Welcome to Canton’s Corner. I usually write this on Saturday, but I was busy and didn’t have time to do it so here we are on an early Sunday afternoon with this week’s column. I’ll focus this column on Raw and Smackdown. I did watch TNA this week for the first time in a while. It didn’t inspire me to want to write about it, though. I have some short takes on Raw for you this week and also some likes and dislikes regarding Smackdown. Plus the usual features of the Random Clip, Twitter Ten and Melo Out. No more polls although they may be brought back one day. Let’s roll.

Five Raw Thoughts on My Mind

I already covered Raw in great detail on Monday, so I don’t need to go over everything again. Instead, I have five short takes on some of the things that happened on the show.

– As I wrote on Monday, the Lesnar video package was outstanding. They also showed the video on Smackdown too, which didn’t bother me because it was pretty damn great. I’m wondering what kind of reaction Lesnar will get on Monday in Detroit. He’s a heel, but I’d assume he gets cheered more than booed. In Chicago on the 29th at Extreme Rules I’d expect mostly cheers for Lesnar too. The contract signing segment on Raw will be interesting.

If it was up to me, I’d have Lesnar speak very little. Short sentences. Cena should speak for 80% of it. He’s a good hype man. I’d end the show with a wild brawl that causes the locker room to empty out. It could be a good way to promote the match by saying that something like this could happen on Sunday, so if you want to see it you need to see Extreme Rules.

– I watched the Punk/Henry match a second time after seeing it live. I enjoyed it even more on the re-watch. The chemistry they had was great. The story they told was perfect. Henry focused on a body part and worked on it. Punk used his speed to win. I’m sure they could have a good feud together if it ever comes to that. Right now Henry has no feud while Punk is busy with Jericho and likely has feuds with Tensai and Lesnar on the horizon.

– Having Big Show & The Great Khali destroy the tag champs Primo & Epico didn’t help anybody. The titles are barely defended to begin with, so a squash win in a non-title match does more harm than good. I’m hopeful that the tag division gets stronger. However, matches like that aren’t a positive sign for the future.

– Six days later, I still have no problem with Lord Tensai going over John Cena. While I think the Lord Tensai gimmick might be a bit silly considering fans are chanting “Albert” during his matches, it is still smart to have him to beat Cena the way he did. It lets fans know that he is a force to be reckoned with (cliché, I know). I think the Lesnar/Cena story will continue after Extreme Rules. I think Punk beats Jericho there, so Punk vs. Tensai could be a feud heading into May’s Over The Limit PPV.

– I’m not a fan of three hour Raw shows. They could be great. They could have two or three great matches that get 15-20 minutes because there’s enough time for that. Instead, these shows are filled with more video packages, replays, bad comedy sketches and attempts to get more people on the show. When the shows have a theme they are usually better too. In this case, it’s just a three hour Raw because it’s part of the contract with USA Network. There’s nothing special about the event. Hopefully it’s a good show, but I have my doubts.

 

Smackdown Likes & Dislikes

My good friend Andrew Johnson has got his wonderful Smackdown review posted at TJRWrestling, so check that out if you haven’t done so already. Once again I’ve got five likes and five dislikes for this week’s edition of Smackdown.

Like – Daniel Bryan is really mean to AJ

They took the next step with this storyline by having Daniel Bryan get in the face of his ex-girlfriend and give her the ultimate putdown when he said: “I wish you were never born.” That’s enough to get anybody pissed off, even a perpetually smiling babyface like AJ. It was the kind of segment that I wish was on Raw because then more people would have seen it and understood just how awesome Bryan is on the microphone right now.

Also, credit to AJ as well. She’s played her role very well in this feud. After being berated by Bryan, she had a match with Natalya that ended up in a disqualification because AJ went in a rage by attacking Natalya. When she wouldn’t stop, the ref ended the match in under a minute. I’d love for them to play off this with Natalya actually having a storyline for a change, but I’m guessing this will lead to AJ costing Bryan the World Heavyweight Title at Extreme Rules. Sweet revenge is a dish best served cold.

Dislike – The Teddy Long saga continues

This week on Smackdown, Teddy Long got too much screen time again. John Laurinaitis made him wear a Queen’s Guard hat that also meant Long couldn’t talk for the duration of the show. My question is, do any fans really care that Laurinaitis is treating Long in a poor manner? I don’t care about Teddy getting revenge. What’s the payoff? A match between the two down the road? I sure hope not. End the Teddy Long television character. It’s over.

