Since the "Brand Split" I have been watching both RAW and Smackdown religiously, every week, as a service to my BRAND members who subscribe to my daily video shows on the RELM Network. The truth is, even though five hours of wrestling was overwhelming to me, especially over the span of two days, I felt it was both my job and obligation to my supporters, to review and critique both shows and douse them with my honest opinion. So, I committed to that, regardless of how un-enjoyable the process would be for me.
For starters, Tuesday nights are tough for me. I go to my 7th job at Mercury Pro Wrestling Academy, where I'm spending much of my time getting the talented students there ready for Rocky Mountain Pro, which debuts on the Hunt Channel on Dish Network, October 9th. From there I travel home, walk in my house close to 11pm, watch Smackdown, then do a review of the show with my co-host Jeff Lane immediately following.
I must say, Smackdown really started off with a bang! I felt the first episode was an absolute HOME RUN--by WWE standards anyway. The second show was "OK", the third show was less "spectacular" than that. Despite the decline of the quality of the show--in my opinion--Smackdown was--and is--HANDS DOWN a much better show than RAW. I believe that holds true for two very significant reasons--1. It's only two hours, and 2. the mic work on SmackDown is far superior than that on RAW.
But, if we're going to be honest here, after several weeks I came to the conclusion, that regardless of whether it's my job, or not, I don't have five hours of my time to dedicate to WWE programming any longer, especially when I simply feel like the creative on both shows just doesn't give a flyin' !@#$%^ about the audience who is still watching it. They can't care. As "professionals" in their field---they have to know it's the drizzling !@#$%.
To once again attempt to make my point clear, the decision to no longer watch SmackDown--the "B" show, as the WWE likes to position it--has absolutely NOTHING to do with the talent on the show. I've said this to nausea--wrestlers are the most prideful animals I have ever been associated with in my life. Regardless of the chicken-!@#$ they are given, 95% of the time they will go out and turn it into chicken SALAD based on their raw passion, and effort alone. Only problem is, not even the greatest chef in the world could make this pile of horse manure tasteful.
So there you have it, one down . . . is there one to go? In all honesty . . . I really don't know how much further I can go with RAW. There's a reason why the masses have switched over their television sets to something else---anything else---especially over the past two years. In this day and age of social media, you have to EARN each and every viewer, and then hold onto them for DEAR LIFE . . . that should be the challenge at hand. But, with the WWE, it's not . . . and, it hasn't been for a while. Their pompous attitude---here it is, and you're going to eat it whether you like it, or not. Well, as a great, great wrestler once said, "That no longer works for me, brother". No dice. This boy's no longer eating the slop.
