The February RAW Report Card
The Kingfish Arnie Katz presents his February promotion report card for the good folks at WWE’s RAW.
WEE has moved quite a distance down the road to WrestleMania 24, the February pay per view is history and it’s time to see how RAW is doing.
Here’s how I rate the show’s performance in key areas:
Talent Pool
The talent pool has only one addition of note: Big Show. They’re bringing him in as a heel, which may not be the best role for him, but his huge weight loss may well result in a rejuvenated Paul Wight. He used to be very mobile and surprisingly athletic for his size, so we can hope.
Grade: B
In-Ring Action
The influx of guys who can really work – Jericho, JBL, Cena – has made the matches even stronger.
This is somewhat sabotaged, however, by the use of Mr. McMahon and Hornswoggle, neither of whom should be wrestling.
Grade: B
Dramatics
John Cena, Shawn Michaels, Triple H, John Bradshaw Leyfield and Chris Jericho are main eventers who know how to do something with the mic. None of them is very good at non-wrestling vignettes, but they all do a great spiels when it’s just them and one of WWE’s human mic stands.
Mr. McMahon and Ric Flair are sensational when cutting a promo, though neither is likely to be part of a main event.
William Regal is inconsistent in his General Manager character, but that’s mostly because they haven’t given him much to do in the show. The answer might be to beef up Teddy Long’s role and pt the heel against the babyface for control of the show.,
Grade>: B-
Announcing
The old reliables, Ross and Lawler, keep on rolling.
Mike Adamle has a lot of skill, but so far he hasn’t done anything. They may be trying to introduce him slowly so he can get in the groove. Right now, he seems uncomfortable and out of place.
Grade: B+
Star Power
Jeff Hardy is hot, hot, hot! Listen to the way the fans cheer him, even when he is in there with other stars, as in the Elimination Chamber match at No Way Out If the Rainbow Warrior is going to get a run as champion, now would appear to be the right time.
There are several stars who could certainly use more face-time on the TV show. Maybe if they showed Hornswoggle a little less, someone else could get that segment and put it to better use.
The Big Show will get the star treatment until fans see who he is going to fight and how much ring skill he can muster.
Grade: B
Overall
No Way Out proved to be largely a triumph for the RAW contingent, though the lame finish on the Orton-Cena match had better lead to something pretty special to justify the let-down it caused among fans.
The Elimination Chamber match, on the other hand, was golden. It may’ve been the best use made of this gimmick so far, even though Triple H’s victory was a bit too predictable.
Grade: B+
That’s it for today. I’ll be back tomorrow with another installment of the Internet’s fastest-rising daily wrestling column.
– Arnie Katz
Crossfire4@cox.net
(2/19/08)
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