WWE

[TheTimVilla]

It's WWE's own fault as they've badly booked SS the last few years. Just hitching any old 5 wrestlers from each brand together with little or no storyline. Think back to the ECW/WCW invasion storylines. It was built up properly and was bloody good. There was background & ramifications as to who would win. I'm sure SS would work if they actually bothered to make it work.

[Rancid custard]

I pretty much tuned out after the whole invasion saga, that was ace.

[Guy M]

I pretty much tuned out after the whole invasion saga, that was ace.

I think I was living in Lyon when the Invasion saga was really in full flow. Wherever I was, I definitely couldn't follow it on tv weekly, but I always felt the invasion saga didn't run anywhere near as long as it could or should have.

Then again, maybe they learnt from WCW's mistakes with the nWo and its various incarnations and realised that flogging a dead horse wasn't necessarily the way forward.

Was on holiday last week so not sure whether I managed to record the last ECW or the first NXT but when I finally get to pop back to where my Sky+ box is, there should be loads of lovely wrasslin waiting for me. I hear some of the Springer sections of RAW are pretty good.

[TheTimVilla]

You hear wrong. I strongly advise that you fast forward through all of the Springer bits. Not his fault, just a poor idea, badly scripted.

[Guy M]

I quite enjoyed it actually. But any segment where you get to see Kelly Kelly's beaming smile or Santino Marella work for me every time.

Only got chance to watch last 2 weeks' RAW / ECW / SD on Monday and as a result, realised after the even that I'd missed Elimination Chamber. Thanks to a file-sharing website that shall remain nameless, I've just finished watching that too.

Won't give any spoilers yet in case anyone else who's interested hasn't seen it, but thought it was a great show and build-up to WM.

I'm also quite looking forward to NXT. I see this as being quite different to Tough Enough too. I hope there won't be a weekly or monthly "eviction". One of the (many) things I hated working in tv was the creatives' insistence that any reality-based programme needed "jeopardy" i.e. the threat of someone being evicted. Sorry, but that just isn't the case. If you're interested in the people, it doesn't matter if one's likely to leave or not.

All of the 'rookies' look like they're ready for tv and I see it more as a way of slowly introducing them to tv and live crowds and vice versa. Miz and Bryan Danielson, sorry, Daniel Bryan, has crossover feud written all over it already. Obviously some may not make the grade entirely, but there seem to be a few of the 'big dude' types that Vince likes.

Someone hurry up and watch Elimination Chamber tho cos I want to discuss that. Although not right now. Now I'm off to bed.

[JD]

My Son watched Elimination Chamber on PPV and reckoned it was the best PPV for ages (he pays not me). I didn't see any of it as I was out at a gig on Monday.

[Guy M]

I think the last few have been VERY strong. Almost feel bad for watching it on a file-sharing website for the first time.

Oi, TimVilla will you hurry up and watch the bloody thing.

[greenwichvilla]

I've not seen Raw yet but really enjoyed the Elimination Chamber (matches).

Setting up nicely for 'Mania. Bring it on.

[TheTimVilla]

Great EC and no surprises for me really*.

Edge & Jericho nicely set up, although it seemed their segment on Raw was very quick.

HBK SCMed Undertaker and that's set up. HBK to lose, and have ANOTHER break for a few months.

Did anybody else see Undertaker set on fire as he walked out? He looked mighty pissed off. It looked like his coat and gloves that set light.

Ted v Randy? A Cody run in?

HHH in the MitB? Or will he face Sheamus?

* I didn't predict Batista getting Cena's belt, but it ties in nicely for Bret Hart to win the title in a tag team match at The Big Dance.

[OCD]

Undertaker and HBK only have part-time contracts so do 6 months on and 6 months off. That's why Taker had to lose the title.

[TheTimVilla]

Undertaker v HBK doesn't need a belt for it to be match of the night & match of the year. Undertaker could always lose the belt a bit after WM if need be.

Edge beating Y2J could be the "feelgood" match to send the fans home happy. Mind you, so could Bret Hart winning the gold...

[Guy M]

Great EC and no surprises for me really*.

Edge & Jericho nicely set up, although it seemed their segment on Raw was very quick.

HBK SCMed Undertaker and that's set up. HBK to lose, and have ANOTHER break for a few months.

Did anybody else see Undertaker set on fire as he walked out? He looked mighty pissed off. It looked like his coat and gloves that set light.

Ted v Randy? A Cody run in?

HHH in the MitB? Or will he face Sheamus?

* I didn't predict Batista getting Cena's belt, but it ties in nicely for Bret Hart to win the title in a tag team match at The Big Dance.

Thought it was a really good RAW and Jewel and Ty Whatsisface did a really good, simple job.

Not wasting much time on Edge - Jericho made perfect sense. Impact spear, decision made, get them both back to SD quick smart.

I hope HHH will face Seamus and ideally put him over. I think Bryan Danielson, sorry (again), Daniel Bryan and Miz are a feud in the making but thing it'd be silly to rush it onto Mania... depends on how good he is. I'd like to see tag belts split and actually mean something tho. Surely not that difficult now they only have 2 programmes to spread the talent across.

I missed Taker getting burned as I was only half-watching the feed, but there are clips of it on youtube apparently. They kept passing him bottles of water while he was in his chamber to ease the pain. Probably explains why he also had his coat done up so tight on RAW.

Rumour is that HBK will take some time off after Mania so will presumably (hopefully) lose. They've got some serious script-writing to do if they want to improve on last year's match tho.

[TheTimVilla]

I thought the guest hosts were crap. Again. It started off well, but has run out of steam.

As for Edge/Y2J they would have been better off not even being on Raw really. Give it the time it deserves.

Guy, did you notice that Undertaker had his old gear on? And old hairstyle? (From the Ministry days). I suppose that links in with the burns.

One thing about a HHH/Sheamus feud... Apparently H is turning heel. A-bloody-gain.

Don't split ShowMiz for a Miz/Bryan Danielson Bryan Daniel feud. What little I've seen of BDBD, he looks great. He could form a gymnastic stable with Evan Bourne, Yoshi Tatsu & Kofi!

If Miz teamed with the Phenom, they'd be MizTake...

[Guy M]

Boom boom. It's the way you tell them.

The problem with the Edge situation was that it was advertised he'd be on RAW to announce who he was facing. So he had to be there. Plus, Jericho is the best in the business at what he does (winding up the crowd) and so it was a quick easy way to push the Edge face character that bit more.

When Taker first mentioned HBK's soul, I thought they were teasing a Ministry return (tied in with the look) but as he went on to say it "wouldn't be enough", I knew where it was going.

The guest hosts aren't going anywhere any time soon. They potentially attract a slightly different audience / demographic on a weekly basis and makes good commercial sense, especially as WWE looks to go more mainstream / PG friendly. I did wonder whether they'd stop to clean a blood injury in the EC if one did occur. Didn't on ECW when one of those two gimps busted their noses last week tho.

I don't mind the guest hosts that much, I just wish they'd let Vickie be permanent GM on SD. Maybe they're saving it for post-Mania once Edge is the face champion. She may not have been born a Guerrero, but she sure has the business and that family in her blood now.

[OCD]

Undertaker v HBK doesn't need a belt for it to be match of the night & match of the year. Undertaker could always lose the belt a bit after WM if need be.

Edge beating Y2J could be the "feelgood" match to send the fans home happy. Mind you, so could Bret Hart winning the gold...

Taker and HBK will be off after WM for 6 months.