The WWE Network will air 4 new shows over the next week. Over the holidays, the WWE Network will feature a cooking show, gaming show, a Fashion Files cold-case episode, and a blooper show hosted by the Club.
4 New WWE Network Shows Announced
Fashion Files: Cold Case Unit
A new episode of Fashion Files will air on the Network December 24th. Fandango and Tyler Breeze will try and solve the cold case of “the Mysterious Pie Face Perpetrator”. The tag-team will look to solve the long-running mystery of who threw a pie at Kevin Owens a few weeks back. The show will start at 11 PM est following a taped airing of Raw.
Xavier’s Arcade Challenge
On December 25th, the WWE Network will feature Xavier Woods’ new gaming show. Woods will visit the arcade scene in different cities on the show playing games such as “NBA Jam”. He visits Philadelphia first. The show will air at 7 PM est.
WWE Kitchen SmackDown
An Iron Chef type show featuring Bo Dallas will hit the Network on December 26th. Dana Brooke, Alicia Fox, and Curtis Axel will compete in a cookoff with Mark Henry Noelle Foley, and Big E as the judges. The show will air at 7 PM est.
Similar to the popular underground blooper series, Botchamania, Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows will host a blooper show on December 27th on the Network. The “Titus Worldslide” which occurred in the Greatest Royal Rumble will be featured on the show. The show will get going at 7 PM est.
It is being reported that three WWE Superstars’ contracts will be expiring in 2019. AJ Styles, Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows all joined WWE back in 2016 and their contracts are allegedly set to finish mid way through next year.
As we’ve previously reported AJ Styles has been looking to work a reduced schedule. The in-ring veteran has been one of the linchpins of the Smackdown Live brand over the past few years and it is very likely that WWE will bend over backwards to keep the ‘Phenomenal One’ in the United States. PWInsider have claimed that Styles’ contract is set to expire in April 2019.
Gallows and Anderson have seen a very different side of WWE’s creative. The former Bullet Club members are reportedly contracted until September in 2019, there are currently no concrete plans in place to re-sign the tag team.
We also reported earlier this year that NJPW were interested in bringing back Gallows, Anderson and Shinsuke Nakamura. Whilst it is always difficult to judge if they are happy to re-sign with WWE the tag team could demand a high price to return to Japan. With New Japan possibly set to lose the Young Bucks and Cody Rhodes to an as yet unconfirmed ‘All Elite’ promotion NJPW could use the starpower.
WWE isn’t the only professional wrestling company ready to make free agency moves. Come next year several top professional wrestling stars’ contracts are due to expire. Several big New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) and Ring Of Honor (ROH) names are rumored to be WWE-bound.
However, NJPW also reportedly has some interest in a few WWE names. Per a report from Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio, NJPW has their eyes on three names in particular. Those being Luke Gallows, Karl Anderson, and current WWE United States Champion Shinsuke Nakamura. Meltzer said it’s believed all three signed three-year deals with WWE in 2016.
There is currently no news on any of them renewing as of this writing. It’s expected, however, that all three men will stay with WWE. Nakamura is reportedly settled in the United States after moving from Japan when he initially signed. Meltzer did mention there’s some talk of Gallows wanting to return, but nothing has been confirmed. And finally, Anderson is expected to remain stateside as he has a family to care for.
As for NJPW stars possibly coming to WWE, that’s a different story. WWE is rumored to be gearing up to make big moves in 2019. They certainly have the funds, given their recent broadcast deals and the money they’re making from their Saudi Arabia shows.
What do you think about NJPW showing interest in Gallows, Anderson, and Nakamura?
During Sunday’s WWE SummerSlam pay-per-view, Luke Gallows announced on Twitter that he and fellow Superstar Nia Jax are dating. WWE broadcaster Renee Young congratulated the couple and wrestling fans seemed to relish at this romantic pairing.
It almost seemed too good to be true. The idea of Gallows being romantic. The possibility of his courtship unfolding on a future season of Total Divas. Well, it now seems like we got worked and this whole love affair was a big ruse.
Just 24 hours after announcing that he was one half of WWE’s hottest new couple, Luke Gallows dropped a bombshell on Twitter. Citing the rigors of ‘high profile relationships,’ Gallows broke the news during Raw that his wild fling with Jax was just a #onedayrelationship.
