Live Report: WWE Raw
Belfast, N.Ireland 17/04/10
By Michael Campbell & F4WOnline.com
Kofi Kingston vs. William Regal
Kofi was really popular in Belfast, though admittedly, he was the first Babyface to appear which no doubt contributed. Kofi won with Trouble in Paradise. Average stuff, with both guys looking a little tired and unmotivated. Short enough though that the sparse crowd were able to stay interested.
Evan Bourne vs. Dos Caras Jr
Dos Caras looked pretty good here, and worked well with Bourne. He looks very generic though, and I can’t help but think they could do so much more with his image. Bourne was very over, though the crowd were dead during the heat, waiting on his Shooting Star Press. They did a couple of nice teases, and a final exchange on the top rope that was pretty stiff, before Bourne finally floored him, and hit his finish. Decent, but the dead crowd would have needed to be more familiar with Dos Caras to make any noise. At one point, it looked like Bourne landed awkwardly on his neck/shoulder from a spot.
Christian vs. Chavo Guerrero
Best match of the night. It’s mind-boggling how Christian drifts aimlessly on television, given just how well he performs in front of live crowds, and the response he generates. And more so than the majority of the roster, he appears to do this every single time he’s out there. Anyways, this was the most athletic action Belfast saw, and it was combined with both guys working the crowd to a degree that Bourne/Dos Caras did not. Both hit all of their signature spots, though Chavo missed and rolled through on a Frog Splash attempt. Christian won with the Killswitch.
-Chris Masters came out, and was swiftly taken out by a boot from Seamus. The former champ cut a promo saying how he was disgusted that the fans in Belfast had booed him the night before, and he did not receive the heroes’ welcome that he earned in Dublin. He aimed to win the WWE title in the Main Event, but it would be for him and the people of Dublin, not the Belfast fans. Good heat for Seamus.
Divas Title Match
Eve Torres vs. Maryse
Kelly Kelly was the guest ring announcer, and got involved in the finish, breaking up an attempt by Maryse to steal a pin by holding the ropes. The match was pretty dull, though one fan shouted “give her one, Charles Robinson!” in relation to Kelly Kelly. Dead silence for the majority of this, and Robinson worked harder than either of the women to involve the crowd.
Continued on page two …
Unified Tag Title Match
The Miz and Big Show vs. MVP & Mark Henry
Some good crowd interaction from Big Show at the start of this was the only thing that stood out. Surprisingly, Show and Henry worked the bulk of the match, while MVP looked absolutely knackered. Nothing notable happened, except Show nailed his Sunset Flip. Crowd enjoyed this, though it was down to the antics of the champions rather than being behind the babyfaces.
Randy Orton vs. Ted DiBiase
This was headlock city, as the two immediately exchanged holds, and had a methodical, stalling-based effort that bored the crowd. Most fans seemed to be waiting to see the RKO, and didn’t buy into much that occurred prior to that. Orton did nothing to encourage a positive response either. This wasn’t terrible by any means, but very straightforward, and wouldn’t go over well on television. They did a good finishing sequence that saw both reverse attempts at their trademark moves, before Orton finally hit the RKO for the three. Disappointing.
-Hornswoggle came to the ring, and brought some kids in, and they all had a blast. Usual stuff… crowd appreciated it.
WWE Title Match
John Cena (C) vs. Seamus vs. Batista
Responses for Cena and Batista were well above the level of everyone else on the card. Seamus was treated like a star too, but obviously had the benefit of the angle earlier on the show. Formula triple threat, with one guy being out of the loop for the most part, while the other two went at it. Crowd was pro Cena, anti-Seamus, with Dave being the odd man out to a degree. They all hit their signature spots, and after delivering an Attitude Adjustment to Big Dave, Cena locked the STFU on Seamus for the win. Pretty much sent the crowd home happy, and Cena celebrated for a while in the ring and on the ramp, before leaving.
And that was it. A pretty flat show in all fairness, which probably ran just about two hours. It’s understandable if some guys went easy, giving the current travel situation, and the fact that they’re probably exhausted. However, the show did feel rushed, and very much lacking character. The empty looking Odyssey arena didn’t help either. Having attended WWE events there now for the best part of a decade, I can honestly say I’ve never seen it so empty for a ‘rassling event. They return for Smackdown in the Fall, which is certain to be a much more worthwhile show.
