The Ripple Effect 2.09.07: Re-Casting Raw

The Bible will never cease to amaze me.

YouTube Wrestling Video of the Week

It took me a while to jump on the YouTube bandwagon, but when I first realized I could watch some awesome old school wrestling videos on it I wondered how I ever went without it. If you look hard enough, you can find some of your favorite matches, awesome promos, even embrassing moments (I actually watched the Mae Young birth sequence…don’t ask me why). Here’s where I encourage all of you to indulge in the pure nostalgic bliss you get from watching shit like this.

The YouTube Wrestling Video of the Week is:

!~ FWA: CM Punk vs Raven Promo ~!

Watching this promo makes me realize why so many of WWE’s fall so flat all the time. It’s because they stick new guys out there in front of a set with lights and cameras all over them, a full crowd waiting for their match and a dude with a microphone in their face. Of course you’re not going to get an all-star promo every time. Even the few taped interviews they do try are in some studio. Maybe they should take Punk and Raven’s approach, where they grab a camera and just get going!

Punk absolutely lays into the fans in England and Raven’s lifestyle in this clip, touting his straight edge-ness and putting over his responsibility to lead a clean life. Heel 101 says you must act like your character is justified at all times, and Punk is certainly convincing in his “I’m just fucking better than you” role. Raven is Raven, which is saying quite a bit; Scott Levy is just one of those performers who makes the interview/promo process look easy, and he always brings the heat to his feuds and matches.

Bonus Video!

After I watched the previous video, I kept browsing and saw a WWECW promo featuring Punk and Shannon Moore. I think it spells out the differences in promo style between WWE and everyone else as well as anything. Enjoy, if you don’t get too creeped out by Shannon’s “reject” persona.

Re-Casting Raw

This is the final installment of the three part series I started two weeks ago by redistributing the entire WWE roster among the three brands:

For the revamped ECW roster, click here.

For the new and improved SmackDown, click here.

Now, we finish up by reworking the crown jewel of Vince’s empire, Monday Night Raw! Before we get started of course, let’s lay some ground work so you guys know what exactly I’m trying to do here. The point behind making all these changes is twofold: 1) to ensure each superstar is on the brand that will best help them get over, and 2) to maximize the effectiveness of each brand and give them an identity while at the same time accepting their limitations. Keep these key things in mind when looking at the roster:

1. I’m taking into account that Raw comes live every week on cable television. Just like ECW and SD, Raw has a unique TV deal and it would be stupid not to want to capitalize on this. The simple fact is that some wrestlers thrive in a live TV situation, while others work better with the magic of editing. A different atmosphere drives the live shows than the other ones, that clichéd yet true feeling of “anything really can happen” (even a power outage, like last year).
2. Raw’s championships will consist of the WWE title, the Intercontinental title and the Women’s title. Yes, I have decided to completely do away with the World Tag titles, and I don’t think a lot of people will object to this. Even before the brand extension, WWE started having trouble getting teams over on a regular basis, and the split has only added to this problem. I definitely think only having one tag division will allow more of an identity in the tag ranks. And if you don’t want to do away with the title that has the lineage, just move it and get rid of the WWE Tag titles.
3. A big portion of the current Raw roster doesn’t change. One thing I think Raw has right at the current time is their main event scene. All the big names on Raw either thrive in front of a live audience or feud with someone who does. This isn’t to say that the WWE title contenders will remain the exact same, because I do have a few tricks up my sleeve yet. However, the core group of Raw mainstays remains, and deservedly so.

And now, let’s move to the roster of the newly cast flagship wrestling show, Monday Night Raw!

Raw Superstars Remaining Raw Superstars

John Cena – To the surprise of just about no one, the federation’s biggest star remains on the company’s biggest brand. I don’t know about you guys, but the first time Cena came to Raw via the draft lottery, it was like the mothership was calling him home. He’s one of those guys I was thinking of earlier when talking about being better in front of a live audience. He has an electric presence, and he’s proven he can deliver in big time situations. WWE would have to be retarded to move Cean to Friday nights, and even more retarded to even THINK about sending him to ECW.

