Dismal RAW Ratings Get Worse

With Benoit's death scrambling McMahon's plans for an Attitude Era revisited, the summer storylines of the WWE have been smashed, leading to little action and awful ratings. It's not just a post WM23 slump anymore, folks. Just how bad are the ratings? And what does the WWE have to do to turn this ship around?

The last time Raw drew a lower rating last night on a non-holiday edition of Raw was on September 26, 2005 - over 20 months ago.

The following are ratings of Monday Night Raw equal or lower than the 3.4 (rounded up from a 3.36) drawn last week:

-3.2 on May 28, 2007 (Memorial Day)
-2.7 on Dec. 25, 2007 (Christmas night)
-3.4 on Sept. 25, 2006 (Cena vs. Lita headlined)
-3.4 on Oct. 31, 2005 (Halloween night)
-3.2 on Sept. 26, 2005 (Masters & Carlito vs. Cena & Michaels)
-3.3 on Sept. 12, 2005 (Ten-Man Tag Match)
-2.6 on July 4, 2005 (July 4 Holiday)

In other words, that's not good. The post-WrestleMania slump usually hurts the WWE and ratings are bound to drop slightly. They aren't, however, dropping -- they're plummeting. It's a shame, because the WWE had nothing to do with the Benoit incident, and yet, they are suffering from it. Even worse, the McMahon death angle had non-fans interested. "Vince McMahon" death was one of the highest-rated search terms following the draft episode. All the stars were aligned for the dream summer that Drew Arnold and Jared Gerrard had predicted.

Being the eternal WWE optimist, I still believe that they can turn this ship around. Jared wrote recently of what they will do. Instead, I'd like to offer some suggestions as to what they should do.

1. Get Shane involved. At some point, he'll need to take over the company (which is fine by me). But if Vince, Steph, HHH, and the rest of the creative team isn't ready for that, at least let him wrestle. He's an incredibly athletic guy and would add to any show.



2. Get rid of the Legends. I know, I know...I love them too, but it's time. Vince can't keep bringing Mick Foley back everytime he needs a pop, and the bodies of Taker, HBK, and the rest are simply breaking down. Having too much of a dependence on the older guys prevents the newer ones (Kennedy, Punk) from coming up. Do we really want to be seeing The Attitude Era guys in 10 years? It won't be pretty. Additionally, they have nothing else to prove (no belts to be won, challenges to overcome). They're purely on the shows for ratings. Creative team should start to phase them out, all with the exception of...

3. The Rock. He's still young, his movies suck, and while all these other 90s guys have been smashing their bodies to pieces in an attempt to please the ever-bloodthirsty WWE fans, Rock's been sitting in a Hollywood trailer somewhere. The further I am removed from the 90s, the more I realize that it was The Rock who was the true star, not Stone Cold Steve Austin. Stone Cold vs. Mr. Kennedy would be terrible. But The Rock vs. Kennedy? Can you say five star match?

4. Complete the brand merger. The WWE has been flirting with this for some time (which is why I say "complete") as they've been putting superstars from both brands on the same show for the majority of this year. There's enough talent for one show (and ECW), but certainly not two. Moreover, there's enough trash on each brands that could be cut down, resulting in a very nice finished package. Funaki...out. Colt Cabana...in.

Post on the comment board below with your thoughts on this article along with alternate suggestions for the WWE.

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WWE Booking Team Shines Recently

I for one am impressed with how they have built up the current feuds in the WWE. Hardys/Cade & Murdoch, Flair/MVP, Batista/Edge are all massive feuds that have put on some decent match ups in my eyes.

It has taken away the focus away from the boring Cena "Superman" act . And even look at the up and coming feuds. Marella/Regal is going to be big as Regal is a talented guy but just never had his chance at the top. Sandman/Carlito looks to be a good feud when it gets going too. Benoit/Punk IS going to be the feud of the year which is finally going to bring ECW back to its roots.

I know some of the older ECW fans are going to say "Well, it doesn't have any originals in it!" Well not really, however, WCW died because it didn't push the new talent, the WWE lost a crap load of fans when Austin and Triple H wouldn't move over and let RVD push through in 2003, which is ironic because Austin left WCW when people like Hogan were taking up all the upper card spots. Granted, he made a load of money for the WWE, but like Cena, his act became stale and no one cared, which is a shame because he could have changed and modified it.

And finally, if any of the WWE writing team reads this, please push the Intercontinental title more (see our previous article on this topic). Look at the greats who have held it, such as Austin, Triple H, The Rock who have gone on to be huge in the wrestling world. Build it up to be a massive title on Raw, with more high spots and stellar matches that old school WCW fans will remember in its glory days. I'm talking about Jericho, Rey Mysterio, Guerrero and Malenko who ruled the mid card and made WCW turn from a company that was losing money into a genuine rival for the WWE.