The rigors of high profile relationships are grueling, it’s with a heavy heart that I have to announce that @NiaJaxWWE & I have mutually decided to part ways. Thank you for respecting our privacy during these trying times. #onedayrelationship#sadday
We’ll keep you posted if these two love birds ever link up again. You know how these volatile relationships can be. Now back to your regularly scheduled programming.
Neither Luke Gallows nor Nia Jax competed at SummerSlam. Nia Jax lost the Raw Women’s Championship at Money in the Bank earlier this year to Alexa Bliss, who was cashing in the MITB briefcase she won previously that night. Jax was about to be locked in an armbar by Ronda Rousey at the time Bliss cashed in the briefcase.
Jax was given a rematch against Bliss at Extreme Rules but again lost to her longtime rival. She had previously defeated Bliss at both WrestleMania 34 and Backlash 2018.
As for Luke Gallows, the Club failed to defeat the Bludgeon Brother for the Smackdown tag-team championships on two successive occasions this year. The last time Gallows and Anderson wrestled was in a dark match on Tuesday night. They teamed with their fellow club member, AJ Styles, and defeated Randy Orton, Shinsuke Nakamura, and Samoa Joe after 205 Live.
According to a founding member of Bullet Club, WWE’s version of the faction is done. Karl Anderson recently responded to fans on Twitter asking about the stable and his responses indicate there is nothing to talk about.
Despite the faction seemingly being over, Anderson is staying at Balor’s house at the moment. Smackdown is in Orlando tonight and in lieu of staying at a hotel in the area, Anderson is just staying at Balor’s place.
Karl Anderson, Luke Gallows, and AJ Styles acted as “The Club” when Anderson and Gallows first arrived in the company in 2016. In NJPW, Anderson and Gallows had actually helped Kenny Omega and Bullet Club kick Styles out of the faction on Styles’ last show with the company, however. They seemingly patched things up before Anderson and Gallows arrived in WWE, however.
Then earlier this year, Gallows and Anderson joined Finn Balor, another original Bullet Club member on Raw. Their reunion did not last long, however. Gallows and Anderson were drafted to Smackdown following the Superstar Shakeup not long after WrestleMania.
Since moving to Smackdown, Anderson and Gallows have had two chances to win the tag-team championships. They lost both opportunities to the Bludgeon Brothers. The last time Anderson and Gallows held tag-team gold in WWE was WrestleMania 33. They entered the event as champions but lost the titles to the Hardy Boyz.
Meanwhile in NJPW, original BC members Tama Tonga and Bad Luck Fale are attempting to bring the faction back to its roots.
WWE Elimination Chamber 2018 now has two tag team matches and one of them has gold on the line.
The Bar (Sheamus & Cesaro) will defend their Raw Tag Team Championships against Titus Worldwide (Titus O’Neil & Apollo) on the main card. It’s an interesting match-up as Apollo teased a split from Titus on a recent edition of WWE’s Mixed Match Challenge. Could the full turn come to fruition on Sunday night?
“Since solidifying themselves as an elite tandem, Raw Tag Team Champions Cesaro & Sheamus have claimed, “We don’t set the bar; WE ARE THE BAR!” At WWE Elimination Chamber, however, that bar may very well be cleared when the reigning titleholders go to war against Titus Worldwide.”
That’s Not All
As far as the pre-show match goes, that slot belongs to The Good Brothers (Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson) vs. The Miztourage (Bo Dallas & Curtis Axel). This of course will be part of the WWE Elimination Chamber Kickoff show. That announcement can also be seen below:
“Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson have never called someone a nerd and not wanted to beat them up, and the former Raw Tag Team Champions will get just such a chance when they face the two most meddlesome enforcers on the Raw roster — The Miztourage — at WWE Elimination Chamber Kickoff.”
