Furthering this week's theme of starting articles with cliches, I will defend the tardiness of this version of HOT or NOT by saying better late than never. I know that it's almost Friday and that in the world of wrestling, the world can change in that time. Luckily, I have a good memory and will still provide you the content you so crave as if it happened mere minutes ago.
This week's Raw provided fallout from the Night of Champions Pay Per View. As reported, there were a number of title changes on Sunday, and all those new champions appeared on the show. With that said, not one of them made tonight's HOT list. So who did? Let's find out.
HOT
1. The Miz - Yes, this is the man who just lost his United States Championship to a "vanilla midget", as Kevin Nash and Eric Bischoff might call Daniel Bryan, but Miz's performance on Monday was nothing short of brilliant. Of course, he was wonderful on the mic, but what really impressed me was the beatdown he and Alex Riley gave Bryan after his match with Edge. The segment was done quite well, and the beatdown was perhaps the most vicious I've seen since the initial Nexus attack. If anyone thought the feud was over because Bryan conquered Miz and won the title, they were dead wrong. These two will clearly have more to settle at Hell in a Cell, and I for one still believe this is the hottest angle on WWE TV at the moment.
2. Zack Ryder - I know, he didn't have a match. However, you have to give credit where credit is due. The Long Island Loudmouth has been absolutely hilarious in his sketches with Edge, but this week's truly took the cake. As I have been asking for, Ryder finally embraced his roots and took to fist pumping to the chagrin of Edge. Just check out the video below to understand how great his performance was this week. Why this guy isn't getting more TV time is beyond me. Let's be honest, you saw Ryder on screen with U.S. champ Daniel Bryan............potential feud? I sure hope so!
3. John Cena - If you asked me at any time through his match, I would have told you that Cena didn't belong on the list. Then he cut a great promo post match and that changed everything. If I am physically laughing while watching a wrestling program and it's not due to atrocious booking, you know it's due to some great lines in a promo. Cena did just that at the end, and I think he deserves praise when it's due. Plus, the promo led to Cena/Barrett at Hell in a Cell, which is the match most of us have been waiting for. The added stipulations made this match even more interesting, and internally, I am debating what direction the WWE will go. (SHAMELESS PLUG: THE CURRENT POLL ON OUR SITE HAS TO DO WITH THIS MATCH, GO VOTE!!!)
NOT
1. Michael Tarver - The guy looks intimidating. Hell, I'm pretty sure none of us would go near a man with a bandana over his mouth and those eyes, but over time, he has become a cream puff. With that look and excellent mic skills, I thought Tarver would be one guy from Nexus that might go places. However, he's always getting the short end of the stick in the ring. Case and point this Monday. While all the other Nexus members got some offense in on Cena, Tarver walked in the ring mad as hell, only to get tripped into the STF for a quick submission. It's entirely possible the Nexus is forced to disband in 2 weeks (though this makes absolutely no sense for a lot of reasons), and if they do, I think Tarver has been booked into obscurity. It's unfortunate, but it's a tough road ahead for Mr. Tarver.
2. Edge - When the WWE draft occured, who was excited for Edge to come to Raw? Certainly, the Rated R Superstar was a huge name to bring over to the show, and he quickly made his presence felt with a Spear to Randy Orton, sparking a 3 month feud. Since then, Edge has been feuding with a computer. Yep, he's been booked out of the title picture, so he's taking his frustrations out on the computer that apparently does that booking. This Monday was a new low though. I like Daniel Bryan, but in no way, shape, or form is he on Edge's level. Edge is 6'5" 240 pounds and has been wrestling since 1995. Daniel Bryan has 5 years less experience and gives up 9 inches and at least 50 pounds. Still, Edge didn't get a clean win over the U.S. champ. I know he's the ultimate opportunist, but it wouldnt' have hurt Bryan to lose to Edge cleanly, perhaps with it being played of as "distracted by Miz's presence". What really gets me is that Edge is a 9 time champion and he was merely a pawn in a bigger story featuring people less accomplished than him. As much as I don't want to be "that guy", I think Edge should probably head on back to Smackdown, especially given a recent development that I will reveal in an upcoming article.
3. Ted Dibiase - He merely gets on this list for the switch to that awful new music. This man has been around 2 years and has had 4 theme songs. It could be argued that he's had more theme songs than he has fans. I would certainly be prone to believe that statement to be true. This guy can't get over regardless of music, though I will admit that I'm somewhat intrigued by this "secret admirer" storyline they have going with him and Maryse. Good story, bad music. Go back to the "New Generation" song. Even though it doesn't totally fit your character, it's better than the song we heard Monday. I know the first words of the new one say "I come from money", but it sounded like Kevin Rudolph came into the studio drunk and laid down that track. Five seconds does not a song make. That song is awful.
So that's show #1 out of the 2 for the Hell in a Cell buldup. Yep, it's next Sunday. I'm using this concluding paragraph to complain about this. The Hell in a Cell match is something I grew up on. It was a spontaneous creation and one that would rear it's ugly head maybe once a year to the delight of fans. Having a Pay Per View dedicated to it takes away the excitement of announcing that type of match, which should always be a feud ender. Now, we're trying to push towards this feud ending match type in only 2 weeks, and while there are some feuds that will end inside the confines of the steel, I find myself wishing there was more time to build towards it. I think the WWE will agree when people are unwilling to shell out more money for a Pay Per View 2 weeks after the last one. I do expect it to be a solid show, but it's just so soon! Let's just hope for another solid Raw to build up to it.
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