When I was a kid, the WWF was like the forbidden fruit. Though my parents tried to keep me away, there was always something about it that drew me in. As a kid, I sporadically followed the product, collecting action figures and occasionally watching a show, but it was as a teenager that I became hooked.
As I entered adolescence, I became enthralled by the WWF product. The plot twists and turns, the athleticism, and my favorite, The Rock, made up a recipe for my favorite show on TV. I used to sit in front of the TV every Monday and Thursday with my buddy, anxiously awaiting each moment to unfold. At the end of every show, our mouths would gape open, wondering how the WWF left us with a cliffhanger AGAIN. Then it was onto the waiting game, dreading every moment that we couldn't find out the next part of the story.
At some point, that feeling faded away and I became disillusioned. More recently I took to wrestling again, hoping to recapture the joy it brought me years ago. I can honestly say that even as a journalist on the subject, that feeling has largely escaped me............until yesterday.
Coming off a Survivor Series which saw the top star in the WWE get himself fired, anticipation was very high. Would he really be gone? Or would WWE drop the ball and quickly pull a fast one to keep their top draw on TV?
Armed with new writers, the WWE made me feel like a kid again. From solid matches, to some incredible segments, I was more into this Raw than any in a long, long time. If this is a sign of things to come, count me in!
So who made it happen? Who were the key players on this night? And who is out in the cold? As I have come down from the euphoric high Raw gave me, I am now ready to present this week's HOT or NOT:
HOT
1. The Miz - Ladies and gentlemen, this is your new WWE Champion! Yep, the same guy who said this would happen years before on the Real World. The same guy who was the "host" of Smackdown. The same guy who was "carried" in a tag team with John Morrison. The same guy who was going to be future endeavored when he broke away from that team. Yep, the Miz is the champion of Raw! What a moment too! After having an "anxiety attack" earlier in the night, fans largely forgot about the Awesome one, but after the hoopla with the main event, out came Miz to seize the day. I will be going more into depth on this development in a separate article to follow, but for now know that, like him or hate him, this man is on top of the mountain as we speak. Right now, it's great to be The Miz.
2. John Cena - It's tempting to put him on the NOT list due to the fact that, you know, he's fired, but his performance stole the show last night. His speech may have actually been better than HBK's earlier in the year, and his wasn't real! Who says he can't act? We won't argue his performances in movies, but this performance was fantastic. One thing I've always liked about Cena is the fact that he's never hidden the fact that he knows that a lot of people don't like him. The fact that he got the women and children to chant "Let's go Cena" and the males over 18 to chant "Cena sucks" shows that he can see the way things are and isn't disillusioned to think that he is universally popular. However, this speech and this story may be doing the trick. I haven't heard as positive a reaction to Cena in a long time as I have last night. If you aren't enthralled by this story and when Cena might come back, I really don't get it. This was a legitimate shock and the execution last night was simply amazing. You couldn't leave the TV for fear you'd miss something and that's how these stories should be. The guy who is capable of drawing you in like that? John Felix Anthony Cena Jr.
3. CM Punk - This guy had a great group and a ton of heat at Wrestlemania. Now he is alone, two of those group members were fired, and he was shipped to Raw. As a heel, he's in line behind Sheamus, Wade Barrett and the new champion, The Miz, when he was a main eventer on Smackdown. However, an injury may have been the best thing to happen to him in a weird way. Out of action, Punk has been summoned to the commentary booth, and if last night was any indication, it was a fantastic move. He was funny, honest, charming, and downright entertainng. Not to say that the normal duo isn't good, but he added something that really made the commentary fly. There were like 10 memorable lines in just one night! It remains to be seen what will become of the CM Punk character when he returns from injury, but for now, he's really enhancing the program from behind the headset.
NOT
1. Wade Barrett - His performane throughout the night was fantastic, but he still falls on our NOT list. Why? Well, for a man who has had numerous opportunities to win the WWE title, along with having it seemingly locked up due to his control over John Cena has seen it all slip away. Cena chose the unemployment line over Barrett having the title, and the same Cena screwed him again when it seemed Barrett had the title in hand again. Within minutes, Barrett was last week's news as another man swooped in and stole Barrett's thunder. Where will Barrett go from here? That remains to be seen. What holds true though is that Miz, not Barrett, is the top heel on Raw at the moment. For that quick slip, Barrett ends up on our NOT list.
2. Randy Orton - While is title reign has been largely marred by the fact that he was second potato in terms of the focus of the show, he was still the champion of the number one show in wrestling. Now, he is not. That fact alone puts him on the NOT list. You can't lose your title and expect to avoid it! Obviously, he dealt with a lot leading up to the loss and he will be hot after Miz to get it back, but on this night, he got his ass kicked by 7 Nexus members and The Miz, and then lost his tltlle. Not a successful day by any stretch. It should be fun to see Orton/Miz at TLC though.
3. Alex Riley - The best part of his night was celebrating with his mentor and friend on his big accomplishment. However, he started the night substituting for that man against Ezekiel Jackson which resulted in him getting beaten rather quickly. On top of that, CM Punk took a jab at him referring to his recent DUI arrest. This show was his punishment, as he had to be embarassed to be humbled. It could have been worse though, but the WWE sees a bright future in Riley. If a little humiliation is all he has to deal with, it's a minor bump in the road. The kid took it like a man and will move forward. Still, can't be fun to be Alex Riley when you are getting beaten down by Big Zeke and berated on commentary by CM Punk.
What a week! I'm reminded of why I became a wrestling fan in the first place. The drama, the intrigue, the heartbreak, and the triumph are what make wrestling the most exciting programming on TV when done right. It's been years since anyone has, but this show was the best I've seen in a long time. If this is an indication of where the WWE is going, it's a very, very good sign. With new writers, a new champ, and some really hot stories, we could be in for some very good TV in the coming weeks and months. I feel young again and I like it!
PS: Check out the moment of the night below and you can see again and again how The Miz became WWE Champion!
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