THE RAW REVIEW

The best critique I can offer this week is that Sting should have been the guy to physically push the button on the trash compacter that destroyed Seth Rollins’ chocolate statue.

That's how horribly innocuous this RAW was (save the quality match between Sasha Banks & Paige).

The fact that Sting wasn’t the guy to push the button to destroy Seth’s statue snatches the power of that moment away from Sting. He had a nameless trash-henchman put the final exclamation point on the sentence he’d been writing all night. Any satisfaction the audience might experience at this climax is inevitably less than if Sting had jumped down and punched the button himself.

Read More
RAW REVIEWSTim Kailthe raw review, monday night raw, wwe blogs, pro wrestling blogs, pro wrestling art, professional wrestling blog, wwe network, vince mcmahon, sports entertainment, professional wrestling, raw baltimore, baltimore public works, waste disposal
THE RAW REVIEW

For the first time in quite some time, I watched RAW in the way the WWE wants me to watch it.

After a weekend dedicated to recording and editing two podcasts, a prototypical 9-5 American Office Monday, and an accumulation of sleep debt that’s in default, a cartoonish, insane, comical, absurd, and completely illogical athletic extravaganza was exactly what I needed.

One follower Tweeted me in agreement that they’d “had about enough reality for today”.

Read More
RAW REVIEWSTim Kailthe raw review, monday night raw, professional wrestling, pro wrestling blogs, pro wrestling art, pro wrestling podcast, wwe, wwe blogs, the diva revolution, womens wrestling, paige, sasha banks, becky lynch, team bad, team pcp, team bella, nikki bella, aj lee, divas championship, night of champions, sting, john cena, seth rollins
THE RAW REVIEW

On a show overflowing with experienced pro-wrestling talent, in a company designed to create “WWE Superstars” (which are, unavoidably, a particular brand of pro-wrestler) Stephen Amell, star of the hit comic book-inspired TV-series Arrow, was the most captivating part of the show.

That should never happen. An actor should not be able to come on RAW and show the roster how to perform.

I write that with the utmost respect (and genuine thanks) for what Amell gave me last night.

You entertained me.

Read More
RAW REVIEWSTim Kailarrow, raw is arrow, cw, stephen amell, professional wrestling, monday night raw, the raw review, work of wrestling, pro wrestling blog, professional wrestling blog, pro wrestling art, wwe blogs, triple h, neville, seth rollins, randy orton, sheamus, you look stupid, rko outtanowhere
THE RAW REVIEW

After Paul Heyman’s promo ended, I gently pushed the power button on my remote and walked away from the television. The more distance I put between myself and the television, the happier I became. The divorce from RAW felt merciful and proper.

Paige and Naomi were rolling around on the mat surrounded by their mean-girl-team-accompaniments while Michael Cole tried to convince me I was witnessing a “revolution”, and I decided I’d had enough.

Read More
RAW REVIEWSTim Kailvariety shows, laugh-in, professional wrestling, sonny and cher, 1960s, 1970s, vince mcmahon, monday night raw
THE RAW REVIEW

When Stephanie McMahon shouted “Noooooooo”, denying the fans their desired WWE World Heavyweight Championship match after having rallied them into an excited frenzy, my heart sunk and my enthusiasm for this episode of RAW could not recover. It became background noise. That is the affect the schizophrenia of RAW's characters and the back and forth nature of RAW's quality has on me. Heat is not earned by heels. Absolute disinterest is earned.

Read More
RAW REVIEWSTim Kailthe raw review, the work of wrestling, professional wrestling, pro wrestling blogs, pro wrestling podcast, wwe blogs, wwe, wwe network, triple h, stephanie mcmahon