Nick Dinsmore – The man known as Eugene will stay on Monday nights, but under my new roster he will receive a massive character overhaul before appearing again. I don’t particularly care what gimmick they want to put on him, but it needs to happen soon. Dinsmore is a talented performer, as proven by the endearing quality he brings to the Eugene character, which could’ve been played much worse by a lesser performer. And we know he’s not afraid to do something outside the box, so there’s more freedom to choose. I say he can be valuable in the IC division if given a real chance.

Kenny Dykstra – Speaking of guys in need of a name change, we have Kenny who really has done a good job of establishing his spot on the Raw midcard. He may not be as over as some people think, but I can definitely see him winning the IC title sometime in 2007, probably even twice. Right now, Kenny’s got amazing ability as an athlete and his potential is pretty much unmatched. But he’s got to learn how just a little more about how to work a main event match and how to define his character. The guys on Raw specialize in that very thing, so Kenny is best off right where he is.

Edge – To put it simply, Raw has been one lucky bastard to have Edge around this past year. When the fans turned on their “money” star, they turned to Edge. When they needed a hot initial feud for One Night Stand, they turned to Edge. When RVD fucked himself out of the WWE title, they turned to Edge. I think WWE owes it to him to keep him on the marquee brand. He’s one of the guys I associate Raw with more than anyone else nowadays, and his character fits most closely with Raw. There’s no reason to take Edge out of what’s become his personal playground.

Ric Flair – I had a hard time with this one; my first inclination was to move Flair over to SD, where we could be given a chance to thrive on the simpler “wrestling” brand. But then I realized just how much wrestling Flair still has left in him and thought of his potential as a manager. At that point I decided that Monday nights are his best bet. It would be cool to see Naitch partner up with an up-and-comer to give some rub and let him go crazy on the mic (Kenny perhaps). Ric knows how to work a crowd, and that comes in more handy in a live situation, so Flair stays put.

Triple H – Was there ever any doubt which brand HHH would end up on? Like I mentioned about the Undertaker last week, HHH is that one “icon” that Raw has up its sleeve. He’s the guy who’s going to get the big matches when everybody else fails. He’s the guy who gets the first and last shot in the opening montage. More than anyone, HHH is the symbol of Raw, like it or not, and my point here isn’t to “shake things up” as much as “bring out the good” so the Tripster stays put and overshadows Shawn when he returns from injury.

Shawn Michaels – This one gave me some trouble too. At first thought, I got very excited about the prospect of moving HBK to SD. It would open up a fresh set of opponents (Booker, Finlay, Batista) and would breathe some new life into his character. But when I saw him and Cena face off last week, there was no doubt in my mind that Raw was his home. If you want to talk about guys who perform better under pressure HBK would go at the very top of that list, and live shows always benefit from his presence. We’ll at least keep him on Mondays for a little while longer and let him do what he does best: electrify a national audience.

Johnny Nitro – I think it says a lot for Nitro’s character that I could imagine him in any of the brands. He’s got a “taboo” sense about him that would fit well in ECW, and he’s got a good arsenal of wrestling moves, which is more what SD’s about. But above all that is the “big deal” factor he carries with him to the ring, and that’s a big a Raw trait as there is. As long as he’s got Melina by his side his star will continue to rise, and he would be a mainstay in the IC title scene, with some occasional shots at the big time. You might say Nitro…belongs on Monday Night (get it?).

Randy Orton – When Orton came over from SD in late 2002, he immediately began a strong push that ended up in his World Heavyweight title win at SummerSlam ’04. Eventually he was moved back to SD where his star power either stayed the same or diminished significantly, depending on who you talk to. Then he came back to Raw and has eventually worked his way into the number two heel position on the brand. Does anyone doubt that Mondays are where the RKO belongs? He won’t get a WWE title run anytime soon, but his spot is definitely secure, in the real world and my fake one.

Val Venis – Okay, one might be wondering why, with all the guys being let go under my new roster, the Big Valbowski still has a job with the new Raw. And the answer is this: unlike the other guys being let go, Venis has the ability to do some good for the company. There’s a reason he’s been working Heat matches with all their rookies for the past three years, and it’s because he’s a good worker and can help guys learn the finer points. And also despite the other guys, his gimmick is STILL over (it debuted almost nine years ago with a few interruptions). Let him keep working the younger guys into shape and letting us hear that saxophone music.

