw was very well done.

Teddy taking on Morrison is only something I begged for weeks to see. Maryse stood me up again this past weekend. We had plans to watch fireworks, turns out I can't match up to the million dollar belt. I do have a problem with guest doing commentary. Maryse was talking to me during the match she was to impressed by my blog. Anyway, back to the match I liked Teddy winning. I know someone will be mad at seeing Morrison losing. However if he keeps being pushed down, it will be a bigger surprise when he wins MITB. The ending wasn't done to perfecting since Teddy's dream street isn't the easiest move to pull off quickly.

Didn't Ranjin quit last week? Oh no one cared that's right. I forgot. I can't recall the groups name, I think they were called the misfits. Well Kozlov, Santino and Kahli puts them to shame. No clue where Kozlov and Santino is going and I don't care to much. I like Santino but he's better used as comedic purposes and not his wrestling ability.

Maybe the WWE does read this blog. I said more Arn Anderson the better last week and sure enough he has a great promo with Sheamus. I like the old guy trying to give some advice to the young champion. It works for me. Sooner or later Sheamus will help out the faces.

This week in WWE history, Lex Luger trying to take over Americana from Hogan. Another failure of McMahons. Good try though. The beat down of R-Truth from the Miz wasn't that bad. A match would have been nicer to see. Miz seems to get the push here lately and I really hope Miz and Orton start a feud after MITB ppv. The promos and matches would be great and give the fans a new light to Miz. I don't see Miz headlining a Sunday show anytime soon or in a world title match even on free TV. You have him feud with Orton and win a few matches all of sudden he gets different looks from fans. WWE failed to do that with Kofi last year when Orton was the heel. Orton is the face now it might be easier to help Miz out.

Smackdown brings back 'The Peep Show' and Raw has 'The Cutting Edge' was a strange coincidence. I loved the Bourne t-shirt. The tag match announced even better. Bourne keeps getting a push, first was Cena and now with Orton as his partner. Everything I thought would happen last week like keeping the story lines going with Jericho and Bourne, Morrison Teddy and Orton Edge all happened this week. I'm not sure why the WWE didn't showcase some of this last week on Raw. This is why I talk about WWE being a hit and miss product. Bourne picking up the victory is another sign Jericho is either on the outs or win the ladder match. Orton had to RKO Bourne. No friends only enemies when it comes to the Viper. The match overall was great. Again, give these guys time in the ring to help the MITB story move forward.

We know turning Orton heel would be a huge mistake. I don't for see him as a candidate for being the Nexus leader. The Dynasty takes on The Usos now at MITB. Big damn deal now because WWE ruined everything that was important when the Dynasty won the gold. Alicia you haven't been interviewed because you're black. Those aren't my feelings they are Vincent Kennedy McMahon's. My apologizes to anyone I offended there but as one man says 'the truth hurts'.

I can't recall the Intercontinental title being more important than when that Bret Hart Bulldog match took place at Summerslam '91. From a special title match to the ugliest title match. Alicia turns into HBK faining an injury. I thought the WWE should have promoted the Diva match so we knew it was going to be tonight (like Orton and Edge next week) and make it feel like it meant something. After watching it, I'm glad they didn't.

I didn't think the promo between Barrett and Cena was good enough. I liked Cena being aggressive and I'm sure Cena will get help from the roster next week during the match. I kept saying we needed a payoff for all the beatings Nexus delivered. Raw ended with a small dose of the type of payoff we need to see. The WWE had to start retaliating and having Cena, the poster boy, makes sense. Next week the numbers game should catch up to him though. Nexus can't look to weak unless like tonight, it's one member.

I liked Raw tonight. I thought the show got back to moving stories that were set up weeks even months ago. The tag match with Orton, Bourne, Jericho and Edge was a great way to show off the MITB guys and so was the match with Teddy and Morrison. R-Truth is out so now we have a mystery participant to guess on until next week. Raw had direction and focus tonight and that's a good thing. Hopefully this continues and even better no lame celebrity host. Raw might start to get back on track leading towards summer's biggest even summerfest, er Summerslam. Keep checking out Showstoppers for reasons I can't explain and Wasp's good TNA blog on Fridays. I will have another blog later this week but won't be wrestling related.

J Call