Please excuse the absence as of late as I was busy preparing and recovering for the 2-day storm that began last Tuesday. When I’m not writing about wrestling I work for the city government, and two full days of rain means lots of precautions for a sub-sea-level city in Southern California. But rest assured Cheap-Heaters and Tape-Traders, I’ve returned for another edition of The Highlight of the Night, the weekly series in which I present the Top Five Must-Watch Moments of Monday Night Raw. Maybe it’s me, but I’ve been sorta sullen over the current trends in the WWE. It’s not bad, it just seems to be without direction, and falling into the same complacent habits from twenty years ago. That being said, I enjoyed certain elements of this special ‘Slammy Edition’ of Monday Night Raw, and with TLC just 6 days away, I suppose there’s no better time than now to start making an effort.
5. “John Cena is Standing in Your Way”
This episode was in no way short on provocative encounters between seemingly unconnected characters. Number Five on our list occurred early in the show, deep down in the depths of the arena, as the former Architect of the Shield crossed paths with the One Behind the One in Twenty-One and One, Paul Heyman. Should Seth Rollins defeat John Cena at TLC, then Rollins will become the number one contender for Brock Lesnar’s WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Even if Seth doesn’t win this Sunday, he’s still in possession of the Money in the Bank contract, granting him a championship match whenever he wants. He could be unsuccessful in his attempt at attaining the world title, only to get the upper hand by doing something underhanded and then cash in for a rematch within moments. Paul Heyman seems to be aware that Seth Rollins could potentially have a rare case of “double contendership” on his hands, and is already attempting to lay the seeds in Seth’s mind as to who the true enemy is. Not that Seth needs any more motivation to loathe John “The Wish Granter” Cena, but Paul’s statement rang true on another level and seemed to echo the sentiments of so many fans tired of the same old “I’ll brush your mouth with Colgate” routine we’ve been fed for over a decade. It’s true that John Cena, not Brock Lesnar, is standing in Seth Rollins’ way to becoming a star. Only time will tell if John Cena will attain true immortal status by helping to elevate a new generation of performers. Given his tremendous character and high level of integrity, I have no doubt that John Cena will do all he can to help Seth Rollins become first NXT graduate to become WWE World Heavyweight Champion. And who knows? This scene could serve to foreshadow the future should Brock Lesnar fail to reach an agreement as far as his contract is concerned. Paul Heyman will need a new Clydesdale to hitch his wagon to… Could that be Seth Rollins?
4. Charlotte versus Natalya II
Whether it was an exclusive treat for the Carolina crowd or a preview for what’s to come this Thursday, Charlottes’ inclusion in tonight’s episode was a surprise, and her rematch from Takeover against Natalya was a priveledge to see on cable television. I enjoy these developmental exhibitions on the main roster because they afford the casual viewer the opportunity to become aware of the younger talents before they debut. I figure that the audience tuning in to NXT each Thursday is but a small segment of the WWE Universe. I know from my own experience, while I might be watching every hour of wrestling I can possibly see every week, the majority of my friends are only catching one to two hours of a three hour show each Monday. This match was a wonderful first step in establishing Charlotte as a one of a kind competitor. She woo’d a few too many times for my taste, but that was compensated for by perfectly-timed verbal cues such as taunting Tyson Kidd as she tortured his wife. I was especially delighted by Charlotte when she responded to the referee’s declaration of the rules with, “I heard you the first time!” I wrote a few weeks back on how the men from NXT could break through and make an impact, and now the question is how do the women? First of all, I think the WWE should develop a new weekly Network show dedicated to Diva matches. Just film a few before Smackdown and Raw and fluff it up with backstage hijinx. The biggest problem with the women in the WWE isn’t their skill level, it’s the lack of consistency in the division. Maybe if the WWE had to produce a story for these characters from week to week for a stand alone broadcast, it would improve the one or two matches we see them in on Raw. Just a thought. This match was the first in-ring moment of the night that made me take notice of the show, and it spawned all sorts of fantasy booking ideas for the Diva’s Division, which NEVER happens. So I’m inclined to say this was a Top Five Moment of the Night without question.
