WWE Power Rankings, RAW 11/10/2014

Coming at you from Liverpool, and thank god for a fabulous crown on Monday because the show was garbage.  I halfheartedly joked that we have been sending horrible NFL games to London and new we were going to send a horrible WWE show.  I only wish it had been a joke instead of an accurate psychic premonition.     

"Listen up, Dummy!"

Usually the WWE gives the UK some quality shows but not this time.  Monday saw the WWE send a Jacksonville Jaguars-esque sized crap to the UK as if it were 1783 and the USA was rubbing England’s nose in our newly won independence.  I fell asleep Monday night about an hour into the show.  I thought, maybe I was tired and needed fresh eyes to finish the show.  Nope.  Save for a few good promos and a handful of decent wrestling moves, this show was terrible.  

I do believe that it has everything to do with the fact that the main event for Survivor Series has got to be the worst Main Event for a PPV this year.  Maybe the WWE knew TEAM Cena vs TEAM Authority was going to be a visual Ambien and if they didn’t give November and it’s PPV away for free, the fans would revolt.

As my partner in crime, Fred, has said on the BEARcast - WrestleCast (www.worldofbear.com and on iTunes) the WWE is desperate to get subscribers of the WWE Network up and / or the WWE is under pressure from broadcasters and shareholders to increase its profits / value / ratings / etc.  If this is the case, I’m baffled on the choices the WWE is making with their on-screen product in order to improve their product and increase revenues.  

Well, it’s official, it looks like we’re going to have a full fledged, fully produced, “previously on RAW…”  This is a waste of time when you have three hours to tell your story.  Also, since you have multiple storylines it would be more effective to work the “previously on…” into each new segment.  Basically just do what wrestling has been doing for the past 50 years.  Audiences where able to follow what was happening when wrestling was still territorial and had no national TV show.  

Here are the 4 notes you’ll need when listening to the BEARcast - WrestleCast this week (www.worldofbear.com or on iTunes):

-Which team is Ryback on and is he a HEEL or FACE?

-Team Authority: 1-Rollins, 2-Kane, 3-Rusev, 4-Henry and Ryback???  Luke Harper = 5?

-Team Cena: 1-Cena, 2-Ziggler, 3-Big Show, 4-Sheamus and Ryback???  Surprise #5?

-RKO out “indefinitely”?

So with that, let’s get to the rankings as of this week’s RAW on 11/10/2014...

1. Miz and Damien Miz-dow w/ Mini-Miz (3) – The best thing the WWE is putting out on a weekly basis.  They actually made a match with the Matadors and Bull-ito enjoyable to watch.  Hands down my favorite gimmick and from the fans reaction, I’m not alone.
   
2. Paige (N/A) – Paige and Alicia put on the best match of the night.  It’s a knock to the rest of the roster not because it was a Divas match but because it was so short and the ratio of men to women so huge that the numbers would suggest that the male Superstars should always have the best match.  Not on Monday.  Congrats to Paige and Alicia for putting on the best pure wrestling match.  Also, Paige’s semi-homecoming was great.
   
3. Alicia Fox (N/A) – Fox is great.  Sometimes I argue against the over-the-top hysterics but she can wrestle. 
4. Seth Rollins w/ Minions (Mercury and Noble) (1) – Rollins is not the problem with this Survivor Series mess.  He continues to put on good matches and does whatever is asked of him to the best of his abilities, which are sky high. 
5. Sheamus (9) – He was never a good fit as US Champ but it gave him a push for a minute.  He no longer needs the belt, he no longer has the belt but he’s still toiling with Rusev which he’ll hopefully move on from ASAP.
6. John Cena (HM) – I may not give two shits about this run.  Even if I did, said two shits wouldn’t amount to much because even with a Win, what happens to Cena, the Authority and the WWE?  (shhhhh, I’ll tell you a secret… NOTHING)
   
