Kev,

It seemed to me like the WWE set it up for Bret to come back to another Raw or PPV show the way it ended. I just don't feel like they would have Bret come back to end the show the way it did, him on the ground after being "low blowed" by Vince. Do you know if Bret signed a multi-show deal? Do you think Bret will be back on another episode of Raw or a PPV like Wrestlemania? I'm interested on your thoughts on the subject. Thanks!

RESPONSE FROM KE: Hart signed a short-term contract that goes through early April.

Last night was the first full episode I have watched in a while. Bret sold the kick by laying on the ground for quite a while.

I have to disagree on Sheamus. At first I thought it was a bad idea, but I think he actually plays the heel champion pretty well.

To all the HHH haters out there, notice that he did most of the selling in the match last night.

RESPONSE FROM KE: Hart sold it well at first, but then he seemed to be OK at the end (as I said, no lingering effects).

I thought the funniest line was, "As the whole world knows, I am the best at whatever it is I happen to do." when Marella was doing the Jericho impersonation. I was expecting Legacy to give Randy that ultimatum last week, whe he made the challenge to them.

Another good post Kev, When I was faced with the decision to watch a self-loving Hogan cut a promo on Impact or to see Hart-HBK on Raw, it was no contest. It really was crazy to see Hart-HBK face-to-face on Raw. When they hugged, it looked as if HBK was saying something to Hart, I wished I knew what he said. The Evan Bourne squash was really stupid, I'm pretty sick of seeing Powder...err.. I mean Sheamus squash people who don't win matches ever anyways. To me, that doesnt really advance Sheamus that much. I'm hoping somehow Jericho will still show up on Raw every week. Seeing him only on smackdown isnt enough for all the Jericho-holics.

"What really got me was that Sheamus kicked out of the Shooting Star Press. ..."

Me too! As if it isn't enough that the guy's been doing jobs pretty much every time he's on Raw or Superstars, they have to devalue his finisher as well. If they're going to do that, they should've at least made up for it by having Bourne kick out of Sheamus' finisher so he could look tough as well. But of course that wasn't gonna happen...

"The Randy Orton-Kofi Kingston match was good, but Kingston again losing clean doesn’t do any favors for a guy who already was losing steam. ..."

I agree with this, too. What WWE needed to do last night against TNA was grab viewers' attention by not being predictable, and predictable is what they were for the most part (with the exception of giving MVP a shot at the U.S. title). You had a Sheamus squashing somebody, you had Hornswoggle, you had Jericho doing another job, and you had Orton beating Kingston clean. Same old ****.

More on Kingston vs. Orton: after what Rhodes and DiBiase said to Orton in the back, there was a setup for a much more interesting finish. Think about it: Orton, unlike the other two, can't do what he said and winds up losing to Kingston. Legacy turns on him, beats him down in the middle of the ring. That would have given people a reason to tune in.

On TNA you had surprise appearances by several people (some more noteworthy than others), titles changing hands, Samoa Joe vs. Abyss for the first time ever (apparently) and a PPV quality main event between Styles and Angle. It wasn't perfect from start to finish, but they were obviously doing what they could to get new fans hooked by shaking up the status quo. WWE, meanwhile, was sticking with their status quo except for bringing in Bret Hart for three segments.

Are you still leaning to a HHH heelturn if DX were to split? I know you've said it in the past that the guys would either save face or HHH would turn, but I really think it's HBK that would turn, and there were signs last night.

Bret was the one that made peace first. HBK blew up over the grown man being treated like a young boy. Plus, there's the formula where Batman never turns on Robin (assuming you've read that DX bio).

SO DISAPPOINTING is how last night's long awaited monday night RAW came across to me. 12 years in the making? That seemed more like 12 minutes in the making! Even if they had been thinking up storylines for the last 6 months, you are trying to tell me the BEST that Vince and Bret could come up with was that crap?
I am a lifelong fan of Bret Hart, got all the dvd's, book, figures, etc., and I feel completely ripped off by his usage on last night's show. I have read online that the way WWE uses him will be completely up to him, and how he comes across to the fans on t.v. will be his choice as well. Well... if that's the case, then perhaps I have given him waaay too much credit as a brilliant man! I thought for sure last night's show was gonna be the RAW that made me want to start watching the G-rated watered down crap that is now WWE, but I am just in disbelief that they would go out of their way to "plant the seed" for a McMahon/Hart blowoff 4 months away in such fashion. Truly saddened by the confrontation between Bret and HBK... Again, THEY COULD HAVE DONE SO MUCH MORE WITH THAT!

Kev., usually I don't agree with all aspects of your blog, but I am shocked to see that you hit the nail on the head with this current post. I agree with you with everything you said on this one!
Bourne should NOT be jobbing to Whitey. He should be scraping up MIZ and getting title shots. MVP and HENRY need to show the racist WWE why they could be a very well liked and successful pairing while holding the tag titles! Would they be the 2nd African American tag team to have the honors? I think so... That is def saying something.

I also never thought I would say this, but I AM SICK OF DX! DX has not been DX since they lost all the people that made them DX!!! It has been the HBK/Triple H show for FAR TOO LONG! There, I finally said it!
Triple H simply became the prima donna Hogan is/was... I'm leaning on giving Hogan a chance on breathing life into TNA. And by that I dont mean hogan PHYSICALLY, I mean Hogan CREATIVELY.

WWE is losing me, and everyone here in NY with the lame booking and cheesy. nonsensical storylines they keep shoving down our throats. Time for 'ol Vinny Mac to start losing viewers again to something 'FRESH". Perhaps it will light the fire under his arse and we will be right back to where we left of, in the peak of the monday night wars, when wrestling was HOT.

I had chills when HBK was walking out to face Bret. One of those only in WWE moments that I will never forget.

I thought the part with Vince and Hart was very good also. You know Vince will do everything possible to make sure his storyline comes off as great as possible.

I barely even noticed Cena wasn't there,

I really thought that this was a weak show given that WWE knew TNA would come out swinging.

The Bret Hart situation was certainly compelling enough, but the rest of the night was just boring. I'm so tired of the DX / Hornswoggle antics and Sheamus getting pushed so heavily.

