• Look Back In History
• Pmessages
• Quiz
• Stump The Staff
• Top Fifty
• Close

JR's Blog: J.R.'s Montreal RAW Thoughts, @WWEReigns, @JohnCena, Selling, @RealKurt Angle on Ross Report Podcast Today...It's Good, It's Damn Good!

Posted: Jul 8th 2014 By: Jim Ross

Good morning, as it were, to all that have stopped by our humble, little website that, try as I might, I still am hustling to get folks to check out. Here are some RAW Thoughts from Montreal as we gear up for part one of Tuesday's Kurt Angle Ross Report conversation that drops at 9 pm eastern time on podcastone.com. It's good....it's damn good. Grilling time.....

Congrats to the live audience in Montreal who had a nice night and made the show better, without question. Now I will get hammered on twitter @JRsBBQ as to when WWE will have another PPV in Montreal or elsewhere in Canada. For the record, it's the same answer as for Oklahoma, I don't know. Just stay tuned is all I can tell you.

Excellent first hour of RAW or so I thought. It went by quickly which is always a nice sign.

No Authority Figures and the show sailed along well. HHH and Steph do a great job but the roles themselves is tired in my view. Everyone has been playing catch up to Vince McMahon as it relates to the authority role on any wrestling TV show. Mr. McMahon can't be topped because he's too easy to dislike, a natural. Mr. McMahon is a true heel that resonates throughout multiple generations.

Short promos starting RAW work best and get a restless audience that's just worked all day in many instances involved in the show without having to mentally break down an interview.

Reigns was good in his verbal role and simply needs to keep working to "find his voice" and his cadence. Next year at this time, we shouldn't even recognize the verbal skills of Roman Reigns.

The Harper/Rowan vs. Usos match was stout as a good story was told in the ring and by the announce team as they focused on the match and it made me more interested in investing in it.

WWE seems to be getting it that backstage vignettes need not be long. many fans, again, have worked all day and don't want to listen to long oratory or dialog. If they wanted dialog they wouldn't' be watching pro wrestling.

Not sure what Nikki vs. Alicia was supposed to be but I have to admit that some of Alicia's antics were entertaining. It was likely never booked to be a wrestling match but merely an attraction of which it was. The ending was abrupt to say the least. Folks just have to get used to the fact that this isn't the Trish-Lita era any longer in a variety of areas.

Smart use of RVD while getting Rusev a quality win. Lana needs to watch the great female valets with a producer to better explain and recognize the nuances of talents like Sherri Martel for instance.

Generally enjoy most things that Orton and Ambrose do but their outing on RAW did not trip the trigger. It certainly was not bad but it did not exceed my expectations.

I liked the verbal tension between Cena and Reigns. Felt fight.

Goldust/Stardust promo felt like it was written by Cheech or Chong as in it was very irreverent.

Hope all the hype to sample the WWE Network for FREE this week works. (I have a selfish motive) plus it's very good.

Nice to see Bret Hart on TV again. I've got to book him as a Ross Report Podcast Guest soon.

Twitter followers tell me Sandow has pissed off the brass and he's a despised man w/ upper mgmt yet Sandow continues to be on prime time TV multiple times a week or so it feels.

Nice selling of the punch to the nose by Miz ala the late, Dick Murdoch. Miz' selling was a highlight of the match vs. Jericho. Miz should study Buddy Rogers, Ric Flair and the heel Shawn Michaels to fully understand the nuances of being the proverbial chickensh*t heel and update it for today. You knew Bray Wyatt would be lurking to keep the story alive between Wyatt and Jericho which is on target for something good at Summer Slam where Chris will do all he can to steal the show. That's what 40 year old overachievers do.

Sort of liked the Diva tag but it felt rushed. Thought the concept of Paige/AJ being partners and Paige doing the ring announcing was clever but no one seemed to care about the brawl that occurred.

Curious booking to see Cesaro lose again but it was camouflaged so much with Kofi and Big E along with Heyman that I'd give it a pass.

I still think that Kofi has legs as a heel. He's a 'face who's been started and stopped too many times and he needs a makeover. Good kid.

Bo Dallas should want to become the biggest chickensh*t heel in history if he's smart and those around him produce him as such. His body type, athleticism, face, hair, personality etc provides the 3rd generation youngster a shot at greatness.

I assume that Cena won the main event of the three hour show that I waited to see but I can't be sure.

Generally, when RAW TV shows are good for the three hour marathons it is usually a sign that the immediate, short term direction has been signed off on which is a good thing for everyone involved. I thought the Montreal RAW show was a solid, TV show that was decently paced and well written. Three hour RAWS will never be perfect but they should be, at worst, solid and this one was certainly that if not a little better.

Hit the Ross Report and download part one of my two part conversation with @RealKurtAngle Tuesday (Today) at 9 eastern time on podcastone.com and iTunes. Part two will air next week. It's good stuff that I rally think that you will enjoy. Price's right.

Thanks for stopping by and come back any time.

Boomer Sooner!

J.R.