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The Big News: Legacy isn’t getting along. Neither are Chris Jericho and Big Show.

Show Analysis:

Chris Jericho started the show by announcing a 7-on-7 Raw vs. Smackdown match at Bragging Rights to see which brand is superior. Jericho said he gets to wrestle on both shows but that he’s proud of Smackdown and will be the captain of that team. He vowed to put together a team to embarrass Raw. One of the women from Access Hollywood (I couldn’t even tell you what channel that show is on, let alone who they are) interrupted and told Jericho the show would start with DX and not Jericho. You probably should have gotten on that before the camera started rolling.

HHH came out and said that Shawn Michaels wouldn’t be on the show. He noted DX are the captains of the Raw team at Bragging Rights. He called Michaels and got Michaels’ voice message where Michaels was singing over his music. Michaels picked up and said his daughter is sick and he had to stay at home. Michaels noted he just read a book to his daughter. HHH asked if it was the DX book and Michaels replied that he wouldn’t read that piece of trash to her. He then corrected himself and said yes. With their book buried, HHH and Michaels hung up.

Jericho and Big Show joined HHH. Jericho put over Smackdown. HHH responded by calling him a troll, mocking Great Khali’s wrestling ability and saying Raw is better. Jericho said that Big Show would be on his team. HHH mocked them, saying that Jericho’s the pitcher and Show’s the catcher. Show retorted that he carries the team. Jericho and Show traded barbs and Show said he wanted to be on the Raw team. HHH acted all happy but then said there were no spaces and Show was sad. That was funny. HHH said Show would have to earn his spot by beating Chris Jericho in a match.

Big Show beat Chris Jericho via count out. They argued, shoved each other and slapped each other. They didn’t physically fight much, but after an argument on the outside Show got in the ring before the count of ten. I don’t like the fact Jericho and Show are already bickering, and the highly likely conclusion of Show turning on the Raw guys at Bragging Rights will make DX look like such morons for not seeing it coming.

One of the women from the show interviewed Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase. They wanted to be on Team Raw but she told them they would have to wrestle in a three-way with John Cena for one spot on the team. The woman was so much better than the vast majority of contemporary wrestling interviewers.

Jillian Hall beat Mickie James to win the women’s title. The match was really good and not very good. Jillian hit a sloppy power bomb and put her feet on the ropes to win the title. She then freaked out in celebration and started singing. One of the women from the show appeared on the screen and announced she made a major divas trade. She waited for cheers but the crowd didn’t react at all. She then said Jillian would have to defend her title against a new Raw acquisition.

Melina beat Jillian to win the women’s title. They went for the primal scream but botched it beyond all recognition so they went to the last call for the pin. I’m at the point where I think they should just ditch the female wrestling altogether. They stink up the joint 2 times out of 3 with some of the worst stuff you’re ever going to see and the time would be better spent in allowing other matches to go a little longer.

As for the trade, I’m baffled that at the point they are trying to sell an interpromotional gimmick as a pay-per-view hook they would do a completely pointless trade that just emphasizes the reality that wrestlers constantly go back and forth between the shows for no reason. Couldn’t they at least have waited until after Bragging Rights if they absolutely had to switch around the women?

They announced Snoop Dogg will be the guest host next week on Raw. That should be fine. Hornswoggle visited HHH backstage dressed like Shawn Michaels. HHH said this was gimmick infringement. Michaels was on speakerphone and freaked out when he saw this on TV. Hornswoggle attacked a cardboard cutout of Michaels. This was terrible. Elsewhere, Beth Phoenix was annoyed about being traded and threatened the women from the show. Santino suggested Beth wrestle one of the women even though the woman clearly didn’t want it.

Cody Rhodes won a three-way over Ted DiBiase and John Cena. Rhodes and DiBiase came out together and it was basically a tornado rules handicap match. Rhodes and DiBiase used a high low and worked over Cena for a while. Cena came back with a double suplex on both and used a belly to belly, drop toe hold and STF on DiBiase. Orton came out and Cena broke the hold. With Cena distracted, Rhodes rolled up DiBiase for the pin. Legacy argued afterwards and one of the women from the show appeared on the screen to announce Cena and Orton vs. Rhodes and DiBiase.

Jack Swagger beat MVP in a Bragging Rights qualifier. Swagger dominated pretty much the entire match and won clean with the gut wrench power bomb. MVP’s only real offense was hitting balling. I’m all for picking a few young guys and putting them over as strong as possible.

Kofi Kingston beat Evan Bourne in a Bragging Rights qualifier. I like that Kingston is billed from Ghana now since that’s where he’s from but it is amusing he’s still doing the Jamaican gimmick. Bourne hit a spinning head kick and leaping knee and applied a half crab. He came off the ropes but was caught with trouble in paradise for the pin. I wish they were given more time but this was good. The Raw team for Bragging Rights is HHH, Michaels, Show, Rhodes, Swagger, Kingston and the Mark Henry/Chris Masters winner from Superstars.

Backstage, Legacy bickered. Orton said the main event would be a handicap match and he wouldn’t tag in. Elsewhere, Chavo Guerrero complained about not being in a Bragging Rights qualifier so HHH had one of the women from the show kick him low.

Kelly Kelly, Gail Kim and one of the women from the show beat Beth Phoenix, Rosa Mendes and Alicia Fox. Jerry Lawler said that just because you’re a fan of WWE doesn’t qualify you to wrestle. No, you have to be a fan *and* famous, King. Then you get to wrestle and win. The woman from the show kicked and slapped Beth. Kelly gave Rosa a handspring elbow, the woman snapped Rosa’s neck on the ropes, and Kelly hit a leg drop for the pin. The woman from the show was cute and likeable so this didn’t bother me as much as it might have otherwise.

Miz came out with the US Title to gloat. He said that he would face the Intercontinental champion at Smackdown. He waited for applause, but again there was no reaction whatsoever from the crowd. He then put down John Morrison, saying he was the talent of the tag team. The crowd did scream along at the end with his catchphrase about being awesome, which is a good sign.

Ted DiBiase and Cody Rhodes beat Randy Orton and John Cena. Orton said prior to the match that he told Snoop Dogg next week will be Cena’s last match on Raw, and Cena will be in one of the biggest matches of his career. Orton was proven to be a liar, as instead Cena will wrestle HHH again next week.

Rhodes and DiBiase worked over Cena for a while, but for some reason after Cena hit a Cena slam Orton decided to look down and not pay attention so Cena was able to tag himself in despite Orton’s wishes. Rhodes and DiBiase went for rollups on Orton, who tagged back in Cena. Cena hit a Cena slam and five knuckle on DiBiase, at which point Orton decided to tag himself back in. He attacked Cena, and DiBiase then rolled up Orton for the pin. Cena gave Orton an FU after the match.

This match seemed really illogical to me. I just don’t buy that someone in a tag match who is determined not to be tagged could somehow stop paying attention and end up tagged in anyway. More illogical was Orton tagging himself in later when Cena was offense. Why wouldn’t he just attack Cena without tagging? What possible benefit did he get from tagging in?

Final Thoughts:

This was an average show by recent Raw standards. One note on the guest hosts is they really need to switch up the formula. The premise is that these hosts from vastly different backgrounds are running the show, yet the shows are actually more formulaic with the hosts rather than less. The host announces a match at the beginning of the show. The host does a few “comedy” segments backstage, usually involving Santino. The host shoots a minor angle. And then the host says goodbye before the main event. It’s totally cookie cutter. I wish they’d spend a little more time thinking about unique ways to use the hosts rather than a one size fits all approach.

Todd Martin
ToddMartin4L@aol.com
toddwmartin.blogspot.com