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Raw Feelings: The Positives Of Monday Night Raw 11/28/16

When airing as much content as World Wrestling Entertainment airs on a weekly basis, opinions and viewpoints are bound to come from every perspective inside and out of the professional wrestling business. It's only natural and perfectly acceptable for a viewer to sound off what they liked, loved, hated, and everything in between.

When it comes to the flagship show Monday Night Raw, reactions are always going to vary. Some weeks are critically lauded while others have fans and pundits alike sounding warning alarms and offering alternate options at a frenetically endless pace.

 It is my personal belief that every show has its positive points even if they aren't readily apparent at the moment of viewing. Some matches, stories, and decisions are based on a long-term bigger picture where it all makes sense in the end. 

That's not to say there aren't things I would have liked to seen done differently or gone another way. No show is immune from criticism at all.

The November 28, 2016 edition of Raw is no exception. Some events from the three hour broadcast were frustrating and head scratching.

Overall however, I found it to be a very enjoyable, solid edition that didn't feel like it dragged even as it went past the three hour mark.

 Looking at the bright side, these were the positives I took away from the show!


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  - The Underground Underdog found his voice and a Monster grows stronger

  Since his arrival onto the main roster, Sami Zayn has constantly found himself fighting from underneath, staring into the face of seemingly insurmountable odds.  He nearly toppled John Cena's stranglehold on the United States Championship in the spring of 2015 and found himself reigniting the blood feud between he and Kevin Owens at Royal Rumble 2016.

Sometimes he tasted bitter defeat and beaten down to the point one wondered why he kept bothering to dust himself off and re-enter the battle field.  It's because he is a warrior of the truest form with an outlook that perceived failures are moments to improve upon and fight to overcome.

This is why he pursues vengeance against Braun Strowman.  The same Strowman who didn't view him as suitable competition and has proceeded to inflict pain upon him on two different occasions.

The same Strowman who has been on an undefeated fueled tear through the Raw roster since the Brand Extension took effect this past Summer.  The same Strowman who decimated R-Truth in just 40 seconds as if the former US and Tag Team Champion was a plaything.    Why on earth does Zayn insist on seeking this monster out?

It is these two stories that intertwine so effortlessly.  The ironic twist of Raw GM Mick Foley, no stranger to fighting onward into wars he had little to no chance of winning (Vader comes to mind instantly) pleading with Sami to walk away adds some depth to it.  As did Zayn going off on Foley rather than accept the notion he would never be able to defeat Strowman no matter how great the effort.

Going forward I am very much interested in seeing how this all plays out. It is no secret Smackdown Live GM Daniel Bryan wants Zayn to join his team so could that wind up playing a factor? Would Mick trade him to spare him from another Strowman beating?  And what else does Bray Wyatt's former black sheep have in store for his opponents?  So many reasons to stay tuned!

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 What was old felt fresh again

During the Attitude Era it was a given that many happenings would take place outside of a wrestling ring and even the arena. It became commonplace if not predictable that the action would be spent more time in free roaming environments than the squared circle.

Fast forward to today and that element has all but been put out to pasture. Sure there have been the occasional incident with someone getting attacked from behind doing an interview or ambushed in the hallway but really that is about the extent of it.  Last night Raw went outside the box and in both instances they succeeded nicely.

We have seen Seth Rollins vs. Chris Jericho several times already but their parking lot confrontation added a new flame to the powder keg Jericho started all the way back in September.  On three different occasions the master of "The List" has cost Rollins championship matches against his best buddy Universal Champion Kevin Owens including a suave Sin Cara impersonation last week. 

Before Rollins merely sought to defeat Y2J as a means of sending a message to Owens but now Jericho has, as they say, poked the bear once too often.  The end result? Rollins beating the tar out of him culminating in a Pedigree on top of the limo he attempted to make a hasty exit in.

With JeriKO possibly on the rocks for real, it puts Jericho in a dangerous situation. Rollins is out for pure revenge and as we saw with his time in The Authority, he knows no limits to procuring it. These two are seemingly set to collide at Roadblock and I can't wait for it!

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The second instance of outside the box progression was my personal favorite segment of the night.

Thrown together at random following their excellent Best of Seven Series ended without a definitive winner, Cesaro and Sheamus have become quite the entertaining pair. I suppose if you can beat the crap out of each other as they have, finding you are actually kindred spirits isn't as big an impossibility as perhaps thought.

