Outside Interference–Rob Sklarz

Our favorite smartfan Rob Sklarz discusses his trip to the live Raw in Albany and looks at the booking following WrestleMania.

Raw I was very excited to find out that Raw would be coming to my area just one week after WrestleMania. I purchased tickets online, bought some new WWE gear to wear to the event, waited about a month and then made my two hour journey to the Times Union Center in Albany New York. I might just as well have stayed home. It was a really disappointing show as anyone who watched it on USA probably already knows. Two handicap match main events (I hate handicap matches), squash matches, pointless tag team bouts and gasp two divas matches all added up to me (and most everyone else) sitting on my hands for two hours. There was a lone bright spot on the show which I will get to later. I wasn’t expecting anything on par with last week’s Ric Flair tribute, that was once in a lifetime, but I was expecting something.

Booking after ‘Mania WWE creative has really been phoning it in following WrestleMania. JBL was named number one contender simply because he came out and said he deserved to be. Knowing that a one on one match between Orton and JBL would not sell, Triple H and John Cena were added to the mix but they had to earn their way in. So it’s basically a WrestleMania rematch with JBL added to the mix, very creative. Then we have the Big Show versus Great Khali feud were one or the other comes out and stands nose to nose with his fellow giant and does nothing. No doubt this match, whenever it takes place, will be “bowling shoe ugly” but it had to happen sooner or later so they may as well get it out of the way.

Next we have the tag team division. On the surface it seems good that tag team competition is getting some time on Raw but the booking makes no sense. They teased a split with London and Kendrick a few weeks ago which has been completely dropped. Now they are teasing dissension between Cade and Murdoch. By the way, I’ve never heard a crowd more quiet than during Cade and Murdoch’s entrance. I even saw Lance Cade walking into the arena before the event. I don’t know if one person besides me even recognized him but I digress. Did anyone notice how Lillian Garcia announced Cade and Murdoch as the winners even though they lost? London and Kendrick chewed her out off camera which was pretty funny. Mean while the World Tag Team Champions have lost two consecutive weeks. I think it’s great if the Tag Team division gets a push but the booking needs a lot of work. I suspect their is some sort of multi team match up coming at Backlash, either a four corners match or a tag team turmoil.

There is one post WrestleMania storyline that I do like. That is the feud simmering between Batista and Shawn Michaels. Their appearance on the Highlight Reel was also the lone bright spot on Raw. I thought there promo on Smackdown last week was very well done and they had another strong altercation here. The Crowd in Albany was solidly behind HBK and were not falling for either Batista’s efforts to denigrate him or Chris Jericho’s attempts at playing devil’s advocate. There are some who feel that this storyline isn’t working because they feel Batista’s arguments don’t make sense. It seems logical though that out of the entire WWE roster someone would take exception to HBK ending Ric Flair’s career. Batitsta’s attitude though suggests that their is more to the story and in the end it may not be about Ric Flair but more professional jealousy. I feel the storyline is intriguing and should also deliver a pretty intense matchup at Backlash.

In Conclusion WWE seems to be on cruise control following WrestleMania. Ric Flair’s farewell was obviously extremely well done and the HBK/Batista feud is interesting. Other than that WWE is really going through the motions and keeping it’s cards close to it’s vest. It seems like they are waiting for something. Perhaps there is a draft upcoming or even a significant change to their current arrangement of three separate brands. There is a three hour Raw scheduled for April 21 so maybe something big will happen that night. One way or another WWE is in need of a shake up.

–Rob Sklarz
Sklarz@aol.com
(4/14/08)