WWE Superstar Luke Gallows recently took part in an international media call and talked about several professional wrestling topics. Gallows was asked about the segment between The Club (himself, Karl Anderson, and Finn Balor) and DX during RAW 25. Gallows was asked whether or not it was a passing of the torch kind of moment:
“It was a surreal moment for Karl [Anderson] and I. This is why we got into the business. This is why we do what we do. We grew up watching these guys and to share the ring with them, and for them to ‘pass the torch’ or whatever you want to call it. It was very symbolic for us. I have the picture up at home with all of us throwing up the ‘Too Sweet’ sign. I was very proud of that moment.”
Gallows was also asked to answer a rather difficult question – if he prefers having The Club with AJ Styles or Finn Balor:
“I think we are both unique, and both talented, but what I would rather have is a four-man faction with AJ Styles, Karl Anderson, Finn Balor and myself. Add Tama Tonga and Bad Luck Fale while we are at it and let’s just take over the entire WWE once and for all.”
He then discussed what it’s like being back with WWE after working in Japan for the past few years:
“When Karl [Anderson] and I jumped the rail and made our debut on RAW in Los Angeles, California, we had some trepidation because we are very highly confident guys and we know that we are highly capable, but we didn’t know whether or not the WWE Universe knew who we were. So, when we jumped the rail and we heard that reaction and felt as though they were happy to see us, it felt like it was icing on the cake for what has been an incredible WWE run with more to come.”
WWE Superstar Luke Gallows recently did an interview with Sky Sports to talk about several professional wrestling topics. He explained how Bullet Club members The Young Bucks over in New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) owe it to themselves to sign with WWE and leave their mark on the professional wrestling industry:
“I hope the Young Bucks come in,” Gallows said. “I think they’re highly, highly talented and if you want to make your mark in sports entertainment, if you want your name to go down in the annals of sports entertainment history, you absolutely have to come to WWE.
“This is the pinnacle. It doesn’t get bigger than this. There’s no bigger worldwide stage than WWE. So I think the Young Bucks owe it to themselves to come out here and thrive.”
While Gallows, a former talent in NJPW, acknowledges Japan is a great place to work as a professional wrestler, he says you can’t beat the platform of WWE:
“Japan is a great place to wrestle but WWE is a worldwide platform and you can’t beat that. Their reach is all across the world.”
You can read Gallows’ full interview with Sky Sports by clicking this link here.
– WWE posted the following video of Seth Rollins cutting a great backstage promo to hype this weekend’s Elimination Chamber match. Rollins talked about originally not having a match for the pay-per-view (PPV) event, but now being a part of the biggest Elimination Chamber match of all time. He vowed to win the match, go on to WrestleMania 34, and slay “The Beast” – again – to win the Universal Title. Check it out:
– WWE has been teasing an upcoming feud between RAW Tag Team Champions The Bar (Sheamus and Cesaro) against The Revival, perhaps for a title match at Elimination Chamber. WWE posted a backstage video of Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson calling out The Revival, calling them a pair of “NERDS!” Could this lead to a title eliminator match between the two teams?
– Alexa Bliss took to Twitter to react to getting her own Mattel doll. Bliss recalled telling her former teacher she wanted to grow up to be a Barbie Doll:
When I was 5 I said when I grew up I wanted to be a Barbie Doll … here’s to my teacher who said I couldn’t ???? pic.twitter.com/Jugt1JKciU
While not on TV as much as when he returned, Luke Gallows is a work-horse of WWE. He’s seen success across multiple companies, and has become a reliable ‘go to’ talent to support those around him.
For anyone who wants a recap of his career, here’s Luke Gallows with Corey Graves on Superstar Ink:
Gallows also featured on a recent episode of The Steve Austin Show. Here are some of the highlights:
How Gallows Scrambled To Get A Job In WWE:
“I called Tommy Dreamer and Johnny Ace every week, like, ‘Hey guys, you should probably hire me – I’m pretty good.’ I was having the bulls–t matches in West Virginia against guys in furniture stores and stuff! Terrible! So finally they were opening Deep South and I think they needed to fill it and I wouldn’t leave them alone, so I somehow got my ass in there after three years of terrible indies.”