Here they were commiserating at a bar over their near loss to WWE Tag Team Champions The New Day, going as far to opine that even a title win wouldn't have worked since they can't stand one another.  In no time flat, obnoxious patrons united the pair and they worked well together decimating the hapless souls brave enough to talk trash and belch in their faces. It was a fun, though less violent, nod to the old APA bar fights that happened from time to time back in the day.

 One could (successfully) argue Cesaro should be so much higher on the card as a singles star but this tandem has landed him regular television time and allowed him to showcase a personality to compliment his unreal abilities in the ring.  It has also benefitted Sheamus who I find to be woefully underrated and underappreciated. It would appear they are headed on a path that leads back to a return match with New Day;  I would not mind one bit if they finally do become champions.

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The Advocate Brings Deadly News

At Survivor Series 2016, Brock Lesnar found himself in a situation he had never been in before his entire wrestling career.  He bloodied Orton, laid waste to Cena,  BROKE THE STREAK, and snapped a few arms along the way.  Who could stop him let alone manhandle him in 86 seconds?

Of course you know the answer came in the form of Goldberg. Two spears and a Jackhammer was the recipe for victory.  The world was stunned and left wondering what would come next for both.  Last week Goldberg entered into the 2017  Royal Rumble match in a quest to win his first World Championship in 13 years.

Shockingly in his sitdown interview with Michael Cole, the masterful Paul Heyman revealed his Beast will also be entering into the Rumble which would be his first in also 13 years which he also won.  28 losers and one victim is what the end result will be declared Heyman.

Heyman painted a beautiful picture that enhances who Lesnar is. He is a man seeking redemption and broken bones.

  The seemingly indestructible have always met their match dating back to Cain vs. Able.  Buster Douglas knocked out Mike Tyson, Holly Holm knocked out Ronda Rousey.  The New England Patriots had a near perfect 2007 NFL season ended by the huge underdog New York Giants  at the Superbowl.   Lesnar can certainly now relate to those dynasties meeting their match.

What was made perfectly clear is because of this soul crushing experience, the Lesnar that entered Survivor Series will not be the Lesnar heading for Houston to do the soul crushing himself.   One can only imagine what the mood will be like when he once again comes face to face with Goldberg.

There are two tales to a dynasty.  The dominance stage and what happens once the major defeat occurs.  Brock Lesnar has always had the power to write the chapters of his book. One man stands in the way of his happy ending. That man has a goal to cap off his own amazing comeback with a title win on the grandest stage.  Both can't get what they want and one will suffer.  I am fully engaged and ready to watch it all unfold.

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205 Live with a Personality

 It has been a slow moving process building a base for the newly revived Cruiserweight Division coming off the incredible Cruiserweight Classic.  Some things that worked in the CWC have been missing from the presentation on Raw while other factors from the past have hampered growth.

  There is no doubting that the athletes competing in the division are a blast to watch and are giving their all every time they step into the ring.  And as seen in the CWC the moves are not any less breathtaking now than they were the last time Cruiserweights appeared on a national level.

 But the problem lied with dropping in as many people as they did from the start without fleshing out their individual personas to give the audience who didn't watch CWC or keep up with NXT regularly a reason to invest in them.  Snapshots of a biography were sprinkled in via commentary and brief video packages but it wasn't enough to sustain momentum.

The eye catching moves done in WCW's heyday were fresh to that audience as there wasn't an oversaturation of talent doing them at that point.  Today while spectacular, they aren't going to be able to carry the brand or establish a much needed connection with your casual viewer.

Even WCW eventually hit this wall. Granted they established a core roster of Dean Malenko, Rey Mysterio, Chris Jericho, Eddie Guerrero, among others but the rest were left to random multi-man tags done just to put something out there; this isn't unlike what WWE had been doing up until recently.


 In recent weeks however, some mistakes have been increasingly corrected upon.

Last night saw Tony Nese defeat Cedric Alexander  in a spirited bout with a little assist from Drew Gulak. 

Going into tonight's 205 Live that could be a story to tell, Alexander going to avenge a cheap loss in his hometown.  The post-match interview conducted with Nese and Gulak for YouTube should be shown on this show to establish who they are and what their goals are. All three men have the tools to really catch on and just need that door opened enough to get there.

Just as great was the contrast illustrated between Rich Swann and Brian Kendrick.  As Swann put away Noam Dar, Kendrick sat in on commentary and angrily spoke of what exactly he sees himself as being the flag bearer of the division.  Swann would get on the microphone and tout his recent 2-0 streak against the Champion and how the next time would be the end of his reign.

These are all key components to gain attention and a loyal following to the division and 205 Live.  Each wrestler has a unique backstory and style that should both be emphasized and presented front and center.  The high flying action will the be the icing on the cake.