TNA may have had too many commercials, but their product is now far superior in my opinion.

From the awesome Knockouts division (any one of them could whip a Diva any day), to the superb technical wrestling displayed in the Angle / Styles match, TNA wins this head-to-head match-up.

The addition of the Hulkster just makes things even more interesting.

Now, if they would just take Taz off the mic.

Hell has frozen over! I never thought that the day would come, but it came last night on Raw: HHH did more selling than Shawn Michaels. Oh, and Bret Hart was on the show, too.

Kevin, Any chance that you might run a poll to see which show "won" the battle?

RESPONSE FROM KE: Yes!

It's more than just the Montreal Screwjob that Bret was pissed at. There were a whole lot of things leading up to Survivor Series 1997 that p----- him off, like Shawn insinuating on Raw that Bret was cheating on his wife with Sunny...which he might have been doing but still, not a nice thing to do.

Now I haven't watched RAW in quite sometime, but I was highly impressed with this episode - mostly because I was a HUGE Bret Hart fan when he was a "face" of the WWF (or WWE). What I enjoyed about the whole Hart appearance was the audience reaction when he first stepped in the ring. Amazing. The guy is a true talent and one of the best hype men of the business.

Granted his health problems enable him from being in the ring (nor do I think he should even if he were 100 percent healthy), it was great to see him in top form, even if he did screw up on a few lines. I doubt anyone cared though, this is the Hitman - a legend.

It was nice to see the young fans in the audience carrying sings in support of Hart since many lack the history of the WWE and the impact it had when it was first hitting its peak in the late 1980s, early 1990s.

While TNA's efforts to help improve ratings fell flat in my book (though, I have to say TNA has a lot more female talent than the WWE has), I felt this RAW was what fans wanted. They wanted to see Hart. They wanted to see him encounter Michaels and McMahon. They wanted it and they got it. Now I just hope the WWE runs with it and doesn't screw it up.

The first segment felt historical for sure: I nearly fell off my chair when Hitman and HBK hugged, as it looked at though they were teasing Sweet Chin Music, although Bret's facial expression showed near indifference. HBK seemed to offer a warm embrace and words of encouragement in Hart's ear, but Hart said nothing. I don't truly believe that Bret will ever mend fences with Shawn. But at least they gave wrestling fans that moment. Shawn came off as a truly changed individual, but Bret had the same demeanor he did 12 years ago.

I felt like I was in a time-warp last night: nWo on TNA and DX on RAW. Weird.

I agree that Hart/McMahon seemed anti-climactic...then again, can you really blame Bret for having to sell a kick to the groin for an extended period of time from Vince? I was hoping for someone to join the fray, HBK, Trips, even THD, but alas...then again, "can't give 'em everything at once". But I think it would have played well against TNA's final moments. I give huge kudos to the Hitman for even coming back at all; it wasn't that long ago he was so self-conscious after his stroke.

Jericho referring to being trained in the Dungeon was awesome. Please find a way to keep Jericho on RAW to interact with Bret!

It was disheartening to see Evan Bourne be fed to the Anti-Charisma Irish Machine. It was even sadder that he was selling Sheamus' onslaught like crazy. In a perfect world, it would be Bourne holding that title.

One interesting thing I noticed during the Sheamus segment was him saying something to the extent of only new fresh talent are going to face him for the title. Now that the Orton/Kingston feud looks to be put on hold, would it be too much to ask for Kingston to be Sheamus' opponent at Royal Rumble? He's undoubtedly the mid-carder most deserving of that spot. And heck, if he does win, that would put a new spin on the feud with Orton.

Bret was used perfectly in my opinion. It's wishful thinking for him to get into a feud with Michaels given his condition. I'd much rather Michaels face someone at Wrestlemania who can actually wrestle at full capacity, which unfortunately Bret can't. But a Wrestlemania match with McMahon? That's something I can get behind, especially the eventual spot of McMahon tapping out to the Sharpshooter.

Has anyone else noticed that John Cena has a bit more...how should I say this...skin hue since his feud with Sheamus started? I'm just thankful I don't have to put on my sunglasses when these two are on the same screen at the same time.

Kev, did you see Jericho do a little Hogan impression during the tag match? I enjoyed that a lot.

SMH...TNA Impact came on first, but you do a review of RAW first. Yet you always do WWE Superstars reports before TNA Impact reports when they on Thursday. Just further proof you are a complete WWE mark.

RESPONSE FROM KE: I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt that you're joking. I taped Impact and watched Raw.

I disagree with those people killing RAW last night. Was it a great show? No... But, it was clear, and professionally told, and it gave us one lasting and surreal moment: Bret & Shawn. Compare that to iMPACT, and I'm a fan of TNA, but that show was a crazy trainwreck of angles, turns and nonsense. It obscured a fantastic match, and the debut of Jeff Hardy! That's how nuts TNA was last night. Flipping back and forth, I was able to admire RAW for at least being clear and professionally told, even if I had little interest in a lot of it.

Personally, I thought the best line of the night (from Santino) was when he said, as Jericho, "I am the best at whatever it is that I do."

RESPONSE FROM KE: That was a good one, too.

HHH has stated backstage that he hopes the Bret Hart thing totally flops. I'm not sure if DX is breaking up, or if HHH was just showing his displeasure with Bret.

I thought the low blow from Vince was just enough. There is no need to oversell it. Everyone knows they're priming for some sort of clash at WM. I like how Vince turned on him ( no surprise)
but also allowed Bret to stand at the end instead of having our last visions of Bret writhing on the mat as the show goes off, on a night to celebrate Bret Hart after a 12 year absence.

In a word: underwhelming. Aside from the HBK-Hart confrontation which opened the show, it was a completely lackluster Raw. I'm not a TNA guy by any means, but Impact killed Raw last night (even with the Nasty Boys, Hall, etc.).