Want a non-wrestler to bicker with John Laurinaitis? Use Mick Foley. He has a lot of talent. He’s somebody the fans actually care about. Obviously Mick is going to be in that angle with Dean Ambrose that has started online, but I’d rather see him arguing with JL instead of old man Teddy.

Like – Darren Young & Titus O’Neil get drafted to Smackdown

I watch NXT. I think I’m one of the 36 people that still watches it. It airs on Wednesday nights on TV here in Canada, so most weeks I give it a look. There’s actually some good stuff on there. Everybody on the show gets significant time to develop their character, so when you watch matches or see the stories play out you’re invested in the characters. Simple right? I know these two have good chemistry as a heel tag team. WWE needs tag teams of all kinds, so I’m all for it. Their win over the Usos was perfectly fine. Hopefully they use the talent on NXT and also FCW to develop more teams because the more teams that exist the better the tag division can be.

Dislike – The promo that saw Young & O’Neil get drafted to Smackdown

I like that Young & O’Neil are on Smackdown, but the promo they used to get them on the show was pretty lame. They went up to Teddy Long bragging about how they were on Smackdown now. Meanwhile, John Laurinaitis went up to Long and belittled him for not signing these guys to Smackdown sooner. Why couldn’t Laurinaitis sign them to Raw since he’s in charge of that show? During the promo they also mentioned that they were “young talent.” O’Neil is 35 years old in a few weeks. New face to Smackdown, but not necessarily a young talent. This “drafting to Smackdown” could have been done in a more intelligent manner.

Like – The Smackdown debut of Antonio Cesaro

Even though it was another segment involving Teddy Long, I liked this. Cesaro is the former Claudio Castagnoli from Ring of Honor, who is from Switzerland and was paired with Aksana as an old friend of hers. They taunted Teddy Long, who was forced to be silent during the segment. Laurinaitis then did an interview with him in his office, so I’d expect the debut of Cesaro to happen soon. I’m excited about it. I’ve seen a good amount of his ROH work, especially with Chris Hero (now Kassius Ohno in FCW), and I think he’ll be a good fit in WWE. Pairing him with Aksana as his valet could work out very well because she’s a gorgeous woman that needs to be on television regularly.

Dislike – Alberto Del Rio becomes a Smackdown superstar with no explanation given

I have nothing against Del Rio. Del Rio’s win over Big Show was fine, but it was because of Cody Rhodes. Del Rio is “just another guy” these days and it doesn’t seem like he’ll be the type of former WWE Champion that is in the main event scene. If you’re going to move a guy from one show to the other there has to be some sort of explanation. You can’t say there’s a trade because the same guy is running both shows, which is why it’s a silly move to have Laurinaitis running both shows to begin with.

The real reason he got moved is because the Raw midcard has become non-existent since Smackdown wrestlers have been on the show and there was no TV time for guys like him. Now Smackdown is starting to have too many people. How are you supposed to fit everybody on the show?

I guess there will be roster cuts coming soon. Surely if fans like us can notice the roster is getting too big in some parts then the company has noticed it too, which means some talent could be wished the best in their future endeavors in the near future. Do we have to name names? I don’t want to. If you’re not on Raw or Smackdown regularly you’re in danger of being cut. That’s how it is.

Like – Ryback and Brodus Clay win squash matches

Ryback continued his gimmick of beating a local jobber that got to cut a promo before the match. I thought it was silly to have Heath Slater and Drew McIntyre mock the jobber cutting the promo considering they’re barely used these days. Shouldn’t they be mad they’re not on the show more? Why are heels that aren’t on the show happy about seeing somebody else on the show? These guys should be saying that they want to wrestle Ryback to beat him. Put over the importance of winning. That’s what wrestling is supposed to be about.

Clay squashed Hunico, who is a midcard wrestler that isn’t going anywhere. That’s like a lot of midcarders on both shows, really. I’m fine with squash matches once in a while, especially for babyface. Usually these are for heels, so it’s a nice change. The question is when it comes time for an actual feud, how do you book these guys? Brodus hasn’t had a feud for months and I’m not sure what they’ll do with Ryback when he gets to that point.