This should be how they are presented on Raw every week to build right into the next night.  Even if we only get short sampler matches in the process,  talent and stories need  constant building to get anticipation levels up.   They have done a good job getting there, now they need to cross the finish line.


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The Women Shine Bright Once More


  Much debate has gone on since Sasha Banks recaptured the WWE Raw Women's Championship for the third time while also defeating Charlotte on TV for the third time as well.  The match itself, a Falls Count Anywhere, main evented the show and was excellent from start to finish.

I have read many viewpoints and I can see both sides of the coin.  To some it has been overdone and run its course.  And there is some logic behind that thinking given the amount of content produced as mentioned at the top of this article.   Rematches are common place and sometimes done as if nobody is sure how to advance the story or talent elsewhere.

With that in mind, I have had zero issue with the saga that has been Sasha vs. Charlotte.  Both are strong athletes  who as it happens are evenly matched and it is entirely feasible they would trade victories and title reigns.  The back and forth chess match has developed two key story arcs many are ignoring or not seeing because they are focused on everything individually.

Both women have defeated the other in their respective hometowns.  Charlotte is unbeaten in PPV matches while Banks has had her number on TV.  Every little nuance has added great layers and isn't that what we want the most out of wrestling after great action?  Something to get lost in and enjoy?

 Charlotte not only lost but had to watch her own father, callously kicked to the curb by her last Spring, celebrate and endorse her bitter rival.  What will her next move be?  And will it be as simple as a return match clause?

Waiting in the wings are Bayley and Nia Jax. 

Jax has been under the radar of late but is   no less of a threat to anyone she comes across.  She is undefeated and has had her eye on the title since her arrival.

Bayley was a sole survivor at Survivor Series alongside Charlotte and hasn't forgotten the Queen's heinous attack on her post-match.   Even her buddy-buddy friendship with Sasha showed a small sign of fracture during their backstage interaction. There are many directions they could go in, all of them very welcome in my opinion.

Fans clamored for women to get their fair shake on the main roster and to its credit WWE has delivered in spades if you ask me. They are well represented on  both Raw and Smackdown, no longer used as buffer matches in between men's action deemed higher in priority.   With few exceptions, Banks and Charlotte have produced several classics with 110% effort put forth every single time.

 Next week should provide more of an idea of what comes next as we get closer to Roadblock. I have full faith it won't disappoint.

Positives Counter: 6

 

 That will do it for this week! Until next time, always look on the Bright Side of Wrestling!!
 

Staying Hyped With Mikey: A Journey Into Wrestling Fandom

We are proud to announce a partnership with Mikey!  He is fairly new to the wrestling scene but is full of passion and always ready to offer up his ever evolving opinions. Trust me , you'll be hooked on reading his work as soon as you finish this!

In his debut feature, Mikey takes you through his journey of becoming a fan and what keeps him hyped for all things Pro Wrestling. Proud to have him aboard!


Well hello there y'all. I'll be contributing to The Bright Side of Wrestling under the pen name The Hype Step Bro. You can find me on Twitter at @TheHypeStepBro. You can call me Mikey for short. My friends do.

 I'm pretty new to wrestling fandom. Growing up I, of course, heard about Hulk Hogan, The Undertaker, Triple H, the Rock, Sting, Stone Cold, Goldberg. It was pretty impossible not to hear about them. I remember wondering what the difference was between WWF and WCW, especially when each company had its own video games. (Things got even more confusing when the NWO happened and we had WCW vs. NWO as a title. “What's the difference between all these things?!” a young Mikey casually wondered.)

 The one main line I heard from people when pro-wrestling was brought up was “Oh you know that stuff's fake, right?” Everyone outside of wrestling fandom seemed to assume that everyone in wrestling fandom didn't know that what they were seeing wasn't a “legit” athletic competition.

 I was pretty much your standard nerd. Huge Star Trek/ Star Wars fan. I even got into a heated debate with one of my cousins once about what was more important: Star Trek or baseball. I eventually conceded years later that he was right: the latter was more significant. (Notwithstanding that this was the kind of silly apples-to-oranges fan war that only young kids could pull off.)

 So even though wrestling seemed cool, I never got into it. We had only one TV. My Dad, bless his heart, to this day still doesn't know what to make of pro wrestling. Certainly, shelling out $40+ for pay-per-views on a regular basis would never have been in the cards for us. Which, being all grown up now and having to pay bills, I totally get. WWE had a stroke of genius coming up with a $10 a month alternative.