TNA has a far superior product? While Raw wasn't amazing, it was solid. Tell me about this superiority. Was it the 40 minutes of total actual match time on a 3 hour show? Or was it the 40 minutes of commercials? Maybe it was Scott Hall showing up drunk, bloated and still doing his Razor Ramon/Tony Montana bit even though he not hispanic/Cuban. Probally Val Venis/Sean Morely or is it Towel Man, who hasn't been important since the Right To Censor storyline? I know what it was. It was the generic production of the show. Every thing from the generic introduction graphics to generic (and rip off NWO intro) theme music to... well you tell me what didn't seem generic. The only thing about the show that was exciting or fresh and innovative was Jeff Hardy showing up and the Styles/Angle main event.

I agree this was one of those moments when you ask yourself, "Is this it"?
After 12 years, a war of words, endless banter, and it came down to Michaels, whom I believe was not lying about how he felt about Bret Hart and likewise with Hart about Michaels, show a that they have some class left in them. To have Vince McMahon come out at the end and try to work everyone, well just sucked.
I would have preferred that it just ended with a handshake. Bret Hart at 52 and his well documented health concerns is not a PPV draw even if he danced slow with McMahon. If this is where McMahon thought it could go, I wouldn't pay for it. It's a disrepect to the fan who knows better.
What do you think Kev? Is this some PPV tease or what is Vince's deal?

RESPONSE FROM KE: They're building to some sort of angle at WrestleMania.
On the other hand TNA pulled out all the stops.....Can't wait to get your take on that.

So Cena comes out last night for the coin toss of the Fiesta Bowl and he's wearing a PINK tie? Maybe it was to honor Bret Hart? Great job on the FOX camera work when they showed the TCU fans instead of the actual coin flip!
I'm thinking of a Tag Team Championship match at the Royal Rumble with Bret Hart in the corner of the Hart Dynasty?

I have to agree with TNA Wins, I was really hyped for the Raw episode last night and left underwhelmed, I guess I set the bar too high, but I was hoping for more. I really wish MVP wouldn't have won last night, I think Swagger should have, I would love to see a program between those two as they are both so egotistical, but oh well. Miz sounded pretty good on commentary last night, but really should have kept up the attitude he had when he first got out there, he kind of lost steam throughout the match.
DX winning makes sense now that apparently they are splitting (my guess is HBK goes heel judging by how he has been getting p---- with HHH over Hornswaggle), but I'm still very upset that Jericho isn't on Raw anymore. By the way, his look when Bret said he didn't want to be anything like Jericho was so priceless. Jericho has by far the best facial expressions in the biz. Also, great job by Santino with the impersonation of Jericho, the whole 'I am the best at whatever it is I happen to do' was great.
Well, since the E screwed up on their website and listed Ted Dibiase as former member of Legacy, we know what's coming, but it's still interesting to see when and how it's going to happen, the tension is growing and is exciting to watch. Randy Orton was much more enjoyable to watch last night with fewer 'Viper' style moves.
About the Bourne/Sheamus fight, I thought it was not that bad, Bourne looked pretty good against Sheamus for quite a while (in Bourne time) before he got squashed. Sheamus is growing on me, but I do want to see a longer, real wrestling match with him and somebody else.
Why does the WWE still bother with the divas, their matches are so bad, during the E's match, i switched to TNA, how nice to have had a choice last night!

You write, "I suspect the “change of Hart” is more about a payday, a Hall of Fame induction for Hart’s father Stu Hart and a rumored Hart Foundation DVD than it is about closure."

And what Shawn Michaels isn't getting paid to stand in the ring with Bret Hart?

It's interesting that Bret Hart came off as the adult in the ring while Shawn Michaels possessed a striking resemblance to a petulant schoolboy.

A couple of other comments. I've a feeling there will be a face turn for Orton. What else can he do as a heel? Legacy turns on Orton and then recruits Jack Swagger. Meanwhile, Orton forms an alliance with Kofi telling the WWE Universe Kofi brought out the best in him.

As for Evan Bourne, I could see him being part of the Cena-Sheamus storyline by Cena taking him under his wing. That would give Bourne the kind of rub he's looking for and also give him a chance to refine his skills on the mic.

I am also glad they took a few moments to say some kind words about Steve Williams.

RESPONSE FROM KE: Well, Michaels is under contract to WWE, so he gets paid whether he stands in the ring with Hart or not. Plus, he didn't swear up and down for years that he would never work with Hart.

The WWE is doing the smart thing building up the Hart/McMahon storyline. On the other hand TNA was (to borrow a line from The Rock) trying to put 10 pounds of monkey crap in a 5 pound bag. Not only was it Hall and Venis. Sean Waltman is still just as much of a joke as he's always been. The Nasty Boys I guess will be feuding with Team 3-D. Bubba the Love Sponge doing back stage work? That's embarassing. It's exactaly what most of us thought it would be, a chance for Hogan to get his buddies on TV. Some of the talent is already taking a back seat. Didn't Matt Morgan and Hernandez team last night and win a chance to challenge for the tag team tittles? So your telling me they split up LAX so Hernandez could team with Morgan to go after the tag titles? I guess there goes those big singles pushes those 2 were going to get.

I thought Raw was lame and boring. Beside the intrigue surrounding Bret Hart there was nothing else interesting during the show. I DVR'd both Raw and iMPACT and if you compare the levels of unpredictability and excitement between the shows I think that iMPACT wins big time, considering quality wrestling matches and the amount of new star talent that signed with TNA. WWE really needs to pick up its game now. They are not alone anymore.

BTW Kevin, did you notice Jericho mocking Hulk Hogan during the tag match? I thought it was kinda weird, not cause of the hand gesture...but because Jericho was smiling for a change :/

In the brief time I watched TNA Monday, I wondered why when ODB pinned Tara and we saw a little a-- crack, they cut away to the crowd, but they could show ODB rubbing her own chest and crotch?

I think that the idiotic TNA fans are hoping this is gonna be like WWE in the Attitude Era.....live profanity, skanks ( in TNA ) playing strip poker, drug addict Jeff Hardy ( let's hope his contract with TNA and the jail he goes to has a work-release program ), drunk Scott Hall, Sean "1+2+3=SyxX-Pac" Waltman, and of course Hogan, who has been seen more in the tabloids more than the ring (and is more entertaining).

Seeing Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels together was the best RAW moment since Rock-Hogan. Anyone who was more interested in seeing TNA than that in my opinion is NOT a real wrestling fan.