7. HHH and Stephanie (6) – Yes, yes, I know I’ve spent most of this article bashing the WWE Creative, but when it comes to the characters of HHH and Stephanie, I really like them and what they do.  Chalk this up to my descent into madness and example one of why I should be locked away in the looney bin.
8. AJ Lee (15) – Is it too early to give AJ’s championship run a eulogy?  Here’s what’s going to happen; AJ will drop the belt to N-Bella (or possibly B-Bella on a twist, a term I use loosely) which will lead to a multiple months long feud between the Bellas and ultimately to Bella vs Bella at WM.  If I believed in a god, I’d be praying that the WWE would let the Bellas do their thing on one side of the company and let the good Diva wrestlers still have time to shine.  AJ, Paige, Fox, Emma, Natalya, Layla, Naomi and Summer are all very capable and exciting wrestlers which I’d much rather see than half the male performers.  With one caveat, give their writing and stories the same attention you’d give to the male wrestlers.  Their talents will be wasted if every female storyline is either centered around “fake friends” or “the crazy lady” trope.
9. Dolph Ziggler – (7) It seems like once we get past Survivor Series, Zigglers next feud will be with Harper?  I’m interested.  Let’s see how this plays out.
10. Dean Ambrose (5) – Ambrose and Wyatt don’t need the push that being on Team Cena or Team Authority would provide.  I just want to see them go at it.
11. Bray Wyatt (10) – So what if Wyatt doesn’t make any sense or having him out crazy Ambrose undermines Ambrose’s gimmick.  I just want to see them wrestle.  It should be great. 
12. Rusev w/ Lana (11) – Y’all know how I feel about Lana.  And if the WWE ran with just one of the many scenarios Fred has brought up on the BEARcast - WrestleCast (www.worldofbear.com), I’d be fine.  But they’re not so I’ll just have to keep jerking off to Lana until they do something interesting with Rusev’s character.  BTW, having Ryback be the face that stops Rusev is a HORRIBLE idea.
13. Adam Rose w/ The Bunny (N/A) – I’m only interested in this if Samy Zane turns out to be The Bunny and we get a heel Rose vs face Zane which should provide great matches.
    
14. Tyson Kid sans Natalya (HM) – I had to fill up 20 slots and “TeeJay” did his job.
15. Ryback (14) – I know I’m in the minority but I can’t stand Ryback.  Listen to the BEARcast - WrestleCast (www.worldofbear.com) for my complete rant on this.  Bottomline, he sucks.  Feel free to try to explain otherwise.  I’m all ears.
16. Mark Henry (12) – Slow and boring part 1.
17. Big Show (12) – Slow and boring part 2.
18. Jack Swagger (N/A) – They’re in the UK.  The GOP destroyed the Democrats in last week’s election.  Name me a better time for a classic Zeb rant?  What’s the point of him being there if not to do a Tea Party rant?
19. Los Matadors w/ El “Dorito” (19) – Only the greatness of Miz and Miz-dow made these two clowns somewhat entertaining.  With their huge win last Tuesday, how soon can the Republicans pass anti-immigration laws that would prevent these three from coming back into the USA?  If they could pull that off, I’ll switch over to the GOP party tomorrow.  
    
20. B-Bella on behalf of N-Bella (20) – Garbage.  But as I said in the AJ Lee breakdown, I full expect one of them to win the title and then continue to feud to a WM Bella vs Bella Divas title match.  (gun in mouth, cock hammer, pull triggg……BAM!)

Honorable Mentions

Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston – The Hardest Working Man in Wrestling, A new day is coming… (times 2).  We went from Corporate Nation to the New Baptist Church of the Holy Cross Body.  Now Big E’s “preacher” shoot makes sense.  He’ll be the third part of this Holy Trinity.  This will either be the face version of the Wyatt’s gimmick or an offensive mess.  

ECW Week – That’s worth 9.99 (or free this week)

Exo-Dan – In a cross promotion with US military technology the WWE, Dan Rose used / showed off a cool new exoskeleton suit that will surely be the future.  The only question is, how badly do I need to wound myself before being eligible to get one of these?

Grumpy Cat – How low is RAW going to get?  Is this really how you get viewers?  As I say this, my girlfriend is asking, “Can you just save the Grumpy Cat part to show me, I don’t need to watch the whole show.”  The key to all media is PUSSY: 1) hot chicks or 2) cat videos.  This is what propels 97% of the internet.  

Side Note(s)

Well, it’s official, it looks like we’re going to have a full fledged, fully produced, “previously on RAW…”  This is a waste of time when you have three hours to tell your story.  Also, since you have multiple storylines it would be more effective to work the “previously on…” into each new segment.  Basically just do what wrestling has been doing for the past 50 years.  Audiences where able to follow what was happening when wrestling was still territorial and had no national TV show.

Until next week…