RAW - 5.25.20 - Rob Gronkowski returns

[slik]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">BREAKING: <a href="https://twitter.com/RicFlairNatrBoy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RicFlairNatrBoy</a> will be on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WWERaw?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WWERaw</a> TONIGHT to give his thoughts on <a href="https://twitter.com/EdgeRatedR?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EdgeRatedR</a> vs. <a href="https://twitter.com/RandyOrton?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RandyOrton</a> in the Greatest Wrestling Match Ever at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WWEBacklash?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WWEBacklash</a> ... PLUS we'll have an exclusive interview with <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/247Champion?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#247Champion</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/RobGronkowski?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RobGronkowski</a>! <a href="https://t.co/ife42q1wmJ">pic.twitter.com/ife42q1wmJ</a></p>&mdash; WWE (@WWE) <a href="https://twitter.com/WWE/status/1265058854498426880?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 25, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[Supreme Olajuwon]

Man I really hope they do Styles/Bryan on a card that also features the greatest wrestling match ever.

[Emperor Smeat]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">As always, on Memorial Day we remember the brave men and women of the Monday Night War <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/1264931346587086848?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 25, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[ClockShot]

Curious to know if WWE is going to do some tribute to Hana Kimura during Raw since A.) All the other major promotions have done something. And B.) Keep the Asian WWE roster members happy.

Didn't see anything on the website unless it buried somewhere.

[Emperor Smeat]

I'd be surprised if they did considering they usually only give that treatment to those who had some actual involvement in the company. If WWE had bought Stardom like they wanted for NXT Japan, it would have been more of a lock.

[slik]

Past ratings on Memorial Day RAWs:

2016 - 3.23 million
2017 - 2.61 million
2018 - 2.49 million
2019 - 2.19 million


Last week RAW had 1.75 million, let's see if they get a bump or continue the drop

[slik]

Will The Rock steal some eyeballs on NBC

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">In just a few minutes at 8PM, our EPIC TWO HOUR PREMIERE of <a href="https://twitter.com/nbctitangames?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nbctitangames</a> begins. <br>SPORTS ARE BACK! <br>Enjoy the show! <br>Only on <a href="https://twitter.com/nbc?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NBC</a>!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TITANGAMES?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TITANGAMES</a> ������</p>&mdash; Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheRock/status/1265070046088294401?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 25, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[ClockShot]

Da fuck?!

THIS IS HOCKEY!

[Emperor Smeat]

When was it that WWE started their special tribute videos to Memorial Day for RAW?

Tribute to the Troops event started in 2003 but don't think they were doing special Memorial Day videos back then.

[dronepool]

Did WWE do a RIP Shad yet?

[ClockShot]

Still wonder is Asuka can speak great English like Hikaru Shida.

[Droford]

Did WWE do a RIP Shad yet?

Friday

[slik]

Ratings guru Charlotte is here

[ClockShot]

Roster "crowd" needs to be a crowd.

Faces cheer faces, heels heels.

[Emperor Smeat]

When Fightful mentioned the crowd was going to be wearing WWE shirts, legit thought it was going to be WWE logo shirts. Having them wear actual merchandise instead was a great choice since now they resemble an actual crowd and not something sterile in WWE typical fashion.

[Droford]

Sounds like a bad Jerry Springer crowd

[Emperor Smeat]

That KO Show segment was pretty meh.

[ClockShot]

Either my cable's on the fritz or it's on WWE's end. But the picture is pretty blurry.

[slik]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">In case you were wondering, the NXT crowd isn't allowed to sit down. They've been standing practically all day.</p>&mdash; Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful.com (@SeanRossSapp) <a href="https://twitter.com/SeanRossSapp/status/1265074054689689600?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 26, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[ClockShot]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">In case you were wondering, the NXT crowd isn't allowed to sit down. They've been standing practically all day.</p>&mdash; Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful.com (@SeanRossSapp) <a href="https://twitter.com/SeanRossSapp/status/1265074054689689600?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 26, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Shame. These days Raw doesn't give you a reason to keep standing up.

[erickman]

nxt has alot of women did'nt know they had so many.

[ClockShot]

Want to just turn it off.

BUT, I really want to see someone get checked into the plastiglass. Possibly shattering it.

[Droford]

How long til someone gets thrown into <strike>the boards</strike> plexiglass

[slik]

I could see the Plexiglass staying when crowds return tbh

[Droford]

Want to just turn it off.

BUT, I really want to see someone get checked into the plastiglass. Possibly shattering it.

2 minutes for boarding

[Supreme Olajuwon]

2 minutes for boarding

More like 2 minutes for boring.


Folks...