Brett Hart on Raw made me run home early to make sure i didnt miss it.. i gladly turned off Hogan mid sentance so i could see Raw. with the exception of Jeff Hardy, i dont see how anyone can see as Hogan and his cronies is anything positive, They might as well rename TNA, to HWA, Hogan Wrestling Association, i know everyone is critical but Hornswoggle in DX is more entertaining for me than Scott Hall stumbling through a show..But im just sayin....

Hmm, what is it I wanna say? Oh, seeing Jeff Hardy in the opening segment of TNA, was quite depressing. I don't like the octagon, or the stars over there. Orton asking to be #30??? I'm sure it will be Edge. Why all the wonder at what Shawn said to Brett? surely that wasn't the initial face to face. And yes, Vince is gonna get his, they have 4 months to figure out how!

The Hitman appeared to be a little stiff and uncomfortable throughout until the very end just before Vince kicked him. Do you think Bret has enough to battle Vince at WM?

RESPONSE FROM KE: I'm really not sure. Knowing how much pride Hart takes in his performances in the ring, Ithough, i don't think he would put himself in a position to embarrass himself.

I thought last night was amazing. you hit it on the head with "surreal", Kev. I really enjoyed the way Shawn turned himself after the inital handshake, looking like he was setting up for a superkick, the slight hesitation before he turned back for the hug was great.
two questions remain for me, though. first, where was The Hart Dyansty. I know they're on Smackdown, but that really means nothing. I'm sure Bret will be interacting with his niece, nephew and former pupil soon, but It would have been nice last night. Secondly, if Sheamus isn't going to face Cena at the Rumble, who gets the shot. Kingston just lost, Orton is a heel, and MVP is going for the US belt. Maybe Dibase getting a face push for the movie? And despite the lack of selling the kick, Bret vs. vince is a much better ending than the NWO vs. Mick Foley........

Hey Kev I heard that Matt Hardy and Gregory Helms have asked for the WWE to release them. Any thoughts on that? Raw seemed like two great Bret Hart Segments acting as the bread to a usual RAW sandwich. I wonder if there is any heat between HHH and Hart. I know that HHH was not that big of a player in the incident but he was involved an obvioulsy supported Michaels.

Hey Kev, I agree with TNA Wins. TNA is looking like they are going for a more Attitude Era WWE show. Its better for the 20 to 50 somethings that wanna watch wrasslin' every week. WWE is actually looking more like WCW than TNA is right now and it is just as flat. Bunch of young guys cutting clean promos and old storylines. I like Jeff HArdy in TNA and I am gonna keep tuning in to see where Val Venis ends up on the card. Also, how much does Christian regret going back to WWE right now?

RESPONSE FROM KE: I don't know that Christian regrets it at all. He is with the No. 1 wrestling company in the world.

Miz's new theme...Awesome! That's a maineventers music. He's without a doubt the best rising star at the moment.

I thought I could make it home for Impact when I let my wife set the DVR for one of her shows so I got trapped into watching Raw. I can't decide if I am more of a sucker for thinking Peter Angelos will bring the Orioles back to relevance or if Vince McMahon will make the WWE as entertaining as it was 10 years ago.

I know the opening segment with Hart/Michaels was symbolically a big deal, but they sure blew it so far as getting the most mileage out of one of the most intriguing angle the company had. The promo was visibly forced on both parties and lacked any real emotion at all. If they couldn't go out and really fake being nice, they should have just went with them feuding and Vince getting into it later. Visually the hug was great, but everyone waited 12 years for that? It all boiled down to 10 minutes of awkwardness. Shawn promised Vince that "good things will happen," but I sure didn't see anything "good" in that.

The closing segment was done better than the opening, but I can't imagine there was a person alive who didn't see the kick coming since they were kind enough to show Vince's hatred for Hart in the video right before that. The no-sell was the best part of the whole thing since it was probably out of legitimate spite for having to look like a jackass for the last 2 hours just to hopefully get his family members over later. That and he probably just nixed the Orton part of the angle since that went nowhere last night. I think I know how that conversation went behind the curtain:

Vince: I'm really excited about getting Randy involved in this and bringing back his streak of punting legends in the skull. What a great segment. Did you see it?

Bret: You do know my doctors say another strike to the head could cause permanent paralysis or death given my condition right?

Vince: *laughs* Don't worry Bret, he'll pull the kick when the time comes. *whispers* Just like when you pulled that punch backstage in Montreal.

Bret: What was that last part?

Vince: Oh nothing, I'm telling Arn to remind Cole to keep mentioning Montreal while we're out there.

*No Chance starts playing*

Otherwise there was the Even Bourne ultimate burial in his finishing move now meaning nothing at all. Same goes for Kofi's SOS (although it could have meant nothing already). They also missed the boat on having there be any build up in the 4-way for the US Title when MVP turned on Mark Henry. With a pretty dirty move going for the knee. They skipped right past any kind of tease.

Jericho had the moment of the night to me when he did the hands to the ear move in the middle of the tag match with DX a la Hulk Hogan. At least someone in the company seemed to realize it wasn't just another Monday night. Of course, he'll never be on the show again now.

Part of me thinks the whole show was done as poorly as it was since it'd be the biggest insult Vince could levy against TNA to put up an utter letdown/stinker of a show as a way to show just how much he's worried about them going head to head.

Oh and for the record, The Rock now has more appearances on Family Guy in 2010 than he does on WWE programming as of Sunday.

Bret's return, perhaps like a meal cooked much too long in the stove, came across as rather bland and mushy rather than sharp and impactful.

Bret seemed to be going through the motions more than appearing as a genuinely aggreived party. Actually, I found Shawn's segments to be more from the heart.

As in the case of ring rust, perhaps it will take Bret a few weeks to really get back into the swing of things, full speed ahead.

It seems pretty obvious to me that Vince did not/does not fear Tna in the least. Why else would he trot out another terrible Raw show to go head to head with Impact? He knew they were planning something big, not just the return of Hogan, so it seems logical to me that you should at least try to shake things up some. What did they do instead? How about a terrible Divas match to follow up the overblown Hart/Hbk hatchet burial? Have any doubts that the Hart return ran out of steam mid-show? How about Vince promoting Mike Tyson prior to his lukewarm confrontation with Hart? Talk about a letdown. How can you not be disappointed with Wwe?