Before then, Gallows featured on WWE’s Tough Enough…
Pitching A HillBilly Gimmick:
“They bring in Henry Godwinn and my partner eventually ended up being Terry Gordy’s son, Ray Gordy. And the way that happened was Michael [Hayes] brought Henry back and they were going to be the new Godwinns with Henry and Ray. And Ray was always really cool to me, sold me these Tex Slazenger boots. I wore them around for a while. And something happened with him. He had to leave the company. I don’t know what it was, but whatever. But they needed a partner, so some guys from TNA, some old school guys came in, but they couldn’t match this hillbilly thing, so I just watched, like, Larry The Cable Guy stuff and Bill Engvall. I got material for this stuff and I asked ‘Doctor’ Tom Prichard, who I always had a great relationship with, ‘can I please do something with Ray?’ because I know I’ve got nothing. They just killed this weird gimmick that I had. We cut a couple of promos and they loved it!”
Traveling In WWE:
“It’s always us and a rotating third or fourth. We get each other so [well] from when we first clicked, so sometimes Finn Bálor, sometimes Curt Hawkins. We were on SmackDown, so it was always AJ [Styles]. And then, we had Jinder [Mahal] for a while and he left to go to SmackDown and blew up. And we always do good, but we’re always together no matter what. I just think AJ and Jinder put up with us because we were funny and silly when we were reading.”
Impact Wrestling:
“It was fun. I don’t want to bury anybody there. It was a lot of fun and I had a lot of fun. It was just really different coming out of WWE because I went from bulls–t indies to the WWE. Then I left and I got fired right after my 26th birthday. I was a young cat. I started wrestling when I was just 18 [years old], so I was like, ‘this is not a bad thing – this is a good thing. I’m going to go everywhere and then hopefully go back.’ So I had a lot of fun there. I didn’t make a lot of money, but it was a lot of fun. It was a one-year run and then they were having their issues or whatever.”
Working With Hulk Hogan:
“Oh man, Hulk was awesome. I always say because I started so young and I loved wrestling so much, I’ve met a lot of guys that were a little bit of a letdown.”
This interview with Steve Austin, as well as the other features in the article, show just how much of a dedicated wrestler Gallows is, and how hard he works behind the scenes and in the locker room. It may seem like the WWE personas of Gallows and Anderson just search for ‘nerds’ to beat up, but the insights available show there’s more to it. While this is (or should be) true of all professional wrestlers, it appears as though Luke Gallows has as much of a role backstage as he does when entering the ring.
Austin Creed’s YouTube channel, UpUpDownDown, is in the middle of it’s 2017 Madden 18 Tournament. Previous years have been dominated by The Champ: Seth Rollins. He is still undefeated and continues his pursuit, looking to add a third championship to his cabinet.
Previous match ups have included Baron Corbin VS Kofi Kingston, as well as Titus O’Neill VS The Miz; both showdowns saw the former football athletes struggle. While Corbin and Kingston were able to stay relatively lighthearted, with smiles and laughs on both sides, The Miz was unable to stop talking for the entire 26 minute video as he took on the head of Titus Brand Worldwide. It’s difficult to not feel sorry for Titus as he sat silently throughout the unwarranted barrage of advice and taunts; however, it’s also extremely amusing and enjoyable.
The Hollywood A-Lister advanced through to the next round of the tournament in a 24-09 win and will come up against a member of The Miztourage: Curtis Axel, who beat Brian Kendrick 37-0.
The latest Madden 18 game to feature on Austin Creed’s YouTube channel was between two WWE superstars making their debut in the tournament: TJ Perkins and Luke Gallows. This match-up potentially represents the most experienced video game player, overall, against the least experienced. TJP based his in-ring persona on retro gaming, using 8-bit logos and music to support his character, which seems to be most inspired by Megaman games.
The only knowledge Luke Gallows was able to pick up before the start of the match, came from his old friend “Uncle AJ”; unfortunately it still wasn’t very helpful and Gallows had to sit as he was beaten by a nerd.
The beauty of this episode is found in the continuous jokes that each superstar bounces off. They both have a great rapport with each other and work together, especially as TJP appears to look up towards Gallows, constantly wanting a Too Sweet. While he destroys his inexperienced opponent, it seems as though TJP just wants to be liked by his older relative, and at the same time – his older relative just wants to fit in. It’s an amusing insight into an unusual combination that wouldn’t be seen in-ring together.