 Me being a committed pro-wrestling fan is a very new thing. I just celebrated my two year “anniversary”, in fact. In September of 2014, I was browsing on Hulu, and Monday Night Raw came up.

 I thought “Heh, what the hell?”

 This was, of course, right after Brock Lesnar suplexed John Cena out of the main title scene at Summerslam 2014 (though of course no one knew yet that Cena wouldn't just get the belt back at Night of Champions; he is John Cena, after all).

 I started watching the Monday Night Raw where Cena pleaded with Triple H  to give him his rematch at NoC.

 This of course, just happened to be when WWE was starting to push the Network pretty hard.


 “I was watching the highlights from Summerslam....and you can too, for just $9.99...” we all remember Trips saying.

 Well, I was hooked.

 If anyone doubts the genius of WWE by lowering the monetary cost to entry, and of the wrestling industry in general of always uber-hyping the next big event, well, they sure got me.

 It's definitely helped my fandom that I am a very lucky man: I married a wife who loves pro-wrestling as much as I do.

 In fact, we made our second honeymoon a trip out to Dallas for Wrestlemania 32 (and NXT Takeover, of course). One of the greatest experiences of my life; on the personal top 10 list.

 What is it about wrestling that keeps us fans hooked?

 For men and boys, it's an easy call: wrestling around, breaking stuff, throwing things at each other, that's all in our DNA.

 Put a set of Nerf guns in front of a bunch of dudes, any bunch. What do you think is gonna happen next?

 I remember seeing some TV blurb about a parenting study years ago. According to the same, mothers when interacting with their young girls would usually sit down and read to them. Fathers interacting with their young boys? Less than five minutes in, they'd be wrestling around.

 Us dudes are meant to be running around, getting in the mud, doing active things, not sitting still. Wrestling is about the purest form of that you can get.

 (I won't speak for all the gals out there as to why they like wrestling. In my wife's case, she likes that “breaking stuff” element right along with me.)

 Also, for a long suffering fan of San Diego sports (and believe me, you suffer), wrestling is the perfect antidote to watching teams that (thus far) have always figured out new ways to let you down.

 Yeah, wrestling has its sub-fandoms (Roman Reigns fans are a particularly resilient bunch), but we all pack those arenas because we appreciate what these athletes (yes, athletes) are putting themselves through to bring us this unparalleled type of art. 

 In a world that is increasingly devoid of entertainment that is pure escapism (I'm talking no nods at all to “serious” current events, no winks and nudges to this interest group or that, no subtle or unsubtle moralizing), wrestling stands tall as perhaps the last bastion. It's the last place you can forget what is often times an awful world, flip on the TV, grab a beer, and watch master storytellers engage you.

 I am excited to be a part of Brightside Wrestling. My buddy Matt is perhaps the most passionate fan I know. All of us have great ideas of cool content we want to bring you. Above all we are united in our love of the industry and our desire to have fun writing about it.

 Stay hyped!!!!

 

An Introduction to the World of Trapper Josh

I am so excited and proud to have this man be part of our team.

Josh Rosenfield exhibits the very passion, dedication, and energy this blog is intended to promote and start a dialogue about.

In his debut piece,  Josh lends insight into his love for Professional Wrestling and what you can expect from his contributions going forward!

Hello and welcome fellow wrestling fans.

My name is Josh, and I have been a wrestling fan for the past thirty years. My first memory of wrestling is flipping through the channels and happening on Ultimate Warrior battling Rick Rude on a Saturday afternoon. My first live event was WCW/NWA Clash of the Champions in 1990 when they were at Brennan Byrne Arena in East Rutherford, NJ. Ric Flair battled Sting in a cage for the title.

    Up front, this column is going to be :

1) a part time column

2) more of a fan observation and commentary.

This is NOT going to an “arm-chair-quarterback”/”Smart” column”. I got into wrestling because of the colorful characters, and the good stories depicting the hero overcoming the evil antagonist and his cheating ways. As I got older, I grew more into the evolving athletic matches, as well as the growing understanding of the business side of wrestling and the pure business it truly is.

    These days, I love business side of it more and more, and the growing entertainment side that comes with it (most of the time).

I love how throughout the two to three hour format there is something for every one of all ages. With the demise of the old territory days, grew the now Independent promotions, NXT, and the larger awareness of other promotions from around the world (i.e. AAA, NJPW), and the rising stars that have come to light.

    This was just a small introduction of who I am, and where I am coming from when you read these articles.

In closing, I will mostly be giving my fan perspective on the product today: Mostly WWE, NXT and the little I get for ROH, as well as the ever growing fate of TNA.