Best raw moment in years with hbk-hart segment. They didn't ramble on about the past we all know but got to the point while leaving a hint that we haven't seen the last of this confrontation. I hope everyone who wants a dx split is carefull what they wish for. If they do we will definatly see more of the same hhh champion stuff we have seen too often th the past. Plus hornswoggle isn't that bad. Dx keeps the main titles on other guys even if it is on the daywalker.

I'm definatly a santinoholic. The jessie ventura line was my favorite.

The bret vince confrontation was a bit weak but I think a full beatdown of either of them would kill the anticipation and its a long way to wm26.

Kev you and ur HBK lovefest no's no bounds anyway i was wrong the other day when i said my channel surfing was gonna be 70/30 TNA it ended up being 95/5 TNA the only thing i cought on Raw was 15 seconds of Sheamus destroying Bourne the bella's entrence Henry throwing MVP over the top rope the King & Cole talking about if Orton loses then he's out of legacy & The hitman getting need in the groin for all of you Raw lovers shame on you for putting up with that when you could have seen Val Venis playing Strip poker with the Beautful People jeff hardy becoming apart of TNA ric Flair struting his stuff along with Angle/Styles a great Womans tag title match and other great action & the finally that I almost missed the Clique beating down Foley. and that was just the last hour & a half because I didn't get home till 9:30 but I am DVR'ing thursdays replay of impact and if you have Comcast they replay Raw on UNiveral channel from 7pm to midnight on saturday so i will probably watch it then

What a waste of time and build up. I am glad I taped WWE and watched Impact live. I like Brett Hart but if he is not going to have a prominent roll on the show then why have him. Can you name one match he made for the show....no you can't. At least Bob Barker made matches and appeared more than 3 times during the show. TNA ruled last night and I could not stop watching it...please post you comments on TNA soon.

"My question is: Why couldn’t Hart and Michaels make nice off camera sometime in the past 12 years the way Hart and McMahon did?"

__________________________________

I just can't resist. Shawn has not been completely honest about the circumstances surrounding Montreal. The old "Bret refused to drop the title on his way out" justification is, to use your word, disingenuous. Bret was willing to cleanly drop the belt to The Undertaker, Stone Cold Steve Austin, or Ken Shamrock. He was even willing to drop it to Shawn on Raw if Shawn were to put him over at the pay-per-view, and this was after Shawn and HHH had made it their mission to devalue Bret into oblivion by booking him to look pathetic nearly every week. HBK wasn't interested in any such compromise. Do you truly believe that Bret was less flexible than the other parties involved? Shawn maintains that he was. By contrast, McMahon has admitted that what he did was wrong.

RESPONSE FROM KE: OK, here's my take, and before anyone starts with the "you're an HBK mark" garbage, I would feel the same way regardless of who was involved. When you're the champion and you're leaving for the competition, you drop the belt to whoever the boss tells you to, and you do it when and where he tells you to. Period. I have always thought it was ridiculous that Hart didn't want to lose in Montreal. Why? Who cares? The business is a work. He acts like all of Canada would go into a state of depression if he lost a worked wrestling match. End of rant.

I loved RAW last night. And I love HHH and Shawn michaels together. That is the main reason I watch. I waited for that for twelve years and thought it was great!

The hug between Hart and Michaels is about as sincere as the hug that the strippers give me when I walk into the club.

I've been a Bret Hart fan for a long time but the way some things have gone over the past decade left me feeling a mixture of sympathy and annoyance toward him.

Of course I don't know all of the details behind him coming back for whatever storylines they're going to do with him and no doubt money IS a part of it, but at the same time it's nice to think that some of this could help mend more things on the real life side.

The tough part is it's hard to tell where the line blurs between an angle and the truth, but the interaction between Hart and Michaels was done well. I liked that Hart was the one who offered his hand first and if there is a connection between the angle of him growing up a bit and trying to move on from the past and things in real life, hopefully it works out for him. Both Hart and Michaels have come a long way since then, but in different ways. It was also fitting that they both acknowledged some things they disliked about each other before touching on things they respected each other for and positive things they did in the business

It's just such a polarizing subject that there are going to be tons of strong opinions in both directions. As much as I'd love to know how any backstage stuff went toward Hart and Michaels reconciling, they did a good job with it in the ring.

The interaction between Hart and McMahon at the end wasn't too hard to predict, especially when McMahon was trying to come off as all chummy and non-aggressive to set Hart up.

The rest of the show was pretty good but didn't feel all that special. I think WWE wanted to let the stuff with Hart carry the show and in one respect that'd be a good decision instead of overshadowing it with a bunch of other things. I've got some TNA thoughts in the other post.

Big disapointment!

C'mon, we all know how much you like HBK,Shawn et al:, but are you kidding me? All long time wrestling fans had to text and twitter each other to know that it was real. Was there ever any doubt,anywhere in the free world that these 2 would shake hands,then kiss (ok hug) and make up at this show? No friggin way. Hell that was a bigger work than the Montreal Screw Job. I haven't read your post on the Impact show yet but if you think that this show came even close to Impact, then you are living in a galaxy far away from me,and that's ok, we all have a right to our own tastes,but please,if nothing else happened on Impact except for the Angle-Styles match it would still put Impact over the top. You talk of the old territories and what they brought to the table,well Kevin this is the perfect example of the days when we could watch the AWA,WCW,Texas,Fla,Vince SR. all of them. Back then we got similar action,some good and some not so good,but every once in awhile on each show we gat something un-friggin-believeble, and Styles-Angle was that and much more. Truthfully(I haven't read what you have to say about Impact yet) when was the last time you saw a match like that on TV. I'm not asking you and your many follower's that believe the same to jump in bed with Impact,but could you please get of the B'more Nostalgia Vince train. Hell one of the best shows I ever saw at the Civic Center was from the old Jim Crotchette days with the Four horseman,Baby Doll,Tully fighting a team with Dusty. We sat second row and by the time Arn got to the ring it looked like it had rained on him due to all of the spit hurled from the crowd during their entrance, gross yes,emotional and symbolic even more. If the stock market was as predictable as the WWF than I could retire nicely with my weak assed 401 (or is that now a 201K). Just sayin'

RESPONSE FROM KE: Just an FYI -- I also loved the Crockett shows at the Arena back in the day.