Opinion:
Recent rumours have run around the internet about Gallows and Anderson potentially leaving the company, fueled by the removal of WWE from their Twitter descriptions. Whether these rumours are true or not, it’s clear to see that Luke Gallows is a respected and admired superstar in the locker room.
With SmackDown Live’s AJ Styles stepping in tonight (Sun. October 22, 2017) against Finn Balor at the WWE’s Tables Ladders and Chairs (TLC) pay-per-view (PPV), there have been rumors going around that The Club could use this opportunity for a reunion. Karl Anderson took to Twitter to respond to a fan’s question about a possible reunion, saying he will be enjoying the PPV from Green Bay on the WWE Network like everyone else:
WWE Possibly Reuniting The Club, Changing the Women’s Division
WWE will be having a Superstar Shake-Up next week. PWInsider.com is reporting that WWE is currently considering the idea of moving AJ Styles to Raw so that he could reunite with Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson. It has also been suggested that Gallows and Anderson move over to Smackdown and having The Club reunite on the Blue Brand.
On a recent episode of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer speculated that Alexa Bliss and Charlotte may switch brands during next week’s Superstar Shake-Up. PWInsider is reporting that was an actual pitch made last week. Sasha Banks has also been rumored to switch from Raw to Smackdown.
Corey Graves Did Not Know The Hardys Were Returning To WWE
WWE tried their best to keep the Hardys return a secret at Wrestlemania 33. Corey Graves was asked by a fan on Twitter to describe his reaction when he found out the Hardys were coming back to WWE. Graves responded with the following:
WWE Superstar Lana was a guest on Busted Open on Sirius XM and provided an update on her husband Rusev’s shoulder injury. Lana revealed that Rusev had shoulder surgery and has just recently started working out again. Lana stated that Rusev will return to WWE in 2-4 months.
— SiriusXM Busted Open (@BustedOpenRadio) April 5, 2017
.@LanaWWE on @RusevBUL injury "He got shoulder surgery, just started working out again. He'll be back in 2-4 months" #RAW
— SiriusXM Busted Open (@BustedOpenRadio) April 5, 2017
Karl Anderson Vows To Get Revenge On Hardy Boyz
Karl Anderson took to Twitter to congratulate the returning Hardy Boyz on winning the Raw Tag Team Championships at Wrestlemania 33. The Hardy Boyz defended the titles against Gallows and Anderson the following night on Monday Night Raw. Matt and Jeff Hardy once again got the best of Gallows and Anderson and won the match. Anderson vowed to get revenge in a post on Twitter.
Hardys beat us on #WWERaw ,so what.. We will get our revenge, always do.. Congrats to them on returnin to New York..
RAW Tag Team Champions Anderson & Gallows disrupted a #1 contender’s match between Enzo & Cass and Sheamus & Cesaro on tonight’s RAW, leading to a Triple Threat for the championships being made for WrestleMania 33 in Orlando.
It was also announced on RAW that Big Show is now official for the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal. This means the planned match with NBA legend Shaq won’t be happening.
Below is the updated card coming out of tonight’s RAW:
– Goldberg defends the WWE Universal Championship against Brock Lesnar
– Bray Wyatt defends the WWE Championship against Randy Orton
– The Undertaker goes to war with Roman Reigns
– Bayley defends the RAW Women’s Championship against Charlotte and Sasha Banks
– Alexa Bliss defends the SmackDown Women’s Championship against every available woman on the SmackDown roster
– Chris Jericho defends the WWE United States Championship against Kevin Owens
– Gallows and Anderson defend the RAW Tag Team Championships against Enzo and Cass, Sheamus and Cesaro in a Triple Threat
– The 4th Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal with Mojo Rawley, Apollo Crews, Big Show and other Superstars to be announced
– Former English rugby star Eorl Crabtree recently toured the WWE Performance Center and attended a set of NXT tapings, seen in this video. Crabtree predicts a definite future for the WWE in the UK and in regards to the WWE UK tournament, he says WWE is going to be massive for the British Wrestling scene, and that he wants a behind the scenes role. Crabtree’s uncle was UK wrestling legend Big Daddy.
