A little bit Raw...

So, it's going to be Brock v Cena at Extreme Rules. Question is: are they going to do anything with Cena. Liek we've said before I don;t see any fault with Cena. He is doing what he's given. But just carrying on with the 'white bread' good guy is a little dull in the long run. We've talked about it at length but I think they need some more shades to Mr Cena.

As for 'War Machine'...never one to shy away from stealing from Marvel, the WWE...

It appears I was right about Jericho/Punk carrying on. Heading towards a big bust up at Extreme rules. It appears that we'll also get a rematch of Cody/Show and that the US title might actually be defended!

And another one for the same as, same as file...Kane attacking the Three Stooges. Now apart from them being the worst Three Stooges I've seen (trivia fact...there were actually five Stooges over the years!) I don't understand what they were doing there. I'm not aware of anything they were promoting (I stand to be corrected on that, though, by our US based peeps!). I'm all for funny segments but, with what else is happening with Kane at the mo, I think it wasn't right for him. Kane needs something more substantial than a weak feud and comedy skits.

Thing is, if Cena wins, Brock has been a waste of time. If he loses, where does he go from here unless it's to become more aggressive?

Jericho/Punk looks like happening, but will it be for the title? Or might Henry take it in the match next week?

Three Stooges are promoting a new movie. It was feck awful, wasn't it? Kane ought to give up and retire now. What's left for him?

Totally agree with Cena. I said at the time that I thought it was a bad move so soon after Cena losing to Rock. Like you say, if Brock wins then they have to turn Cena darkside. Otherwise your company's number one guy has just been beaten by two comebackers.

Interesting set-up. Jericho to help Henry take the belt and add salt to the wound?

It was shockingly bad. Kane should retire. His in-ring fall means he can't get anything decent and he should realise that they are just going to feed him crap like the even did during his prime!

Something else from RAW. That Taker/HHH/HBK video with the other guys talking about it being the end of an era really made me feel old, and quite sad as a fan. I do actually feel as though a chapter of WWE has come to an end now, much more than when WWE moved on from the likes of Hogan or Flair, or when the Attitude era ended, or even when Rock and Austin left. The links to the time I started watching are all gone. I remember cheering Michaels when he was the young buck. Now he's gone. I remember Taker's debut. I remember HHH's debut. Both gone. There's no-one now to link back to that time when I first got into the WWE. And I don't think the business is improving in every way. In fact, I think some things are being lost. Could three of the new guys sell a match like they did at HIAC?

I agree with you on that. HBK and Taker, especially, were from a time that has now gone. They've seen Attitude come and go and, to tweak a quote by Prince Nuada 'They retire and the world will be poorer for it'.

I don't think things are terrible now but, like you, I don't think they are as good as they could be. As much as I liked Attitude I don't mourn it's loss the same as Taker, HBK or Trips.

I feel I should point out that these are actually the Three Stooges that are playing these roles in a very recent big budget, brand new Three Stooges Movie. (EDIT: Oh, Shand already mentioned it.)

I actually think they really hit the mark of the original characters very well, especially Will Sasso's Curly.

However, I don't like the trailers for the new movie, which seem to constantly throw the stooges into the overly cliched "updated" works where they consistently make Facebook and Ipad jokes, and have worthless cameos by the Jersey Shore cast. That's fucking terrible. I don't mind a Three Stooges movie, but for god's sake, make it a period peice, and make it look like a new, big budget, classic Hal Roach (Three Stooges Producer) short from the old days. Do it like the Ed Wood film that Johnny Depp was in. I love that film.

Therefore, I'm not even going to bother seeing it because I think for as good as the new stooge actors look and sound and do a dead-on impression to me, the movie itself looks to be like a rehash of the kind of drivel around it, like that terrible Smurfs film. Why put the stooges in the modern day? What kind of a stupid idea is that? These are the movies. You can create a world, and do a period film, and way more people would love it for that. Put some effort in, goddamnit.