Nick Rini,

I can't help what came to mind when I read how Raw was "at least being clear and professionally told." That thought being how a doctor performing an abortion does it cleanly and professionally, even though I don't have an interest in it either.

Common Sense,

When's the last time Raw had a match that held a candle to the Angles/Styles match? Sure some of the other stuff on Impact was just fluff, but then again so is Sheamus and Vince made him Champ.

Again your being disingenous Kevin.You talk about Bret not wanting to speak to Shawn at his hall of fame yet forget only a couple of months before that there was a screwed the Bret Hart DVD a Warrior style burial with Shawn,Hunter,Flair and Hogan basically burying Bret anyway they could. Its why he said he did not shake Hogans hand at the event as well.

Frank, a little advice:

It's okay to work in some periods once in a while so you can form new sentences.

Atlas and Johnson are not quite the only all black tag team champions. Men on a Mission had the title for 2 days in 1994. They beat the Quebecers at a house show in London and then lost it at a house show in Sheffield.

I'm only a very casual WWE viewer these days but i tuned in with great anticipation.

The bookend segments were engrossing (and let's face it, they'd be engrossing regardless of how they were written or presented) but the rest of the show as disappointing as it was boring.

As a massive Bret Hart fan i found myself somewhat torn about him appearing on WWE programming again.
Part of me was glad he was able to bury the demons of the past, but part of me was also saddened that Bret had sold out after years of saying he'd never do it.

Watching him in the ring drew me more to my second feeling, saddened that he sold out.
It was obvious that despite his words, Bret still despises Shawn Michaels (and with cause).
Bret tried his best to hide it, but during their 'hug' you could see that killed Bret.

I know Bret will be making millions out of this deal, but what price your pride?

I still haven't seen Impact (or read spoilers) as it doesn't air here for a couple more days but it wouldn't have to be much to surpass WWE's effort.

Your write, "Well, Michaels is under contract to WWE, so he gets paid whether he stands in the ring with Hart or not."

All that simply means is that Michaels would also get paid if he were to crawl on all fours and bark like a dog. The simple point is that Michaels isn't doing this for free either. Yet you act like Bret Hart is the only person in the world who is motivated by money.

As for the Hitman saying he would never work with Michaels again well time has a way of healing all wounds. Yes, the Hitman is being compensated for his troubles. But as you've said yourself Vince has been willing to let Bret back into the fold for some time now. If that is true then presumably there was an offer of money back then. If Bret Hart was only interested in money then he would have taken Vince's first offer.

In the final analysis, methinks you are being a wee bit sanctimonious. If you genuinely believe that Bret returning to the WWE and working with Shawn is an unprincipled act of hypocrisy then you would have not watched last night's RAW in the first place.

RESPONSE FROM KE: Perhaps Hart needs the money more now than he did before. Anyway, I'm not saying Hart did it just for the money. As I said, I think getting his father into the Hall of Fame and a Hart Foundation DVD also played a role (and perhaps even getting a chance to help elevate out the Hart Dynasty was a factor). You can't really tell me with a straight face that you don't see even a hint of hypocrisy in Hart working for WWE and with Shawn after all that he has said over the years. Whether or not I think Hart is hypocritical has nothing to do with watching him on Raw. I said from the day the story broke about Hart being in talks to return to WWE that it would make for interesting TV.

It was mentioned above, Kev, but I'd definitely like your take on Jericho doing the Hogan gestures in-ring before his match. Doesn't that run counter to WWE's policy of not acknowledging TNA (and lead down the "Mick Foley put my ass in this seat" road)?

RESPONSE FROM KE: I didn't think that much about it when he did it. Perhaps I'm wrong, but I believe I have seen Jericho make similar gestures in the past, although perhaps not as exaggerated as the ones Monday night.

A solid Raw. Bret is a total sellout for his lovefest with HBK. At least now he might stop whining about Montreal. It is a shame that Jericho looks like he is gone from Raw for good.

The problem with the show is that you need to have followed wrestling for 10-15 years in order to find it interesting. I started watching in 2007, and Bret Hart is someone I feel quite indifferent to. For me the episode was quite boring

RESPONSE FROM KE: That is a very valid point.

Best raw moment in years with hbk-hart segment. They didn't ramble on about the past we all know but got to the point while leaving a hint that we haven't seen the last of this confrontation. I hope everyone who wants a dx split is carefull what they wish for. If they do we will definatly see more of the same hhh champion stuff we have seen too often th the past. Plus hornswoggle isn't that bad. Dx keeps the main titles on other guys even if it is on the daywalker.

I'm definatly a santinoholic. The jessie ventura line was my favorite.

The bret vince confrontation was a bit weak but I think a full beatdown of either of them would kill the anticipation and its a long way to wm26.

For once we were given something worth our time to c on RAW. For once we had something to smile about on what has increasingly become a monotonous show. That hug important. It was a sign of maturity and how time has changed both men over the years bcoz lets face it Montreal hurt the world and somehow split HBK'S fan base in half. Bret did an oustanding guest host perfomance considering the emotion surrounding his return to the company that made him what he is today,the company where his brother died and the company that screwed him when he needed a much better send off. His POP was amazing and almost reminisent of his glory days. As for the Vince low-blow well, Vince will always be Vince guys. The lesser said the better. But that being said, Hart's return was the stuff dreams are made of. I mean, how else was WWE supposed to handle it considering the amount of influence that all the 3 men have on the business? I would have loved to c Bret in his pink and black attire though. The rest of the show was usual and that kickout from the starsomething by Shaemus was ill advised. But the night will be remember for the return of a legend who was looking 40 something the truth be told.

Personally I would have preferred it if once Bret extended his hand, and Michaels shook it, that McMahon ran out, rang the bell, and announced that Michaels had won the WWE's first "handshake Match" and presented HBK with Harts spot in the hall of fame. That way Bret could have called it "The Ohio screw job" and moaned about that for the next decade

"I suspect the “change of Hart” is more about a payday, a Hall of Fame induction for Hart’s father Stu Hart and a rumored Hart Foundation DVD than it is about closure."

