WWE Needs to Stop With All Their Distractions

It’s the last WWE Monday Night Raw before SummerSlam and again the show opened up with “technical issues” to apologize for. Do you know what doesn’t get viewers back on board? A fake push for a group causing chaos that interrupts programming. Whoever had the idea for Retribution, its time to give it up. So far its a giant turn off for a fan trying to buy back into the product after a few years off. Not only is the lack of fans throwing off the rhythm and suspense of the show, now we have planned interruptions for matches. Drop it.

Oh there we go, Shawn Michaels is back. Finally a name I recognize after a few weeks of watching. I’m sure he’ll be part of the Ric Flair storyline.

Drew McIntire to the ring and a recap of Randy Orton/Ric Flair. Rewind to last week with Orton attacking Flair, I get that Ric is getting up there in age but c’mon. Here’s another ill-advised segment. Having Orton betray Ric is a gimmick as old as the WWE itself, but nowhere in his career was Ric Flair every apologetic. He was defiant as they come, “the dirtiest player in the game”, might be slowing down but nowhere in his career should he ever be written this soft and vulnerable. It cheapens his career they spent decades building.

More interruption and “technical issues” during the Drew McIntyre promo, yawn. Can we just bring out whoever the hell they’re trying to push and get this lame gimmick over with? Now Seth Rollins and his Michael Jackson glove trying to get the locker room on his side. A suited Seth Rollins with a man bun is just plain silly. A confrontation between Seth, Muphy, and McIntyre gets the boys in the back fired up.

Quick backstage promo and announcement, the WWE is is bringing a “virtual fan experience” called Thunderdome to fans. I get the fan experience is the new way to go during the pandemic, but did they really need to take the DC Fandome name and try and spin it to their own?

Oh look, 15 minutes into the show and we’re finally getting a match. Angel Garza v Ivar of the Viking Raiders. How many people are they going to have flirted with this chick, Demi Burnett from the Bachelor, before they make it a match? It’s a weird one. Garza takes out Ivar in an uneventful match, but right into a weirdo promo of a mysterious video concerning Garza. Of course, this reveals who poisons Montez Ford. Man, I love a good backstage fight.

Back in action with the women’s division. Mickie James is back in action against Natalya. James is another recognizable face but I’m still clueless on these other two girls. Here comes Seth Rollins to interrupt a match and out to confront Samoa Joe. There’s another interruption that throws off the flow of the match. Seems disrespectful to the actual match, even though apparently it just ended in a weak count-out. Rollins calls out both Mysterios who are supposedly in the house.

Sticking with the women’s division Asuka and Shayna Baszler in a tag match v Sasha Banks and Bayley. Both Banks and Bayley with face Asuka at SummerSlam. Predictability alert, these two will have their feud down the road and it will start at SummerSlam when one of them loses their belt. Nia Jax to interrupt the match again to attack Baszler in yet another distraction from the match. What is WWE doing here?!? Going back to the 2-on-1 match but Baszler is back with the save. Good comeback and Asuka back to even the score again and Bayley taps out! Finally a decent match.

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Halfway point and there’s been little to get excited for.

Back to McIntyre and Shawn Michaels backstage with some quick advice from the Showstopper. Okay maybe not quick, but HBK to the ring to call out Orton asking Drew to “give him space” which, again leads to a predictable moment where Orton attacks another all-time great so lets put a pin in this.

Another Retribution promo. This is as stale as it gets.

Pop back into Raw Underground and these unsanctioned matches need more organization. Unscripted is a cool element, but they need at least a few talking points than listening to Shane McMahon fumble his way through announcing.

Rey Mysterio is here! A quick hype move as Rey claims he’ll be in the kid’s corner. No sooner than his name is dropped, Rollins appears on the big screen. Of course, he’s not ringside, oh wait now he is. Ambush! The Mysterios sneak attack on Rollins and Murphy.

Raw Underground again, but I can’t get into it. If their main card is going to be full of brawlers, why do we need an Underground with more brawlers? But at least now there’s a sanctioned match.

Montez Ford is back after missing a week facing off against Andrade in a fast-paced match. Ford walks away with the win.

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Pick up the pin, HBK to the ring where he’ll call out Randy Orton. Yet another shot of Orton attacking Flair. Look at that, Orton comes out and attacks HBK from behind. Yep, they don’t make it predictable at all. Now McIntyre attacks Orton, and I gotta say its about time.

I really want to get back into WWE wrestling but they’re making it difficult. I’m not holding the lack of excitement against them with the pandemic. However, they’re writing is so fractioned and half-baked. Segments go off with interruption, the technical issues, the rushed to release product of Underground all seem like they’re panic moves.

With the fans in attendance, these types of moves really build the excitement of the matches as fans are emotionally invested. Without them, too much of these interruptions and distractions make too much predictable. On top of all the distractions, they’re focusing on the violence and less on the wrestling. WWE and Raw are full of brawlers. Hopefully, one day, they get back to the technical aspect of wrestling.