3. That’s Just the Way It Is
Whenever something happens on Raw four weeks in a row, I can’t help but hum the old Tupac chorus: “That’s just the way it is… Things will never be the same.” It has been literally a month of closing out the WWE’s flagship show with the Survivor Series main event cast members brawling into darkness. The WWE has nearly 30 creative writers, yet every superstar seems to be speaking with the same voice. Why the hell would everyone empty out of the locker to fight one another every single week? By my estimation, some heels need to be cowards and wouldn’t necessarily jump at the opportunity to engage in a street fight. And by the same logic, not every babyface can be on hand to save his friends all the time. I gave this week’s episode of Friday Night Smackdown a rave review due to its reliance on younger talent and the conspicuous absence of main eventers like John Cena, Randy Orton, and every other wrestler the Internet has been yawning at for the past five years. Then we get John Cena versus The Big Show to close out Raw; we get the opening match from WrestleMania 11 years ago. The more appropriate note to close the show on might very well have been the interplay between Dean Ambrose and Bray Wyatt. But if the WWE was dedicated to delivering the main event that we received, there’s any number of ways to have differentiated this show from every other episode we’ve seen since before Thanksgiving. This is the go-home show before the last pay-per-view event of the year. Now you’re probably saying, “Mark, if you’re not gonna say anything nice about this segment, why is it number three on your Highlight of the Night?” Not everything is about whether I like or agree with something. Despite the predictability and repetitive nature of the finale, it served it’s purpose in highlighting the key players going into this Sunday’s spectacular, and further connected top-tier stars a mere month before everyone is set to do battle in the Royal Rumble. I’m willing to give the WWE the benefit of the doubt due to the three-week window between the Survivor Series and TLC. I won’t be as forgiving however, should next week’s Monday Night Raw end with another transparent attempt at getting everyone on camera.
2. Slammy Awards
Rather than discussing my favorite moments from the Slammy Presentations, I figured I would lump the entire thing together. I actually really liked it, though I question the legitimacy behind Roman Reigns walking away with Superstar of the Year. Not just because he’s terrible and every other nominee was more deserving, but because he was on hand to accept the award. There were very few personal acceptances, with Chris Jericho, Brock Lesnar and the late Ultimate Warrior being the obvious absentees. You mean to tell me that a competitor who has been communicating via satellite for the past month just happened to be at a TV taping? I have no reason to think that the voting was anything but honest, however I’m skeptical regarding the Superstar of the Year category. I thought having Seth Green as host for the awards offered a hint of authenticity, despite overt attempts by everyone involved to exaggerate the significance of the Slammys. At one point during the preshow, Booker T proceeded to pontificate regarding the illustrious tradition of the Award Show and mentioned how he always watched the Slammys and wanted to be apart of them when he was younger. When was that exactly? Maybe I’m being a bit hard on the WWE, because in truth I really did enjoy the vast majority of the presenters and acceptance speeches. I even voted for a few categories myself using the WWE app thanks to that handy graphic they displayed during the show. Good thing they had that or us idiots that don’t know how to download apps wouldn’t know how to vote for Animal of the Year. The WWE gets a lot of guff for the specialty episodes of Raw, but I think they’re actually pretty cool; they break up the monotony in an admittedly stale program. While I’m probably a bit more excited when Old School Raw rolls into town, the Slammy Awards are a nice break and offer something to look forward to even during the dullest moments of Monday Night Raw. Now if they’ll just bring the King of the Ring back, I’ll be very happy.
1. Holler if You Hear Me!
If you’ve been keeping up with my thoughts on the ever evolving saga involving Dean Ambrose and Bray Wyatt, you know that I’ve wanted more from these two than the same old “short-sentence, quick-breathing, insanity” promos they can both cut so well. As Bray started his regular rant, this time regarding a rocking chair, I wondered if we were going to get anything beyond what we’ve seen in weeks past. The night had already been established as patterning itself after every other episode of Raw in recent memory, so I had no reason to think we’d get anything beyond the same Bray Wyatt promo we’ve all memorized over the coarse of 2014. Then I heard the ambulance siren, hence the title I bestowed upon this segment, and immediately thought Scott Steiner was in the building, or at the very least Cesaro. But it was an ambulance—an actual ambulance. Added to the already predictable nature of the night was Dean Ambrose’s injury on SmackDown that saw him stretchered out of the arena by the oh-so-visible Dr. Chris Amman. I figured we weren’t going to see the Lunatic Fringe until TLC. But when the ambulance backed in and the doors swung open, the ray of light shining from within created a vibrant silhouette that illuminated the darkened WWE Universe. The moment lost its luster for me once the focus became physical, but after vanquishing Wyatt from the squared circle, Ambrose managed to walk away with the final word as he told the diabolical Eater of Worlds that he too was a monster, and this Sunday he would eat him alive.
Lots of interesting propositions placed before us perhaps to throw us off the scent of what could be in store this Sunday at TLC… And Stairs. As opposed as I am to the concept of mechanically manufactured specialty pay per views, I’m ultimately satisfied with the booking behind most of the matches we’re set to see. I hope that the WWE can do something to stand out in the hind-most moments of a week that featured ROH Final Battle and NXT REvolution. Can the default King of Sports Entertainment close out 2014 in a climatic way, or will TLC be the start of another 12 month cycle of rear-view booking? We shall find out by this time next week. As for now, thanks for joining me for another edition of The Highlight of the Night. My name is Mark Haggerty, make sure to keep it tuned to Cheap-Heat for all of my exclusive predictions regarding TLC… And Stairs.