– RAW Superstar Luke Gallows is partnering up with former WWE producer Joey Mercury to open up a pro wrestling school. Called the Bulletproof Dojo, the school will open in Jenkinsburg, Georgia later this year. Mercury will be installed as head trainer while Gallows and other special guests will assist as their schedules permit. For season wrestlers only, camps are scheduled for February 7th to February 9th and February 28th to March 2nd. The cost is $100. Email bulletproofdojo@gmail.com for more information.
– Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson talk about how they were cheated & robbed by RAW Tag Team Champions Cesaro and Sheamus in this new backstage video from last night’s show.
– Below is a promo for tonight’s SmackDown Women’s Championship steel cage match with Alexa Bliss defending against Becky Lynch:
– Tyson Kidd called out Sami Zayn on Twitter this week but it appears he may have been confused by Sami’s original tweet. As seen below, Sami commented on H.C. Dyer using a modified Blue Thunderbomb in the WWE UK tournament this weekend. Sami wrote, “Why imitate when you can create?”
Kidd then responded but it appears he may have misunderstood what Sami was trying to say. You can see their tweets below:
Slaw is a parody of the horror franchise Saw and it is looking like it will be finally be released. The film was originally announced in July of 2015 but little has been heard of it since. Recently, Green Apple Entertainment acquired the film and stated in a press release today that they plan on releasing Slaw later this year. Below is the only video I could find of the film. As you can see in the trailer, Kevin Nash is in the film. Luke Gallows and other Bullet Club members also appear in the film. There was a screening of Slaw last year and some reviews came out. Cody Hamman of JoBlo gave Slaw a 6 out of 10. Hamman stated “if you like wrestlers and staggeringly dopey jokes, Slaw is out there for you”.
The WWE released a new video of The Resurrection of Gavin Stone with Shawn Michaelson their YouTube account.
– Luke Gallows is celebrating his 33rd birthday today.
– The Revival vs. NXT Tag Team Champions DIY in a rematch from TakeOver: Toronto will air on next Wednesday’s episode. The winners will go on to defend against The Authors of Pain at TakeOver: San Antonio during Royal Rumble weekend.
– As reported earlier, Bobby Roode won a Fatal 4 Way last night on NXT to earn a shot against NXT Champion Shinsuke Nakamura in San Antonio. In the backstage video below, Roode says the win proved why he’s the face of NXT. Roode says he came to NXT for one reason and that’s to take the company to the next level. Last night’s win was just another step in getting NXT to the top and the final step will come at TakeOver when he makes the NXT Championship glorious.
– The New Day’s new “Booty O’s Christmas” t-shirt is currently sold out at WWEShop.
– Sunday’s WWE Roadblock PPV ranked #1 for the night in Nielsen’s social media TV ratings. Roadblock had 162,000 Twitter interactions with 29,000 unique authors and 143,000 Facebook interactions with 77,000 unique authors.
– Speaking of Roadblock, WWE posted this video of Brian Kendrick, Braun Strowman, Roman Reigns and other Superstars walking through the “tunnel” backstage before their matches:
– Luke Gallows is hosting a big Christmas event at his Painted Gypsy Tattoo shop in Conyers, GA on Thursday to benefit Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. This flyer from Gallows advertises art, music and food. People who being a donated gift for kids will receive 30% off any tattoo from the shop.
– Paige’s WWE Wellness Policy suspension ends this Friday. No word yet on if WWE plans to bring her back on the road for Total Divas filming but she likely won’t be wrestling as she had neck surgery in October.
– A new episode of WWE Story Time premieres tonight on the WWE Network after RAW. Below is a preview with Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows telling a story:
– The Bella Twins had their YouTube account suspended for several hours today but everything was restored by mid-afternoon. Below is a new video of Nikki Bella backstage at TLC:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsqC9t_zbKs
– Becky Lynch is already looking ahead to her rematch against new SmackDown Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss as she wrote the following on Twitter today:
I lost the match and I pitied myself. When I get a rematch, I pity you. @AlexaBliss_WWE
Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson defeated Goldust and R-Truth on tonight’s RAW to become the new #1 contenders to RAW Tag Team Champions The New Day, who retained over Sheamus and Cesaro tonight.