Dislike – The Great Khali advertised in the main event tag match

Stop! No more advertising Great Khali in main event matches! Sure, he was taken out by Cody Rhodes before the match began (that’s good booking), but clearly Khali can barely move these days. When my 10 year old niece watches Khali walk she says he walks like her great grandpa. Her great grandpa is 88. Khali is 40 this year. See the problem? It’s tough to watch. It’s almost as painful as when they do crowd shots during his entrance and there are only two people dancing to the song. The roster is full of talent that needs TV time that is given to the likes of the Great Khali. Yes, I know WWE is a growing business in his home country of India, but that doesn’t mean he has to wrestle. I’d rather see him getting the screen time that Teddy Long gets. Oh crap, I’m giving WWE ideas. I’ll apologize if it actually happens.

Like – Randy Orton, Sheamus & Big Show over Daniel Bryan, Mark Henry & Cody Rhodes in the main event

I’m a big fan of these kinds of matches happening in main events every few weeks or so. I wish Raw did them more often. Tag matches allow multiple stories to be told within the structure of one match. They are certainly better for a feud than a three minute match that ends in a video package causing one of the competitors lose as we’ve seen in the Show/Rhodes feud. I like that they told the story of Bryan doing everything he can to avoid getting attacked by Sheamus, which plays up his character and the feud they’ve got going. Cody was proud of himself for taking out Khali, but when Big Show became the partner of Orton and Sheamus he regretted it. That’s two stories that were covered very well.

The finish of the match saw Mark Henry receive a Brogue Kick from Sheamus, a KO punch from Big Show and then a RKO from Orton to get the pinfall. It took a lot to put Henry away, which puts over Henry in a big way even though he lost clean on Raw and Smackdown this week. Henry doesn’t really have a feud right now, so he can afford to lose some matches. I’m all for 20 minute main event matches that see the good guys win in a dominant manner. It doesn’t have to be an every week thing, but doing that once in a while is a good idea. I can remember all the huge tag match main events during the Attitude Era. They don’t do them nearly as much now. Instead they give away singles matches, which isn’t as good for long term business or storytelling. Since I always use the five star scale, let’s call this one ***1/2 out of five. It was a very good main event to send the crowd home happy.

Dislike – Muting the crowd as they chant “yes” during the show

I said it a couple of weeks back. It’s worth repeating. Stop censoring your fans that chant “YES” because it was obvious that it was done this week as well. Not only could I tell just from watching the Daniel Bryan promo that opened the show, but I had a number of readers tell me about it too. On Raw, you could hear them. On Smackdown, you couldn’t hear them. It was the same arena. Funny how that works huh? I’m not a fan of censorship. Be a star, WWE. Let your fans have their voices heard.

Overall Thoughts

I thought it was a slightly above average show. The main event was the definite highlight because it was a quality matchup that took about 30 minutes to air. Plus they took Khali out, so that’s a good thing too. Bryan’s promo at the start was very good as well. That’s become a regular thing for him.

I’d rate this week’s Smackdown a 6 out of 10.

Two quick plugs before I move onto the Twitter Ten.

I’ll be writing more exclusive columns for the new site such as this slideshow that’s about why you should be excited for WWE Extreme Rules on April 29. Check it out HERE and be on the lookout for more exclusives for TJRWrestling.

Also we’ve got an Android App up on the site already. Details are HERE. We may get apps for iPhone, Blackberry and other mobile phones soon although nothing is immediate. I’ll update when I can. I don’t have a Droid phone so I can’t see the app unless a friend shows me, but I’ve heard good things. Enjoy!

Readers sent me questions on Twitter @johnreport. The questions will be in bold/italics and my answers will be immediately underneath them.

@leeemills Who should Brock feud with after he’s done with Cena?

I think CM Punk is the obvious choice and he should be. I could see it being a guy like Orton too. Any top babyface, really.

@JustAndy59 Lots of new blood showing up on smackdown. Do you see @WWE using sd as more of a starting point for newer talent?

Yes absolutely. Raw has no room for any new talent. They barely use their midcarders on Raw. SD running out of room too.

@AllenOutraged Who would you like to see Del Rio feud with?

I think feuds with Orton and Sheamus would feel pretty fresh, so they’d be okay. Not that many new babyface choices.

@Adr075 Do you think that the Tag Team division and the Titles is gonna get more attention due to more tag teams being formed?

Yes. I sure hope so! I think if they give it a chance the tag division can take off. It’s all about being given time.

