Monday Night RAW 03/16/2020 - RAW IS PERFORMANCE CENTER

[GD]

“Stone Cold” Steve Austin makes an appearance to celebrate #316Day!

https://www.wwe.com/f/styles/talent_champion_full/public/all/2020/03/RAW_03251997_0022--04f3dbfdb2d3d1058be1528c9fd94475.jpg

Contract signing segment featuring The O.C.'s AJ Styles and The Undertaker.

https://www.wwe.com/f/styles/talent_champion_full_retina/public/all/2020/03/20200309_Raw_TakerAj--ea67c868752f82900e5167b713d967be.jpg

[Jordan]

I'm pumped

[GD]

Hoping Pitbull and Flo Rida randomly show up and start performing "Gimme the green light."

[xrodmuc316]

Hopefully they put on a full Raw, would be lame to replay an Elimination chamber match again.

[Sepholio]

Feel like it may be a good thing if WM goes empty arena. Putting the title on Roman in a squash without a crowd to boo the shit out of him will prob work out better for them in end.

[Sepholio]

wrong thread, don't care, leaving it here. WOOOOO RAW IS QUARANTINE

[slik]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">I guess tonight is our preview of how long it takes Undertaker to walk down the ramp at the Performance Center.<br><br>What do you think?<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WWE?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WWE</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RAW?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RAW</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WrestleMania?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WrestleMania</a></p>&mdash; Kenton (@Kenton_la) <a href="https://twitter.com/Kenton_la/status/1239696599095410691?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 16, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[Emperor Smeat]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Even though the Performance Center set has a very short ramp, we're still slotting The Undertaker's entrance to take eleven minutes <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RAWTonight?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RAWTonight</a></p>&mdash; WWE Creative Humor (@WWECreative_ish) <a href="https://twitter.com/WWECreative_ish/status/1239616606633934848?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 16, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[GD]

The RAW commentary team is here.

[GD]

Edge not wasting any time.

[rez]

lol this is so weird

[Emperor Smeat]

Feel like it may be a good thing if WM goes empty arena. Putting the title on Roman in a squash without a crowd to boo the shit out of him will prob work out better for them in end.

In terms of the moment itself, for sure.

Doesn't mean crowds or the tv audience afterwards is going to be all open arms or pleased since it would just be another sign of WWE's stubbornness with their booking and forcing another coronation attempt with Reigns.

[ClockShot]

Edge should be sitting on a stool for this.

[rez]

This Papa Johns tastes soo good (no restaurants open for sit down here). bland tastes become delicious tastes.

I just saw about Wrestlemania..GG dumb senile bastard lolol

[slik]

I'd ditch the microphones and use a boom mic instead

[GD]

Cannot unhear Edge's heavy breathing.

[ClockShot]

SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO WEIRD!

[Emperor Smeat]

Edge's promo was pretty great. Also helps that he was playing it straight to the camera and not making it feel awkward like most of the promos were on last week's Smackdown.

[ClockShot]

And to follow up with that is one ugly ass paint job for a semi.

[ClockShot]

No way she drove that.

[xrodmuc316]

Ok, that is a badass paint job on that truck!

[GD]

Can Becky get any more cartoonish?

[Droford]

That was probably her Mania entrance

[rez]

cringe mobile

[Droford]

Becky Lynch vs Trucker Norm plz

[xrodmuc316]

Man you guys aren't old enough to have played with old school hotmobiles. I love those cartoony paint jobs lol

[ClockShot]

Oh yeah, Stone Cold is due to be on tonight.

THAT is gonna be fucking weird when the glass breaks.

[Droford]

Lol the whole royal rumble

[GD]

Welp, looks like we're going to get a lot of recaps.

[rez]

booooooooooooooooooooooooo

[Emperor Smeat]

Guess nothing new is happening till almost 9:30 if they are going to air the whole Men's Rumble match. According to Wikipedia, that match was an hour long.

[slik]

WWE is now replaying the Men's Royal Rumble match. That will fill an hour.

[slik]

That was probably her Mania entrance

It was

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">According to a source in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WWE?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WWE</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BeckyLynch?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BeckyLynch</a> is scheduled to receive a special entrance at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WrestleMania36?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WrestleMania36</a>, which will include an 18-wheeler style of truck.</p>&mdash; Brad Shepard of ProSportsExtra.com (@TheBradShepard) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheBradShepard/status/1237816412573437952?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 11, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[ClockShot]

I guess I should just catch up on TV for the time being.

[Emperor Smeat]

Only real issues I had with the Men's Rumble was they really should have kept Rowan and Morrison for the latter half of the match.

Made Rowan look like a huge wimp and Morrison being treated as a big nothing despite his recent return.

[Droford]

I wonder if they show the womens chamber match too

[Droford]

It was

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">According to a source in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WWE?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WWE</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BeckyLynch?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BeckyLynch</a> is scheduled to receive a special entrance at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WrestleMania36?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WrestleMania36</a>, which will include an 18-wheeler style of truck.</p>&mdash; Brad Shepard of ProSportsExtra.com (@TheBradShepard) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheBradShepard/status/1237816412573437952?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 11, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Now I wonder if Bray shows up randomly in his monster truck

[GD]

Looks like I won't be watching the rest of the show.

[slik]

One big positive of WrestleMania in the Performance Center:

Instead of 15-16 matches it will probably be just the announced matches a few others. A quicker and leaner card is something I would never complain about!

[slik]

Why would they air the RR in the first hour, throw this in the third hour...this will tank ratings...

