Season Premiere Of RAW Brings A Little Blast From The Past

This week’s episode of Monday Night RAW was the season premiere, but it also gave the viewers something to watch.  Storylines were advanced and Jericho made his way back into the 6-Pack Challenge at Night of Champions, but people watching at home and in the stands got something that we all probably missed, action.  With the PG era of WWE restricting the use of blood and foul language, we remembered why we started watching RAW in the first place, to see people hit the ground hard and get sent through tables.  RAW showed us matches that we missed seeing and a show that was reminiscent of only a few years ago.

            The night started out with the RAW roulette, something that had been absent from RAW for three years.  After seeing some of the matches on the roulette, I was sure that every match would be a singing contest or something silly for the kids.  Turns out, I was dead wrong.  Randy Orton vs. John Cena in a tables match.  That match caught my eye.  Then John Morrison vs. Sheamus in a falls count anywhere match.  Interesting.  When I saw the cage above the ring, I thought it was just there for decoration.  Nope.  Jericho would have to face the Hart Dynasty in that cage.  So needless to say I was hoping these interesting looking matches delivered. 

            Even though there were these great matches lined up, even some other silly gimmick matches could have been hit or miss.  R-Truth and Ted DiBiase, along with Eve and Maryse respectively, in a Song and Dance match, for example.  Not my cup of tea, but at least there was some action at the end.  Regal vs. Goldust in a trading places match, surprisingly awesome.  This match was not long, but it was a nice break and a hilarious segment.  Simply seeing Regal in Goldust’s attire was enough.  Then to watch as Goldust brought out the brass knuckles to beat Regal, that was great.  These matches showed that WWE can have fun with matches but they have to at least be somewhat interesting.

            Moving on to the more surprising matches of the evening, starting with Morrison vs. Sheamus.  The match was a Falls Count Anywhere match, but I did not expect it to go into the crowd.  As I watched it I remembered how much I missed seeing matches and wrestlers go into the crowd, hit the ground hard, and hear the reaction of all the fans in attendance.  The icing on the cake was seeing Morrison jump from the titantron onto Sheamus.  That singular move brought back memories of wrestlers jumping off everything and sacrificing their bodies.  Great match and just a well executed match all together. 

            How to follow up Morrison vs. Sheamus, how about a steel cage match.  Once David Hart Smith escaped the cage, Tyson Kidd stayed and fought, and I was glad.  I forgot how thrilling it was to see two wrestlers dangle on the ropes as one of them attempted to escape the cage.  Heads banging against the cage and people getting grabbed off the top of the cage were simple things that WWE fans miss.  Then the final move where Kidd and Jericho leap off the top rope, the danger involved with that single move made it that much better. 

            Finally, the tables match between Cena and Orton.  Michael Cole reminded us during the match that this was the first table match on RAW in three years, even though it has seemed longer.  Started off kind of lackluster but then the pace picked up when Nexus attacked.  Then, boom, Heath Slater through a table.  I have missed that sound of a body going through a table.  Then, Justin Gabriel pushed from the top rope going through a table on the outside.  Crack. Finally, Wade Barrett gets thrown into a table.  But it was not over, Edge spears Jericho (I’ll be it a little sloppily) through another table.   And to top it off, Orton mid-air RKO’s Cena through a table to end the match.

            The significance? WWE’s new PG era has made people upset because they miss the swearing, blood, and the attitude.  But if this RAW showed us all anything, it is that even without blood, matches can be exciting.  I was excited to see Sheamus get thrown over the barricade because my first thought was, “Wait, are they going to actually fight in the crowd?”  And it got better from there.  Bodies scattered as the show ended, not because of RKO’s for once, but because they flew through tables.  The season premiere of RAW hopefully is the starting point of WWE using more exciting matches to catch our collective eyes.  Tables matches, no DQ matches, ladder matches, and cage matches can all be great on RAW without everyone always having to bleed.  I have to admit, growing up I was curious as to why all these grown men bled so easily.  Maybe we will always miss the occasional blood, swearing, and overall attitude, but this RAW gave us a glimpse at the possibility of being entertained by these wrestlers in amazing ways that we thought were lost in the past.