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The Importance of the Promo

Guest article from the MIT Comparative Studies program:

A situation has that repeated itself time and time again during the last few months occurred once again last week: Bobby Lashley was passed the microphone, and he gave one of the most underwhelming promos I've ever seen. It killed the intensity of the match, of the segment, of just about everything. It was so lackluster in its delivery that it made me laugh instead of making me believe in his character. In other words, business as usual for Lashley.

This made me remember an argument I once had with a fellow fan, and so I decided to bring the topic here. I know that in this day and age, promo skills are almost a necessity... or are they? Let's take Umaga for example. All this guy does is growl and pant and destroy people in the ring. Between Vince and Armando Alejandro Estrada (I love how he says his name), they pretty much do all of the talking for him. He hasn't said a word and everyone buys his character, at least, most people do. Between them helping him by showcasing his voice through him and his in-ring intensity, Umaga doesn't need much else.

Enter Bobby Lashley. This guy has the look of a champion and he has the moves of a champion, but I would rather Moolah and Mae Young try to wrestle now than hear this man on the microphone. And yet, if promo skills are so important, why is this guy the focus of the show apart from the champion himself, John Cena? Granted, not everyone can be a Ric Flair or a Rock on the microphone, but guys like Chris Benoit and Rob Van Dam were often criticized for their rather underwhelming promos (they got better). Shelton Benjamin in particular is a phenominal athlete, but he never got off the ground for a singles push because he couldn't "connect" with the fans. But I'm supposed to believe in Lashley and want him to win... right. It's the same problem on the blue show with Batista, although he's gotten better, he still sometimes leaves something to be desired on the microphone.

But does it matter? In my opinion, it doesn't, because to me, it's what goes on in the ring that's the most important thing. You can say what you have to say in the ring, Chris Benoit being the premiere example. But nowadays, it seems like more and more emphasis is placed on the dramatic storylines instead of the actual in-ring content, and if that's the way it's going to be, then they should put some effort into guys like Lashley and his microphone skills. After all, he's a big name now, and he's involved in a high-level feud with the McMahons. It reminded me of what JR always likes to say - some guys are shot to the top and they're just not ready for it. If Bobby Lashley doesn't fit that criteria right now, then I don't know who does...

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Mistaaaaa Kennedy!!!...

I know that here at The Irish Whip we often hype Mr. Kennedy and say that he is the next Stone Cold, or the man who will save wrestling, or however you want to put it. I decided that I would add to the hype and compare him to the self-proclaimed "greatest of all time", the Rock.

Mic Skills: The Rock’s mic skills are without a doubt amazing. When he recently came back to RAW to hype the “hair vs. hair” match, he totally ad-libbed his promo. Also, he had/has the greatest catchphrases not only in wrestling, but on television overall. However, Mr. Kennedy is catching up with his mic skills. His ring entrance is extremely creative and allows him to use his skills to taunt the fans. And when Mr. Kennedy was feuding with the Undertaker, he did some of the best promos that I have ever seen. The promo with the bloody mic was absolutely wonderful, so much that I almost cried. If you don't believe me, then let him tell you himself.

Wrestling Skills: The Rock is one of the most exciting wrestlers of all time. He has been in classic matches with Stone Cold, Hulk Hogan, even Goldberg. He also has the most creative and unnecessarily elaborate finishing move of all time, the People's Elbow. This move is so ridiculous that I don't know where to start, but almost nothing has ever gotten the fans up out of their seats quite like the People's Elbow does. Mr. Kennedy has defeated the likes of the Undertaker, Batista, Booker T, etc... Also, he is almost as interesting in the ring as the Rock is. Actually he is very similar to when the Rock was a heel. Kennedy's illegal actions in the ring (steel chairs, low blows) remind me of the Rock, because the Rock would purposefully wait till it seemed like the face would surely win to deliver the low blow or the rake to the eyes. This creates great excitement to what could be horrible and boring matches. Kennedy is great at executing in the ring and he makes most of his matches flow extremely well.

Although the Rock truly is “the jabroni beating, pie eating, trail blazing, eye brow raising, the best in the present, future and past, and if ya'll don't like him you can kiss the people's ass”….Mr. Kennedy is definitely following in his footsteps. In fact, Smackdown is no longer “the Rock’s show”…it is Kennedy’s. All that WWE has to do is make him a storyline and put him up for the title, and the Kennedy era will officially begin.

...Kennedy


(You have 5 seconds, and the Rock means 5 SECONDS, to comment on this post)

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Fantastic....

Great...now on RAW we have an IC champ that we've never heard of and a WWE champ that can't wrestle. This provides for some great excitement in the coming weeks before Backlash... RAW's new Intercontinental Champion is "Santino Marella" (or Boris Elexiev from Ohio Valley Wrestling) and he was introduced as a fan that challenged Umaga for his belt. In my mind this is a stupid move, because most likely somebody is going take it from him next week (Umaga probably) and his name is going to be in the record books forever.

