Underaker Returns, Brothers Reunited
I was pretty happy with the low-key return of the Deadman. WWE was trying to create moments last night, not blow our minds with announcements of future matches. Undertaker will wrestle in New Jersey next April, but Raw 1,000 was neither the time nor the place to kick off that build.
I'd hate to be the jobbers that didn't get picked for that segment though. If you're worth less than Drew McIntyre or not-Muhammad Hassan to the WWE, you should probably start thinking about another line of work. Particularly one that doesn't involve having a personality.
I still think Raw 1,000 missed out on a big opportunity here. Rather than have the no-name-brigade parade down to the ring as Kane-fodder, why not pair up Ted DiBiase and Cody Rhodes once more, just for tonight? Forget the heel/face issues that presents, it's a big night and nobody cares enough about Ted to notice anyways. A reunited Legacy being wasted by the Big Red Machine could have prompted the return of the American Dream and the Million Dollar Man, setting up a truly memorable moment. Out comes the Undertaker, and the Brothers of Destruction actually have somebody worth going over.
CM Punk Retains, Turns Heel
The end of Raw 1,000 really salvaged the whole night for me. CM Punk and John Cena didn't get the chance to put on another classic, and the turn wasn't exactly "pipebomb" material, but it was unexpected and booked extraordinarily well.
Big Show was going to get involved, that was pretty damn obvious. Big Show actually costing John Cena his Money in the Bank match… Somewhat predictable in theory, but as it had never been done before few expected them to pull the trigger. But the big story was of course, CM Punk leaving Cena for dead. We know these two have history, and they straight-up don't like each other. But Punk is the WWE Champion. The good guy. The symbol of hope for a whole generation! Alright, maybe I'm getting a little carried away here, but the point is that I did not see bad guy Punk biding his time in the corner.
Punk as a heel again lends itself to another big Summer angle. And this time he's already the WWE Champion, has spent a year near the very top of the company, and has a lot of momentum on his side. This year, maybe Vince doesn't put Triple H, John Cena or the Rock in Punk's way…
Speaking of Dwayne, his big return to save Cena was great. Another pair that obviously has issues, but with enough mutual respect among babyfaces to do what is right. Classic storytelling, which lent itself perfectly to Punk turning his back on all of it. Punk could have easily just let Big Show destroy Cena, leaving that as the only material to turn him heel – with another promo next week that would have worked. But adding the Rock provided a necessary dichotomy that really showed the difference between Vince's "chosen ones" and our newly turned Straight Edge Savior.
The moment was executed to perfection. I have a good feeling about this one, and I think it's going to end up bigger than most people realize – more on that later.
Overall Thoughts on Raw 1,000
WWE probably hyped up Raw 1,000 a bit too much for what they actually delivered. The Degeneration X reunion, Undertaker return and CM Punk heel turn provided some iconic moments that we'll probably see video clips of for months (or years) to come.
We know why "Stone Cold" Steve Austin wasn't there. The show felt empty without him, but at least there was a legitimate reason for his absence. Where was Ric Flair? Where was the Ultimate Warrior? Goldberg or Batista? Maybe I'm asking a bit too much, but when reports started circulating about Vince being open to mending literally any of the broken bridges from the past, you had to assume something big was planned. Rikishi is fun, but he's not Ric Flair.
TNA doesn't own Flair anymore, he could have shown up. Hell, Bully Ray was backstage and in attendance; shows you how little authority TNA and Dixie Carter really has over these former WWE talents. Warrior was looking to get back in the spotlight, Batista could have promoted his upcoming MMA fight. I'm just saying, there was potential to do huge things and really send the fans home in awe of the lsat 1,000 episodes of Raw. As it was, there was some great memories, but a lot more fizzle than true pomp and circumstance.
The one thing they did manage to do correctly was mix the past with the future. DX kicked off the show and took the first 25 minutes, but at least they managed to beat up Damien Sandow in the process. Those six jobbers will probably never face anybody as big as the Brothers of Destruction, but at least they have some material to work with now. Heath Slater's involvement doesn't even need elaboration. And threw it all they managed to push storylines with Dolph Ziggler and Chris Jericho, Daniel Bryan and AJ, Triple H and Brock Lesnar, and of course WWE Champion CM Punk. There was literally no solid professional wrestling on the entire card, but they balanced their time and priorities well, and that gives me a lot of hope for the company's current direction.
FINAL RATING: 8/10
It was going to be 7, but I bumped it up for Mae Young's hand. How the didn't get Mark Henry involved in that is beyond my comprehension…