[Droford]

I could see the Plexiglass staying when crowds return tbh

Front row should get to beat on the glass

[Emperor Smeat]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">In case you were wondering, the NXT crowd isn't allowed to sit down. They've been standing practically all day.</p>&mdash; Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful.com (@SeanRossSapp) <a href="https://twitter.com/SeanRossSapp/status/1265074054689689600?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 26, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Would explain why they are already wobbling all over the place since their legs must be killing them by now. At least the people in the front could have leaned on the barricade to ease the pain had the plexiglass not been there.

[slik]

Dexter Lumis wearing an RKO shirt

[ClockShot]

The Clap?

Ugh.

[Droford]

Interviews mid match lol

[Droford]

How long til WWE has ads on the glass like nhl does

[Emperor Smeat]

Why are they interrupting this match for a Garza interview?

[Droford]

That's his first title.

[Emperor Smeat]

Andrade vs. Crews was pretty good overall.

I give Crews about a month at most before WWE gets bored with Crews push and/or US title reign.

[Triple A]

The crowd noise is obviously way better than it was before, but it is feeling way too forced in a way that is annoying to me... AEW's crowd noise seems "less fake" to me even though it's also basically fake... idk... Everything here just feels really phony like everything WWE does...

[Droford]

Wheres Barry Darsow

[Emperor Smeat]

:| Street Profits vs. Viking Raiders in a golf game.

At least basketball and axe throwing fit with the teams gimmicks even if the big gag with the axe stuff was more of a miss.

[slik]

The crowd's forced acting is going to drive me nuts, leave it to WWE to take a good idea and make it forced

[slik]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Why must every single babyface be the lame “I’m so grateful to be here, nobody believed in me” underdog? Whjy can’t we have any cool faves anymore who have confidence?</p>&mdash; Nicholas Sankarsingh (@N_Sank) <a href="https://twitter.com/N_Sank/status/1265078985307848705?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 26, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[Droford]

Austin Theory with the first name drop

Theory

[Emperor Smeat]

Should have just kept the Austin part of his name since at least Rollins lackeys would be able to form an actual full name together.

[Droford]

It feels like WWE is trying to do the dark order more religiousy and taking their names away instead of a mask

[Emperor Smeat]

IIconics version of the Magic Killer looks terrible.

Move itself already looked pretty lame or weak as a finisher but the IIconics somehow managed to make it look even worse.

[Supreme Olajuwon]

The fans cheering for KO entering look like video game characters repeating the same motion over and over.

[Emperor Smeat]

Owens vs. Garza was decent I guess. Show's been on somewhat downhill ever since the Crews vs. Andrade match.

[slik]

KO putting Garza over big -- I think Angel has lots of potential

[slik]

https://i.postimg.cc/HLXK3LMn/Screenshot-2020-05-25-at-8-25-23-PM.png

[Emperor Smeat]

Poor Erik, everyone thinks he's ugly.

Outside of the Ivar's turkey leg gags, that golfing segment was a big waste of time.

[Droford]

I just realized..who's in the crowd on Wednesday for nxt

[slik]

This should be a good tag match, Theory/Murphy vs Aleister/Humberto

[Emperor Smeat]

I just realized..who's in the crowd on Wednesday for nxt

Probably people from the PC but only RAW and SD have been confirmed for the crowd treatment based on Fightful's report.

[slik]

It's also weird bc so far the wrestlers aren't acting like there is anyone in the crowd now

[Emperor Smeat]

It's also weird bc so far the wrestlers aren't acting like there is anyone in the crowd now

Yeah, outside of MVP everyone has been acting as if nothing had changed for shows. Even the crowd itself has been up-and-down in energy throughout the show.

Crowd just needs to add some banter to their reactions to make everything feel less stiff or fake.

[Droford]

They should bring back the Cole Mine for announcers

[slik]

Asuka's the best

[Emperor Smeat]

Asuka's reaction to the powerbomb spot through the table was great.

Probably would be way more into this match had WWE not picked the 3 least interesting or way over pushed people to be Asuka's potential title challenger.

[Droford]

What's this "Sting the Lost Tape" on the network Sunday?

[Emperor Smeat]

:lol: Charlotte almost completely missed hitting Nia with her moonsault.

Never seen someone be so inaccurate with hitting a simple moonsault before Charlotte showed up.

[Emperor Smeat]

:lol: at Nia whiffing on the leg drop spot

Triple Threat was pretty good overall despite it being a bit of a mess near the end.

[slik]

Charlotte vs Nia vs Nattie was pretty good

[Savio]

Hope Gronk says:


"Finallyyyy the GRONK has come back................. Home"

[Emperor Smeat]

Considering the Bellas pretty much have nothing to do with wrestling anymore, sort of surprised WWE still advertises their Total Bellas show.

The big boost in female viewers Total Divas and Total Bellas used to give to WWE's shows has been pretty much non-existent for a while.