@tuhtut Any idea when Wrestlemania tix go on sale?

First week in November. Save your money!

@Broontario asked at same point last year and you rightly said D Bry, but who do you think will now be the next first time world champ?

I said DBry? Haha nice. I would pick Cody Rhodes now. I think it will happen later this year.

@Blaz1n1nf3rn0 Who do you think should be the most worried about ‘spring cleaning?’ and who do you think is positioned to take advantage?

Anybody that’s not on Raw or Smackdown regularly should be worried. Pick a name, really. I think “new” stars like Rollins, Ambrose, Sandow & Cesaro are going to make some noise very soon.

@RealRichLRead Last year I read the WHC/WWE & IC/US titles were going to be unified but didn’t happen, do you think that it will happen in 2012?

Those rumors always exist and never go away. I don’t see WHC/WWE titles getting merged. Maybe the IC/US ones.

@RatedR_SDMF Do you think Edge will sign a Legend’s Contract?

Yes. Similar to what Shawn Michaels or Bret Hart has. Do some appearances and show up on TV if they have a story for him.

@EvervisionMusic Do you think WWE is heading toward a new era or is it just wishful thinking by fans?

There’s nothing “new” about what they are doing anywhere, so don’t see what change there is.

Random Clip of the Week

Triple H vs. The Rock from Backlash 2000. It’s one of my favorite PPVs ever and this was the main event. It’s the match that probably should have been the main event of the disappointing WrestleMania 16/2000, but instead we got a fatal fourway there. This match is a lot of fun, so is their Judgment Day 2000, which was the Ironman. For this match, though, listen to the pop when Steve Austin comes out. This clip is the first part of the match, so be sure to check out the last five minutes in the other clip too. You can view part one here and part two here or look at the clip below.

Melo Out

Hello again everyone. Hope you all had a splendid week. I haven’t used that word in ages so I figured I would do it again in splendid fashion. You know what else was splendid this week? That Brock Lesnar video package that aired on RAW. I don’t watch much UFC, but when I do I always notice how good the promo videos are. That is not to say they are better than the WWE because let’s face it, those guys that do the video promos for WWE are amazing. But with the UFC ones, I have always enjoyed how they have clips on the in ring action and then you see the fighters sitting there and just speaking the truth. No hyped up screaming. Just real talk, so to speak.

This is exactly what they did with Lesnar this past Monday night on RAW. They showed clips of his dominance and they just had him sitting there and saying it how it is. Speaking the truth. I like how he said that he didn’t come back for the fans, which is true because it is not like he cared more about them than the WWE travel schedule when he left in the first place. Or when he said it was a business decision, even though he left the part out about how he basically will never be at a level he use to be at in order to compete in UFC even if he wanted to due to his multiple bouts with diverticulitis. I also thought it was funny that he claimed he has been dominate in everything he has ever attempted to do, which is true but he clearly left out his Minnesota Vikings tryout for a reason. Just saying. I thought it was also clever claiming he is the youngest WWE Champion ever. This is also true as he was 25 at the time, but you would have to ignore Randy Orton winning the World title at 24, which the WWE can do because it’s a different major championship. That and he defeated a certain superstar who the WWE has erased from the record books. For privacy sake, let’s just call him Chris B. No wait that is too obvious. Let’s say C. Benoit.

All jokes aside, this Brock Lesnar video package that aired this past Monday night on RAW was one of the best ones I have seen in a very long time. It was different even if they were copying the UFC format. I like what they are doing with Lesnar even though I am still not too excited about this feud with Cena. But I trust their match at Extreme Rules will be better than the one they had a few years ago. I like that they reference Brock from his UFC tenure. It’s very smart on WWE’s part to capitalize on that and try and get back some of those fans that they have lost. And when I say some, I mean most. As with everything, time will tell to see how this one pans out. Until next week, sit back, relax and melo out, because that is what wrestling is all about.

Steve “The Melo Man” Melo

Facebook: MeloOutTJR

Twitter: @MeloOutTJR

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That’s all for this week. Keep checking out the brand new TJRWrestling.com for daily content from our amazing crew of writers. I’ll be writing the Raw Deal live on Monday at TJRWrestling.com also, so join me for that live if you’d like or check it out after the show airs if you’d like. I’m not a fan of the three hour Raw shows in general, but if I write it live I tend to enjoy it more.

John Canton – [email protected]

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