Let's go through a few names of wrestlers who have held the Intercontinental Championship...Randy Savage, The Ultimate Warrior, Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, The Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Triple H, Edge, Chris Jericho, Kurt Angle, Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero, Kane, RVD, Randy Orton, etc... (all of these names have also held the WWF/WWE/World Heavyweight Championship)

Now, with all of those great wrestlers that I just named...put a name like Santino Marella in there and it just doesn't fit. This shows that WWE is making the Intercontinental Championship a belt for mid-carders who show a little potential (Carlito, Shelton Benjamin, freakin' Santino).

I've heard many people say that the Intercontinental Championship has always been a belt for up-and-comers; but Triple H, Chris Jericho, Ric Flair, and Kane all held the WWF/WWE/World Heavyweight Championship before they held the Intercontinental Championship.

I understand that WWE wants to put over a new superstar in his home country, but giving him a belt on his first appearance is just dumb, pointless, and unfair to the wrestlers who work their way up to a title.

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Top Five Wrestlers of the 1990s

With apologies to Mankind, Kane, Diesel, Yokozuna, Sycho Sid, HHH, and others:

The top five wrestlers of arguably the greatest period in wrestling history were determined by a number of factors including title reigns, number of wins, quality of wins, and others. However, the most important component is how these wrestlers perform against other elite wrestlers; more clearly, how any one of the top five wrestled against the any of the other four. When wins and losses are mentioned, only quality and relatively fairly finished matches will be mentioned. For example, the Undertaker's DQ win over Bret Hart at Royal Rumble 1996 does not count as a victory over Bret Hart in the same sense that Shawn Michael's WrestleMania 12 win does.

5. The Undertaker. Let's put it this way: with the exception of the Big Show, Kane, and maybe Kurt Angle, no one is going to beat The Undertaker clean. Unfortunately for him, this means an unusual number of interference prompted losses on the record. Taker has lost to The Rock twice, lost to Shawn Michaels twice (interference by Kane at Badd Blood 1997, half the locker room at Royal Rumble 1998), and lost to Bret Hart once (referee HBK mistakenly hits Taker with chair at Summerslam 1997). Against Austin, Taker has accumulated 3 wins and 4 losses in a relatively even feud. 4 WWE Championships and 6 Tag Team Championships later, the Deadman falls into place at #5.

4. The Rock. Other than my #1 pick, The Rock is the only wrestler on the list to boast wins over both The Undertaker and Stone Cold Steve Austin. He is also responsible for one of the most memorable feuds and partnerships of the 90s (with Mankind). Unfortunately, The Rock didn't "arrive" on the scene until WrestleMania 13 in 1997. He never faced HBK or Bret Hart, to my knowledge. He also lost to Austin more times than he won (1-3). For these reasons, The Rock, who won the WWE Championship 7 times, the Intercontinental Championship 2 times, and the Tag Team Championship 5 times sits firmly at #4 overall.

3. Shawn Michaels. Michaels boasts two inference wins over The Undertaker as well as two wins over Bret Hart (one clean, one screwjob). However, he never beat Stone Cold Steve Austin, something both The Rock, The Undertaker, and Bret Hart were all able to do. To his credit, Michaels was the first "grand slam" champion of the WWE and held the WWE championship on 3 separate occasions. Not to be overlooked are his 3 Intercontinental reigns, his 3 Tag Team Championships, and his back-to-back Royal Rumble victories. HBK has been involved in two of the four "five star" matches that have ever taken place in the WWE.

2. Bret Hart. Other than the Rock, whom he never wrestled, Bret holds victories over The Undertaker, HBK, and Austin. Other than the Summerslam 1997 victory over Taker, his other notable wins have been clean. Hart is probably the best technical wrestler in the history of the WWE, met only by the likes of Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit. Like all the others, Hart holds a Royal Rumble victory along with two King of the Ring victories, 5 WWE Championships, 2 Intercontinental Championships, and 2 Tag Team Championships. Like Michaels, Hart has also been involved in two of the four "five star" matches that have ever taken place in the WWE.

1. Stone Cold Steve Austin. At first, I was hesitant to put a mere brawler with little wrestling ability at my number 1 spot. After looking at his credentials for the position, there was no other choice. Austin holds victories over ALL of the other 4 members of the top five, holding winning records against Taker (4-3), The Rock (3-1), and HBK (who never avenged his loss). His only losing record to an opponent in the top 5 is Bret Hart (1-2). Austin lost to Hart early in his career at Survivor Series 1996 and then again at WrestleMania 13 where Austin never submitted but passed out from a Sharpshooter. Austin would eventually get his revenge on Hart when he injured Hart's leg in a no disqualification match on RAW, which featured Austin refusing to let go of his own Sharpshooter and beating Hart while on a stretcher in the back of an ambulance. See my list of apologies at the top? The three that Austin wrestled (HHH, Mankind, Kane), he beat. Like the other top 5, Austin boasts a Royal Rumble victory. He also boasts a second and a third Royal Rumble victory, a feat never again accomplished in the WWE. Like Bret Hart, he won the King of the Ring tournament (1996). He held the WWE title 6 times, the Intercontinental twice, and the Tag belts 4 times. It's hard to find belts Austin hasn't held and people he hasn't beat, making him a tough but fair choice for the #1 spot on this list.

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