[slik]

Gronk is a heel

[Droford]

R Truth channeling his inner Norman Smiley circa WCW Hardcore Champion

https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/847091427905578665/BC958A32E9487538449F49A8118F6F199A48D890/?imw=637&imh=358&ima=fit&impolicy=Letterbox&imcolor=%23000000&letterbox=true

[slik]

Look like Street Profits vs MVP/Lashley is the main-event

MVP is a much better fit for Lashley than Lana

[Droford]

The crowd finally got chairs

[Emperor Smeat]

Look like Street Profits vs MVP/Lashley is the main-event

MVP is a much better fit for Lashley than Lana

Wouldn't be surprised if Lana ends up in Drew's corner as his potential manager or valet for this feud and maybe even afterwards.

[Emperor Smeat]

Commentary somehow managed to make it seem like Rey just died and wasn't simply retiring with how somber and serious they made the announcement.

[slik]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">A faux retirement ceremony is about as desperate of a ratings grab as it gets. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WWERaw?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WWERaw</a></p>&mdash; Blake Oestriecher (@BOestriecher) <a href="https://twitter.com/BOestriecher/status/1265111912213340162?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 26, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[slik]

I wish Dawkins ate the loss instead of Montez

[slik]

Not Tyler Breeze being listed as a Performance Center trainee

[Emperor Smeat]

Main event was decent at best.

RAW itself was average overall. Having a crowd around helped liven things up but agree with Triple A and Supreme earlier about them feeling a bit too phony or like a video game with how they were reacting.

Someone elsewhere mentioned the crowd pretty much was acting like Vince's idea of an ideal crowd for his shows and it was apparent big time throughout RAW.

[Volare]

I'm trying to envision Vince giving instructions on how to be a "lively crowd."

"Gawww Dammit, I want cheers! And....be loud! What's that chant those kids...oh yeah! (in deep voice)Hooooley Shieeeeeeeet. That's what I want dammit! Make my show some gooood shieeeet!"

[Damian Rey 2.0]

How hard is it to have a crowd? Don't tell them the results, to cheer the faces and boo the heels and mix in some chants. It's not rocket science.

[BigCrippyZ]

Considering the Bellas pretty much have nothing to do with wrestling anymore, sort of surprised WWE still advertises their Total Bellas show.

The big boost in female viewers Total Divas and Total Bellas used to give to WWE's shows has been pretty much non-existent for a while.

WWE likely get a portion of the their revenues as their talent or booking "agent" for so many years at least, even if they're not under a "talent" contract or an on-screen WWE talent. Not much of a risk to push their show sometimes, especially if the Bella's earnings are somewhat dependent on viewers/ratings. Plus, I'm pretty sure WWE are still a "producer" of that show so they likely get revenue or revenue bump based on ratings/viewers too.

[slik]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The crowd waving and hopping up and down like a 2K glitch is hilarious business. <a href="https://t.co/EfkmnweBIY">pic.twitter.com/EfkmnweBIY</a></p>&mdash; JJ Williams (@JJWilliamsWON) <a href="https://twitter.com/JJWilliamsWON/status/1265100162784952320?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 26, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[Triple A]

The crowd finally got chairs

Did they really at the end? Good if so... Insane to make them stand up for two Raw tapings in a row... wtf

[xrodmuc316]

Would explain why they are already wobbling all over the place since their legs must be killing them by now. At least the people in the front could have leaned on the barricade to ease the pain had the plexiglass not been there.

No joke, standing still in one place is about 100 times harder than walking around.

[BigCrippyZ]

Did they really at the end? Good if so... Insane to make them stand up for two Raw tapings in a row... wtf

Yep. However, it's not insane to an idiotic, insane, out of touch, piece of shit human being, like Vince McMahon and his sycophantic "yes men" are.

[drave]

Main event was decent at best.

RAW itself was average overall. Having a crowd around helped liven things up but agree with Triple A and Supreme earlier about them feeling a bit too phony or like a video game with how they were reacting.

Someone elsewhere mentioned the crowd pretty much was acting like Vince's idea of an ideal crowd for his shows and it was apparent big time throughout RAW.




They should just be allowed to be out there and do whatever. I think that is what makes AEW's "wrassler crowds" sound better.

[XL]

What's this "Sting the Lost Tape" on the network Sunday?

Featuring never-before-seen footage and interviews, cameras follow Sting backstage before his big match at WCW Slamboree 1995.

[erickman]

Featuring never-before-seen footage and interviews, cameras follow Sting backstage before his big match at WCW Slamboree 1995.

i was hoping it would be the wwe match he won

[screech]

How hard is it to have a crowd? Don't tell them the results, to cheer the faces and boo the heels and mix in some chants. It's not rocket science.

Watching the show now: yeah this "crowd" is brutal.