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Notes In Observance – WWE Raw 10/3/16: It’s Boss Time
Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.
By Nicholas Jason Lopez
“Notes In Observance” features random thoughts and analysis on recent television shows. Quick results can be found at the bottom of the post.
(Aired 10/3/16)
It’s Boss Time
– With Raw from the Staples Center this week, we started with the same ensemble that last week’s did – WWE United States Champion Roman Reigns, Rusev and Lana. They let Reigns come out to a lukewarm yet still mixed reaction. He spoke about family until he was interrupted by Lana, as we figured out she was here to challenge him for Rusev to the rematch. Reigns tried to be edgy as he said “Bulgarian balls” and more cowardice jokes. Lana told him to go to hell. Eventually, we assumed Rusev was so offended that he came out to do battle. We got some light physicality that seemed to end with Rusev on top, until he was upstaged with a Superman Punch on the ramp. We ended with the “blockbuster” announcement that Reigns accepted the rematch, but that he’d “take them to hell with him,” because it’d be inside… Hell In A Cell. Yup, the next Pay-Per-View now has a marquee match. Didn’t see that coming. At least they didn’t go 20+ minutes this time for no reason. We suppose the feud’s personal enough to warrant HIAC, but dammit, give Rusev some momentum. It has been too one-sided.
Notes In Observance – WWE Raw 9/26/16: A Feel-Weird Story
Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.
By Nicholas Jason Lopez
“Notes In Observance” features random thoughts and analysis on recent television shows. Quick results can be found at the bottom of the post.
(Aired 9/26/16)
A Feel-Weird Story
– The night after Raw’s first brand-exclusive Pay-Per-View Clash Of Champions and you’d think they’d start the show with a cool, still-shot frenzied video package of how great it was? Of course not. Guess even they didn’t want to revisit that. Anyways, things went straight to business with the WWE United States Championship match between Champion Roman Reigns and Rusev. Rematch, because why not? Commentator Michael Cole said so. He also mentioned another belt would be on the line before the show was up. In fact, Rusev already waited in the ring while Reigns’ entrance was televised. Luckily for Reigns, he had a mixed reaction but more cheers than jeers. Kudos for both men as far as their mat-based approach for the ring work, but this severely lacked the energy even their mediocre COC match had. This was slow and boring for almost most of it, though they had their competitive moments to hold our interests. The near-falls weren’t too shabby and we get why they’d brawl into the crowd, but why on Earth end this in a double countout after 25 long minutes? That only makes their plan to extend this to Hell In A Cell on Oct. 30 all the more obvious. The post-match angle with the chair helped enhance the “brawl” vibe, but it would’ve been better had Rusev gotten the better of Reigns and not the other way around.
WWE Clash Of Champions 2016 Reaction
Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.
By Nicholas Jason Lopez
After SmackDown set the standard for brand-exlcusive Pay-Per-Views with Backlash, it was time for Raw (the supposed “A-Show”) to deliver.
Unfortunately, a three-hour show marred by overbooking and convoluted logic has only proven that Raw has been dreadful.
If anybody needs an example of what an “eh” show will deliver, look at Clash Of Champions.
On paper, things looked salvageable, but like we thought, Raw’s flaws overtook what would’ve been great and turned it into what could’ve been.
Notes In Observance – WWE Raw 9/19/16: Clash Of Emotions
Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.
By Nicholas Jason Lopez
“Notes In Observance” features random thoughts and analysis on recent television shows. Quick results can be found at the bottom of the post.
(Aired 9/19/16)
Clash Of Emotions
– With this the go-home show before Raw’s exclusive Pay-Per-View, Clash Of Champions, WWE had some final touches to put on the card. We hoped for the best with a few standouts, but could always be skeptical. The opening video took us back to last week when we saw everybody’s favorite “bad wrestler” Roman Reigns get screwed over twice in an attempt to put himself in the same COC main event for the WWE Universal Championship between WWE Universal Champion Kevin Owens and Seth Rollins. This, of course, happened because of Rollins’ rage that he couldn’t get his hands on Owens sooner, to the point where he even ignored a warning from Raw General Manager Mick Foley not to interfere. The other cause was from WWE United States Champion Rusev, who distracted Reigns to help Owens get the victory. We also knew that Foley would “have a talk” with Rollins. We’d have this week to continue the obvious storyline of attempts to get Rollins over as a babyface while they also kept Reigns in check.
Notes In Observance – WWE Raw 9/12/16: Getting Crazy
Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.
By Nicholas Jason Lopez
“Notes In Observance” features random thoughts and analysis on recent television shows. Quick results can be found at the bottom of the post.
(Aired 9/12/16)
Getting Crazy
– The opening video covered Raw’s side of the WWE spectrum, with Clash Of Champions a mere two weeks away. It was time to shape the foundation for the WWE Universal Championship match for the show and as it stood headed in, it was WWE Universal Champion Kevin Owens against Seth Rollins. The main event of this show would have implications, as Owens would square off against Roman Reigns, who was also screwed over by Triple H the night Owens won. The gist was that if Reigns could beat Owens, then the COC match would become a triple-threat.
Notes In Observance – WWE Raw 9/5/16: An Enraged Architect
Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.
By Nicholas Jason Lopez
“Notes In Observance” features random thoughts and analysis on recent television shows. Quick results can be found at the bottom of the post.
(Aired 9/5/16)
An Enraged Architect
– Headed in, we were eager to see the follow-up to arguably the year’s biggest move last week – Triple H turning on Seth Rollins to cost him the WWE Universal Championship and practically hand it to Kevin Owens at the same time. The opening video brought us back to how it all started with the “time” theme which was cool. We also liked the screenshots of various fan tweets that sold the moment as a true shocker. In many ways, it was.
Notes In Observance – WWE Raw 8/29/16: Welcome To The Kevin Owens Show
Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.
By Nicholas Jason Lopez
“Notes In Observance” features random thoughts and analysis on recent television shows. Quick results can be found at the of the bottom of the post.
(Aired 8/29/16)
Welcome To The Kevin Owens Show
– SummerSlam showcased the best of WWE’s future in Finn Balor and Sasha Banks as they each held the top Title in their respective divisions; the WWE Universal Championship and WWE Women’s Championship. Unfortunately, both Balor and Banks suffered injuries that put them on the shelf. For poor Balor, he’d be out until perhaps early Mar. 2017. Where one door closes, another opens. WWE was smart to take this approach into the next Raw episodes, as the opening video highlighted last week’s “series of matches” that determined the participants for a Fatal Four-Way Elimination match for this show. In the end, it was Big Cass, Kevin Owens, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns.