That's a biy cynical. By all accounts, Bret doesn't need a payday as he's not Ric Flair or Hulk Hogan with his money. If WWE was willing to do a Bret DVD 4 years ago, I'm sure they would have negotiated a HF DVD and Stu Hart induction without Bret coming on TV.

Why can't it be closure? 4 years ago he felt comfortable doing HoF and a DVD but nothing more. Maybe now Bret feels that he's in a place where he can appear on WWE TV and participate in a storyline. Is it hypocritical given his previous statements? Of course, but the guy's human and I'm pretty sure we all have our flaws! Maybe 12 years is a long time to get over Montreal but I don't think you can really say "well you were right to be p---- for x years but after that you just need to get over it". In Bret's case, the guy's brother died in a stunt accident soon afterwards so I'm not surprised he continued to stay away from WWE (I'm not in any way blaming Vince for Owen's death - I'm just saying if we were in Bret's position, it would be hard to make nice with WWE soon after).

Then the WWE continued to reference Montreal every single year! So Bret wasn't the only one that didn't move on. Even Shawn, who has changed completely, spent an awful lot of pages in his autobiography being bitter at Bret.

My point is that Bret has flaws just like anyone and maybe he has carried some bitterness for too long. But perhaps we should be happy that the guy is able to put it behind him and participate in something that will entertain us. If you're not entertained, I think it's better to focus on critiquing his performance on TV (as a viewer) rather than judging his personal character - especially when none of us can really fathom what he's been through.

If have to disagree with the Sheamus haters here. While I think his push to the top is very premature (like Orton's and Cena's in past years), I think he has the ability and makings of a top guy. First, he's got the look that the WWE fans love -- big and brawny. He has decent ring skills and he doesn't sound horrible on the mic. If he doesn't implode, he could develop nicely. Personally, I would have rather seen another person get it, but please, Bourne? I love his ring work, but there is no way that he will ever get to the top belts on the two main shows. He is too small for most fans and the boss. He would just be squashed like Rey was as champ. It would just piss you all off, so why hope for it. And MVP? He is boring, sorry. Swagger could have been a good contender, but his mic work is worse than Sheamus' at this time. I still have high hopes for him, though. Anyway, here's hoping CM Punk gets the gold back this year. By far my favorite right now.

Wow what a amazing opening to Raw...It was just wonderful to see Hart and HBK standing face to face again....I thought that it was one of the best promo's i have seen for a long time and perhaps one that has had more truth than any other before...I really do hope they both have buried the hatchett and moved on...
I do not feel Bret is wrong for going back..I think when he said he'd never work for them again was made in anger and time has that way of healing all wounds...I knew he would make at least one more in ring appearance in WWE when he brought out the dvd....Final thought...4 months is a long time to build a Bret Vince feud at Mania..Bret Vs Vince at the Rumble..Bret feels after beating McMahon that he has one more match in him and that final match is against HBK at Mania....or is that just me...?.

I don't recall Bret ever "losing his smile" when it came to dropping a title like Shawn did.

Bret Hart is no more a hypocrite than Yogi Berra. After he had a falling out with George Steinbrenner in 1985 over his son Dale, Berra repeatedly vowed never to set foot in Yankee Stadium again.

Yet 14 years later, Berra indeed returned to Yankee Stadium for Old Timer's Day and has come back many times since. Something about healing old wounds. Besides his grandkids had never seen him in uniform. But if you want to call Yogi a hypocrite then please be my guest.

RESPONSE FROM KE: George didn't screw Yogi; Yogi screwed Yogi.

So you do previews and reviews of WWE PPVs and not TNA's. Now you tape Impact and watch Raw even though Impact came on an hour before? Why don't you just call this blog WWE Ring Posts because you are clearly biased toward WWE?

Kev, absolutly on the mark with the "who cares" rant!
A top tier wrestler, like HHH makes well over 3 million a year. If "The Chairman" says you lose the title tonight to Hornswaggle, you sell it for all you are worth. I love Brett, but so what!
Also, its a sextagon in the TNA, and its great to see all my old favorites on the same show, even if they are all over 70 years old!

James said:
The tough part is it's hard to tell where the line blurs between an angle and the truth.

The same can be said about the characters -- where does HBK end and Michael Higginwhatever begin.

Case in point:
When Hart was "summoning" McMahon in the opening segment, he called him Vince, even Vinnie once, if I'm not mistaken. But in the closing segment, not a single time (again if I'm not mistaken). Vince was "Mr. McMahon" to the extreme at that point!

Even though WWE didn't use Bret the right way all throughout the show, and even though TNA had more suprises, TNA still has a long way to go. WWE still has a lot of fans, they don't need any surprises as of the moment, but I agree that they should improve their storylines especially if TNA is improving theirs.

I am a huge Jericho-holic, but seeing him lose was worth it in order to see him destroy Hornswaggle with that kick. I kept rewinding and replaying that, the greatest RAW moment ever!

I got the feeling - and maybe this was intended - that the whole thing felt like it was put together five minutes before broadcast. When Brett called out Vince and got no response - it was so awkward. Then they had Vince say, "I was in a meeting - I wasn't watching" - God whether that was real or not - it was stupid. The crotch kick at the end seemed like it was put together midway through the show.

I don't think there's any hypocrisy involved. It's true Stu's induction and the DVD helped things but Bret has eased his position gradually over the years..so it's not overnight.

You write, "George didn't screw Yogi; Yogi screwed Yogi."

I'm sure you'll attend an Orioles-Yankees game at Yankee Stadium and say that aloud in the right field bleachers.

RESPONSE FROM KE: It was a joke. I couldn't care less about either one of them.

"If have to disagree with the Sheamus haters here. While I think his push to the top is very premature (like Orton's and Cena's in past years)"

Why do people think Cena's push was premature? He started on smackdown with his rapper gimmick was a mid-carder for nearly three years. He had one mini-push when he won a tournament to be the number one contender for Lesnar's title, he lost in a fairly decent match, then continued to be a midcarder till his face turn at Survivor series. After which he won the US title from Big Show at WM then waited a year to get his first World title run the next year when he defeated JBL.