[Droford]

Brock's reaction to Keith Lee will never not be awesome

[Droford]

One big positive of WrestleMania in the Performance Center:

Instead of 15-16 matches it will probably be just the announced matches a few others. A quicker and leaner card is something I would never complain about!

I immediately thought about how Vince might pull back on having WM next year at SoFi just like he did WM 7 at the Coliseum. Might be a while before he does another big stadium show (in the US anyway)

Also I wonder if theyd consider breaking up the show over 2 nights here as a trial for doing that

[Emperor Smeat]

One big positive of WrestleMania in the Performance Center:

Instead of 15-16 matches it will probably be just the announced matches a few others. A quicker and leaner card is something I would never complain about!

Knowing WWE, they probably won't shrink the card and instead getting the full 2 hour pre-show and 4+ hour regular show treatment.

Maybe the Battle Royals get ditched since that was always going to be an issue filling them with enough talent people actually care about or without needing NXT to bail them out. Plus it helps reduce the number of people needing to be around backstage and lessen the risk of the locker room getting hit with he virus.

[slik]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">God finally gets revenge for 2006 loss to McMahon <a href="https://t.co/iO144zCJAM">https://t.co/iO144zCJAM</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WrestleMania?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WrestleMania</a></p>&mdash; Kayfabe News (@KayfabeNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/KayfabeNews/status/1239703023867305989?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 17, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[Emperor Smeat]

They should have just aired a bunch of classic Stone Cold clips instead of actually replaying the whole Rumble if the idea was to waste half of tonight's show on nothing.

At least it would have fit with the 3:16 theme of tonight's show.

Or just pre-tape a bunch of interviews and segments over the weekend to fill time since they had a few extra days to work on plans unlike Smackdown.

[slik]

Not really paying attention tbh....seems 'insane' this is almost all of RAW so far....should have just had Austin/Taker/Edge in hour 1....

[rez]

DREW IS HEADING TO WRESTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTLEMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMANIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Fanciest bingo hall ever

[Lock Jaw]

Whoa Undertaker running to the ring

[rez]

Undertaker...this is your life.

[rez]

wtf. started throwing shit and went to KFC commercial

[rez]

YOU HAD ONEEEEEEE JOB, PRODUCTION GUY.

[Emperor Smeat]

:lol: at Taker's entrance shenanigans

[slik]

Mystery solved:

It took Undertaker 44 seconds to walk to the ring with the ramp at the Performance Center.

Wait, why a commercial break now?!

[Droford]

I really wanted American Badass taker again

[Emperor Smeat]

Wait, Taker was pissed because there was no contract on the table?

Outside of Edge's promo, this show has been a giant waste of 2 hours.

Smackdown did a better job dealing with the odd circumstances than RAW has so far.

[Lock Jaw]

DONG

[Droford]

Seems like they ditched the OC theme song

[Emperor Smeat]

:lol: Lawler talking way too loud on the mic during that Taker lights off/on spot.

[slik]

That AJ Styles/Undertaker segment didn't work for me, at all. That was just awkward.

[Droford]

Becky vs Shayna should be a Queen of the Road match

They could totally tape it sometime to air during Mania

[Droford]

Random Asuka

[Emperor Smeat]

Asuka on commentary already the best thing about tonight's show.

That AJ Styles/Undertaker segment didn't work for me, at all. That was just awkward.

Yeah, same for me.

Also feel this is the worst Mania feud build for Taker in years.

[rez]

lol Asuka. Wtf you on?

[Emperor Smeat]

Rey vs Andrade was meh compared to their past encounters.

If Mania was just Asuka on commentary, it would instantly be in the upper tier of Mania history regardless if the matches themselves were terrible or dull.

[Lock Jaw]

Becky posing for all the fans in attendance

[Emperor Smeat]

:D They replayed the hospital skit with Vince and Austin.

:lol: that "ping" from the bedpan is still hilarious after all these years watching it.

[Droford]

Nurse Austin and Austin/Booker in the grocery store might not be the most appropriate things to show at the current moment

Or not

[slik]

While I enjoyed Smackdown on Friday, RAW has been a big mess IMO this week.

[slik]

Legit laughed at KO bragging about the PC

This show is a mess

[slik]

KO vs Seth at WM....

[Emperor Smeat]

While I enjoyed Smackdown on Friday, RAW has been a big mess IMO this week.

Yeah, SD had that morbid curiosity going on and more action despite being an hour less. RAW just feels like a boring show even with the circumstances.

Between both shows and today's Mania announcement, feels like WWE can't think out of the box anymore unlike that one time RAW got snowed out. They had to come up with stuff on the fly and it ended up being a pretty great show because WWE broke out of their rigid routine.

[Droford]

Lol

[Emperor Smeat]

:lol: this Austin segment is great and it only just started.

This is the type of stuff I was hoping WWE would do for these PC shows.

[rez]

Byron gonna get stunned

[Droford]

Byron gonna get a stunner

[Droford]

Uhoh

[rez]

Joke is on Steve..Byron has the virus.

[Droford]

They should just leave Byron in the ring for Wednesday nxt

[Emperor Smeat]

That might have been the best thing Bryon has ever done. Everything about that Austin segment was great.

RAW itself was mostly meh and very skippable overall.

[slik]

I didn't care for the Austin segment, wish Becky kept her stink away from it

[teamXtremist]

Brock's reaction to Keith Lee will never not be awesome

I believe he said who the fuck is this fat boy