Also, poor Kane. Stuck in yet another low level, worthless, piece of shit fued, that amounts to yet another bad joke to pile on the rotting heap of bad jokes that has been the majority of his WWE career. I feel legitimately sorry for him. Quite a lot of fucking good that the new mask hype did for him. Sigh.

As for Cena, I actually quite like what they're doing with him. I don't mind seeing Cena portray this goofy clown character just as long as he's getting publicly abused for it, constantly. I'm actually starting to like Cena in a weird, ironic way, just as long as he can be that clown faced punching bag that you love punching to relieve stress. It's the best use of him, yet.

People are going to buy Extreme Rules just to see Cena get his fucking block knocked off by Brock. And even more so because we know that's precisely what we're going to get. Hell, you know I don't like Lesnar that much, but I am strongly rooting for him, now.

In fact, truth be told, I think I have even forgiven Lesnar for his past sins. I'm really digging his re-introduction now, and what his re-emergence is adding to the table. Go Lesnar. Kick his ass.

I was never a fan of the Stooges, to be honest, so a film about them holds no interest for me. I didn't even think they looked much like them but that's me.

Again, I don't agree with you on Cena. I think you miss the fact that a lot of people DO like Cena. A fair number of people don't, sure, but he's popular with the kids and a fair number of others. So I'm not sure they are all going to be going to watch him bleed. That might just be the ones that can't accept Attitude is over...

That's the thing though, about Cena. He's getting the majority of boos from those who are the loudest fans. Not nessessarily the MOST fans, or the MAJORITY fans. Those are still the kids today. But I mean the loudest.

The kids are intended to be the main WWE audience, but they're just the ones keeping the merch sales afloat while they have their parents taking them to the odd event.

But the thing is, they'll cheer their hero every week, even if he was sitting in a dunk tank with a bulls-eye painted on his face and having pies thrown at him.

I think WWE knows that now, and found a way to make both parties happy. They're selling "Cena Sucks" shirts, so obviously they're fully aware now, that people love to hate the glorified Rodeo Clown.

I was against that Anti-Cena marketing at first. I initially thought it was WWE not taking their adult audience seriously. But now that I realize and accept that WWE is 90% Entertainment and 10% Wrestling, i've come to finally accept his Rodeo Clown act as part of that entertainment.

Kids, on the other hand, don't seem to care how much Cena is being the butt end of a beating, they'll just confusedly wave their foam fingers around and be held up on their dad's shoulders till the end of all time.

WWE is still more than happy to pander to the kids and take their money, but I think recent little experiments with kicking Cena around lately, have made them aware to the fact that they don't have to necessarily keep the kids's feelings unhurt to do that.

hell, I think WWE is even starting to realize that hurting the kids's feelings, is going to make sales go UP. Becuase kids think this is real, and they're going to buy MORE shirts and Cena merch when he gets punched in the face.

Kids want to somehow give him the power to beat up all the bad people, and they'll keep on believing that no matter how chumped out Cena gets. i.e: WWE is learning just how easily led-on that kids are. Pop a kids balloon and they'll instantly buy another. And another. And another.

Meanwhile the loudest in the crowds chanting "Cena Sucks" on every event get to feel good about the continued metaphorical pie throwing, while the kids can cheer Cena as the "underdog" that he was always intended to look like.

Jesus, where did that pie metaphor from me just come from all of a sudden? I'm thinking TOO much about the Stooges now. Maybe they should honorarily induct Cena as the 4th stooge. ehe.

But I never said that the Cena Sucks fans didn't exist...just that people are not just going to tune in to see him beaten. Some are going to tune in to see him kick Brock's booty too. Sure, the WWE might beat up Cena to up the sales but that's because they know that their hero will come good evntually.

Which doesn't escape the basic fact that DS and I mentioned - if Brock wins Cena has lost his last two PPVs and they have a number one guy on a beating from two returners. If Cena wins then Brock's return is damaged. They need to come up with a curve ball to allow them both to get out of it.