Batista saved RAW.
Think about that for a second. This time last year, did you think I'd be saying something like that? This time last year, he was a guy for whom the best feeling I could conjure was apathy, and now, he's among the reasons I tune in on Monday nights. Odd how things go, innit?
But yeah, this week's RAW may not have been on par with last week's schlockfest, but it was hardly anything on the level of what they were putting out in January. Seriously, is the same company? Christ, the inconsistency is glaring. For one, we've returned to recap-a-mania. OH JOY RECAPS I LOVE THEM SO!!!1 Secondly, they went and proved my point about how little they cared about building up Sheamus by not having him appear on the show at all. I'm convinced winning the title was the worst thing that could have happened to him now. Thirdly... bullriding with Divas? Really, that's what passes for compelling television? God, SCSA's RAW can't get here soon enough. Fourth, I've had bowel movements with better workrate than what Maryse and Gail Kim showed tonight. Fifth, the program's overarching malaise even wrecked the mojo of the best worker in the company, as Christian had his worst match since returning to the WWE tonight against Carlito. Sixth, I've seen better dramatic acting on PAX TV than what I got from Taker and HBK in their segment tonight. They better bring it in the ring at WM, or else I'm storming Stamford with an ice pick and aiming it right for both their geriatric eye sockets.
But unlike last week, there were more than a few bright spots. Miz and Big Show (Show especially) did their best to save that putrid bullriding segment. Jewel has aged well, which is always nice. Chris Jericho, AS MOTHERFUCKING ALWAYS, ruled shit with his opening promo. Even if the content was just a big nyah-nyah to the crowd, the guy's delivery is flawless. The Legacy dissolution stuff was good, and anything that gives us Evan Bourne getting a pinfall victory on a show other than Superstars is a plus in my book.
But the real star of the show is Batista. I'm dumbfounded as to how good he's been since Bragging Rights, and it's not just his character either. You had to figure out that if he just dropped the bland "I can has title shot?" babyface character that he'd improve, but who knew he had uber-heel potential? I mean, he plays the smug douchebag better than most smug douchebags do. The strut to the ring, the ducking out of the ropes, the taunting of John Cena after he got himself blatantly DQed, the beatdown at the end... it looks like the WWE Championship match is going to have a primo build.
If it weren't for Batista, RAW would have been more in the toilet than not. I don't have high hopes for the build to WM, mainly because I feel like we're going to get suckerblasted with a shit-ton of recaps and a lot of really slow, dragging segments because of said recaps, but as long as the little meat we get is good, I'll be somewhat happy.
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