Again, this will be mostly a fan perspective. I will not be delving into how I think things were “booked”, or any opinion on how I feel the wrestlers are being handled on a creative basis. I truly love getting lost in a good story, good characters, and the action they bring to the ring. Finn Balor, Charlotte, Samoa Joe, Nakamura, Rollins, all have caught my eye. I hope as you read these articles, you’ll enjoy the show as much as I do.

Sincerely,

Josh

How Hanging with Bob Made Me a Better Fan (And Person)

  Sometimes it's surreal to me that I have been a fan of professional wrestling for 27 years now.

  The year was 1989 and while visiting my grandparents, I discovered something magical that stuck with me forever:  A VHS of WWF World Tour 1989.  Instantly I was memorized by  who I soon found out were Hulk Hogan and The Ultimate Warrior, both prominently featured on the cover.  Even during my obsessions with Thunder Kats and Batman I had never seen anything quite like them.

It turned out my Uncle Bud worked for the World Wrestling Federation promoting shows at the now defunct Meadowlands arena; that tape was a promo copy he received as part of the perks.  He was kind enough to give it to me and all it took was one viewing to be hooked for life.

I have experienced Hulkamania, a Monday Night War, an Extreme revolution, an Attitude Era, displays of Ruthless Aggression, Reality, and New eras galore. My interests went global as I discovered promotions in Japan, UK, Australia, and in between.  I have seen and loved Ring of Honor, EVOLVE, PWG, Lucha Underground, all the way down the line.

Not once have I considered not watching,  Throughout the peaks and valleys of the sport I love I have tuned in and stayed that way because while others only saw the negatives I focused on the positives I knew would keep me invested and a diehard fan until my time on Earth reaches a conclusion.

That said, as I have gotten older I have gone through many stages of wrestling fandom as we all do I suppose.  I was a true believer of all that came across my television screen. Undertaker really did try and suffocate Warrior in that coffin and Earthquake wanted to crush the life out of Hogan on the Brother Love show. 

Then came the revelation that it wasn't "real" but put together by  promoters and creative teams.  Soon I would scour the internet for backstage information and discussion of these topics with fellow fans.  Eventually I would become, or at least think I did, a "smart" fan.  Now rather than sit back and enjoy, everything on every show was subject to nitpicking, over-analyzing and a feeling of superiority as I declared my ideas would be sooooo much better than those working within the business.

 Then I met Bob Evans.

It didn't click within my brain right away but Bob taught me so much in record time.   I was sitting under his learning tree even when initially my smugness didn't allow me to realize it.

Like any "smart" fan I felt emboldened to challenge a wrestler or employee of a company. After all, Bob was "just" the on-screen manager of Mike Bennett and then a tag team partner of Cheeseburger. Surely he was just a shill for all things ROH.    My initial exchanges with him weren't my proudest moments on Facebook.  I questioned his statements and opinions as if I had the fullest clue what I was talking about.   I even had the nerve to try and tell the man he was wrong about things he was in the know about and had seen during his many years within the profession.

To his credit, and my blessing, Brutal Bob didn't curse me out or block me. He simply told it as it was all the while respecting my passion and misguided viewpoints.  Before I knew it,  I was fully educated by him.

Bob Evans is a thinker, a dreamer, a teacher, mentor, and friend.  Being called a "dummy"  is a badge of honor I wear proudly.   Bob has helped me rediscover my early childhood mindset of being a fan of professional wrestling.  Sure, I can use critical thinking and form opinions about any given product and its talent. But I can do so with love and respect for the sacrifices these men and women have made to entertain us all.

No longer do I factor in the wrestling news or television ratings as means of determining what I thought of a particular program or pay-per-view special.  I simply watch, promote what I enjoyed,  voice a quick thought on what I didn't, and move on because I know I will be tuning in next week.

Bob taught me if one company seems to be falling out as a favorite, there are tons more I may enjoy. Wrestling may struggle with mainstream appeal and popularity but it will never truly die.

Bob taught me that drive and dedication can lead you to anywhere in life you want to go. He truly cares about those he offers advice to and I try my best to be that type of person for the people that mean so much to be in my daily life.  Bob does not complain or threaten to quit, he simply evaluates situations and how he can personally better them and himself in the process.

Most importantly, Bob taught me there is ALWAYS a bright side of wrestling.  Hence the name and mission statement of this blog.

 I dedicate this to him and to every wrestler who has ever laced up a pair of boots to compete. My respect and admiration for you all burns brightly. Thank you for everything!

#HangsWithBob, inspire to write a daily blog.