Mickie James, Maria, Candice Michelle, Melina & Victoria – Most of the Raw divas are staying right where they are, and for good reason. Each of them has some kind of “it” factor about them that makes them top-notch in the eyes of the fans, moreso than the SD or ECW divas. They’ve all earned their spot on the top show.

SmackDown Superstars Being Moved To Raw

Mr. Kennedy – This pick might cause some controversy; a lot of people think Kennedy’s become one of SD’s best assets and to lose him would be devastating to the brand. But I say there would be more to gain by putting Kennedy in front of a live audience every week than there would be to lose by taking him off SD. He could definitely be one of those guys who feuds with the top stars without always being in the title picture. And he could make a trip to IC land every now and then. His personality is a natural fit on Raw.

MVP – The way I see it, SD really screwed the pooch with MVP’s feud with Kane. Sure he got to go over a few times, and sure they’re building him up with a triumphant return from the burn, but it just seems like he’s “burned” his bridges on SD. I say move him over and let his existing friendship with Kennedy produce a nice new duo on Mondays.

Rey Mysterio – I’m glad this edition came last of the three, because this is probably the biggest surprise of them all. All common logic says Rey should either go with SD, the brand he’s established his legacy on and the location of the cruiserweights, or ECW, the brand he had a small part in building. But here’s why it’s a good idea to move Rey to Raw: possibilities. The move brings new opponents, a bigger audience and a chance to shine on WWE’s biggest weekly stage. He doesn’t have much time left, so give him that chance. It would at least give him a chance to get away from the Guerreros.

Vito – Let me say this first: Vito’s gimmick is one of the most annoying things in the current wrestling scene. And it’s not because he’s a cross dresser; I’ve seen way dumber gimmicks than that in WCW. The problem is that WWE’s simplified the gimmick to remove any actual interest people may have in it. Think about it, wouldn’t be just a little better if Vito wore the dress and it didn’t really affect his behavior. That way when he gets all his wins we could attribute it to his newfound confidence from wearing something that makes him comfortable, not from changing his character to a giggly school girl. ANYWAY, Vito’s not going to be shooting to the top of the card anytime soon so I say move him to Raw where he can be a viable part of the IC division.

ECW Superstars Moving To Raw

Monty Brown – When I first saw the Alpha Male on iMPACT a couple years ago, all I could think was that Brown was a star in the works. He’s got massive amounts of charisma, and as soon as he gets comfortable his promos will improve exponentially. That said, his talent is going to waste in a place like ECW. If you put him on Raw, it opens up a lot more possibilities for promo time, a run as IC champion and a chance to cut great promos in front of a live TV audience every week. And as far as the name goes…well, I don’t hear any “MARCUS COR VON (clap, clap, clap, clap, clap)” chants in the future.

Elijah Burke – Now that they’ve given him an actual purpose in the new ECW I might be less eager to move Burke, but I still think he’d be better off on Raw. In case you hadn’t figured it out, Mondays will generally be the place to catch the real up-and-comers because of the IC division, while SD will be where the cruiserweight and tag team action goes down. I see Burke as a big part of that IC picture; the guy has already proven he can do some talking, and he’s got a unique background that immediately distinguishes him from the generic “can’t talk” rookies. If you move him to Raw, you get the chance to build a bonafied superstar by having him work with some of the very best.

Test – Probably the biggest complaint people have about Test is that he just isn’t ECW. He relies mostly on his look to get him over, he doesn’t have any discernible moveset, and he doesn’t really do ANYTHING extreme. Personally, I always thought he was a better fit on Raw. It was on Raw that he rose the highest spot he’s had on the card since coming to WWE (fighting Undertaker at SummerSlam), and it was on Raw that he fucking made out with Stacy Kiebler. I can definitely understand the argument for making Test the new heel face of ECW, but with these roster changes they’ll have that covered anyway. It’s a much better bet to keep Test where the Testicles were: on Raw.

And that concludes the new and improved roster of Raw, and with it, the entire federation!! It’s been very interesting breaking down the brands and seeing where people would be best off. I hope it’s as interesting for you guys, if in fact people actually read the column.

Adieu

That will wrap things up for the NINTH edition of the RE, as well as the first attempt at a series! Next week, we’ll get back to normal as I explain to you guys why Shawn Michaels main-eventing WrestleMania again is not a bad thing…it’s a GOOD THING!

Until that time,
Keep watching! It’s the best time of the year to be a wrestling fan.