The Club vs. The New Day with the titles on the line will take place on next week’s RAW from Charlotte, NC. It appears The New Day will be defending each week until they break Demolition’s record, which is in 26 days.
WWE has confirmed another championship match for next week’s RAW as Charlotte will defend the RAW Women’s Championship in her hometown, against Sasha Banks.
Monday Night Raw took place last night in Glasgow, Scotland. Raw is advertised as a wrestling show. My apologies, a “sports entertainment” show. The only problem with that is last night’s Raw contained less than 40 minutes of actual wrestling. One of the matches in the less than 40 minutes of in-ring action was between the Shining Stars and Golden Truth. Now, you can consider that a wrestling match. I’d like to call it a train wreck and a waste of everyone’s time. The crowd was silent for most of the match but mustered the energy to chant “boring!” in the middle of it.
Raw is supposed to be a three hour show but it typically goes about 15 minutes long. Lets just say that a typical episode of Monday Night Raw is between 180-190 minutes. It is completely ridiculous for a wrestling program of that length to have less than an hour of in-ring action. It could be excusable if the promos were actually entertaining. The issue is that they usually are mind-numbingly stupid and bore everyone to tears.
Last night, there was a 15 minute promo featuring the New Day dressed in kilts and bringing bagpipes down to the ring. I guess because the show was taped in Scotland that was supposed to be hilarious. Big E then recited a speech from the film Braveheart to pump up the Raw team for Survivor Series. The rest of the promo was everyone cracking jokes at the expense of Sheamus. The promo wound up leading to a quick match between the New Day and Gallows & Anderson. Amazingly, Gallows and Anderson picked up a clean victory over New Day. The WWE has conditioned their audience to view Gallows & Anderson as a joke for the past few months. All of the sudden, they are mowing through the Tag Team Champions. I don’t understand it but that is a whole other discussion.
The main point is that the match was short and hardly competitive. Big E was dominated throughout and the match. The only momentum the New Day had was when Kofi was tagged in and he got in some offense. Gallows & Anderson picked up a quick victory via the Magic Killer. There was no drama and nobody really had any reaction to Gallows & Anderson winning. It just seems like week after week, people are randomly winning matches and it is building towards absolutely nothing. The painfully unfunny promo that proceeded this match was four times as long as the match itself.
Every single promo feels like the Superstars are reading from a teleprompter. There is no life in anything they are saying. It is like the creative writing process in the WWE is to google corny jokes and assign a few of them to every Superstar to regurgitate during the show. R-Truth mistook Jimmy Buffett’s name to mean an actual buffet last night. Braun Strowman had to say the line “I’m on Team Braun!” and try to sound like a monster while doing so. It sounded ridiculous. Wouldn’t it have just been better if Strowman got up in Kevin Owens’ face and told him to get the hell out of his locker room?
Every single segment is overwritten. The idea may be humorous at first but it goes through a bunch of people with their own thoughts and what comes out is a watered down version of the original idea. There are no intense feuds anymore. The entire build to the Hell in a Cell PPV was based around jokes and lists. How was Seth Rollins going to defeat the chubby champion? Was sparkle crotch going to interfere? Rusev and Reigns had several lame promos in which people were getting tossed into a wedding cake or Rusev was showing a slideshow of his family. Meanwhile, the WWE was billing the Hell in a Cell as this demonic structure with a life of it’s own. How were people going to convince themselves they were going to see this brutal battles when the build to the show was the equivalent to a bunch of fart jokes?
I do not understand who the target audience is for Monday Night Raw. It can’t be wrestling fans because there is not enough wrestling. If it is children, why is the show three hours and what child is cracking up at a Jimmy Buffett joke? For that matter, what adult is cracking up at a Jimmy Buffett joke in 2016? It appears that the WWE is trying to cater their product to everyone. They are trying to produce a show that appeals to every gender and every age. I just picture a gigantic chart and empty suits placing segments on the chart. They put the Golden Truth in the kids section of the chart and then the main event in the adult section. They probably figure that by the time the main event airs most of the children will be asleep and the adults will be wide awake to see the match. The problem with that logic is that the ratings go down every hour because adults are changing the channel due to how awful the show is. In their quest to create a show that caters to everyone, what the WWE is left with is a show that very few people enjoy.