Many people seem to forget that Cena was the Doctor of Thuganomics for 3 years before the "Champ" showed up.

As much as I have not been a fan of Cena's since he dropped his rap gimmick. He still did pay his dues. He debuted in 2002 and won the title in 2005 that is 3 years not three months like Sheamus. Even Goldberg had to wait longer for his first world title run than Sheamus did.

You think the wrestlemania angle could be the old billionaire vs billionare angle. ie my team vs your. The hart Dynasty vs Legacy(just a guess)
This could aslo be the catalyst for the HHH HBK feud. Mcmahon as DX to be his team but shawn refuses, Triple gets upset saying shawn is ruining...something.
Jus remember if it happens Anon said it first.

RESPONSE FROM KE: I don't think you're the first to say that Hart's presence on the show could lead to a DX split.

A HBK mark complaining abt Hart not agreeing to drop the title....does "losing your smile" count as a good reason?
Michael is such a piece of work

RESPONSE FROM KE: Losing your smile, faking injuries and refusing to lose in Canada are all lame excuses in my opinion. Michaels definitely was a piece of work in the mid-to-late 90s. He was the master at weaseling his way out of putting people over and dropping titles, and he deserves all the criticism he gets for his actions. However, one big difference between Michaels' situations and Hart's is that Michaels was not LEAVING FOR THE COMPETITION (which was kicking WWE's butt at the time). Hart has always portrayed himself as a traditionalist and a real pro, yet he ended up doing exactly what he criticized Shawn for doing. The best way to show Michaels he was the better man and more mature of the two would have been to do exactly what he was asked to do. Instead, he showed that he was just as petty as Michaels. Two wrongs don't make a right, you know.

Just for the sake of debate, but Bret was leaving because Vince screwed him on his contract before he screwed him in Montreal. If Michaels contract had come up and Vince didn't come close to the money Eric offered him, then he would have walked too.

I don't see the big deal to saying "Vince, I'll drop the belt any other night, any way you want." He could have just Scott Hall'd the whole ppv if he was going to screw with Vince. Brett made Vince a lot of money and I feel like choosing Montreal of all the dates was probably quite intentional as someone who has seen what Vince has put his employees through just for his perverse enjoyment (Trish barking, take your pick from what he's done to JR on air, everyone jobs in front of their hometown, the Kiss My Ass Club, etc).

The other thing that came to mind about the hypocrisy of Hart coming back at all after what he said is that the man had a stroke. It could be all about the money, but there is something to be said about the impact of a stroke on emotion control and memory. Not to mention putting life into perspective.

I'm not even a big Bret mark really. I just hate to see the guy get bashed.

Massive Bret Hart Fan!!!! Have sat here for last hour reading every post before mine, and found all othem quite interesting and entriguing.

I have watched wrestling w/ shadows, survivor series 97, and heaps of footage and stories about Montreal.

I have to say Raw was Good! 6/10

Best part was Bret/Shawn Confrontation, might have been worked/scripted whatever.

Regardless this moment on RAW will be forever one of the single GREATEST moments in the HISTORY of PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING.

Bigger than Hogan going to TNA/WCW/ WHATEVER

Hogan is an old school who couldnt wrestle but had unbeleivable Charisma, Do you think ANDRE really wanted to lose to Hogan at WM, who knows/who cares.

All that matters is the THE BEST THERE IS, THE BEST THERE WAS, AND THE BEST THERE EVER WILL BE,

Has finally returned to to the place thast made him, after all the BULL----, that happened.

Thankyou Bret for the memories and this historic moment...

IMO, If Bret started in WCW or AWA back in the day he wouldn't have been a superstar wrestler, never would have had the contract offer WCW gave him. Vince did for him what Vince did for Austin and many others WCW didn't know to do with. Funny how things work, Bret leaving WWF probably was the biggest reason they started killing Nitro again!

If he didn't leave no way Stone Cold gets over in St Louis(too close to Manitoba). I'm not a HBK fan, just a wrestling fan. Hitman, great in-ring wrestler, just another selfish main-eventer trying to protect his being not the industry's being.

Judging by this week's "war" the selfishness of a decade ago has killed wrestling's future. Jericho's the only guy in WWE that takes legitimate 1-2-3 falls for anyone. Cena,Orton,HHH,HBK,and Big Show. Way too may guys(on raw alone) to have be unbeatable. Without Jericho WWE wouldn't have one interesting performer appearing in the last half hour of any of their crap filled shows.

RESPONSE FROM KE: I don't think you're the first to say that Hart's presence on the show could lead to a DX split.

That true i was taking more about how the Hart Vince feud will go. Its either a team vs team match to give some younger guys wrestlemania exposure or something horrible

I hate that when a person changes their mind, we like to mark it has hypocritical or flip flopping.

Maybe he's just realized that things change. Whether those things are his age/maturity, his money is his bank account, or whatver, I don't think its hypocritical to change your mind.

In then, I think this works out to be a dissapointment, anyway,

FWIW, TNA was a better show than Raw, and I don't even watch Raw.

Kev, you and the other bloggers I've read seem to just put over Raw as decent because Bret Hart was on, and your nostaligia or something. Fact is, it was a s----- show.

The Sheaus Push looks to be a mistake if he won't do a program with anyone and they're going to Bury someone like Evan Bourne.

The only redeeming quality of Raw is legacy, but they are buried somewhere in the mid-card with no belts to speak of. What sense does that make?

Same for Kofi! The next logical match would be a 3 way between Kofi, Orton, and Sheamus that prehaps starts a Kofi / Orton fued over the belt. Or if the belt can't be involved, you need to get back to making it personal.

Anyway, RAW was crap monday. Period. Saying anything less to me shows a marked bias.

RESPONSE FROM KE: Instead of a marked bias, is there any chance it could be a difference of opinion? Nah, couldn't be that.

Chris Jericho, first undisputed champ or not, is annoying and sucks as much now as he ever did. Glad he's gone for good (hopefully), b/c I don't watch SmackDown or ECW. Enjoyed the opening segment of RAW, thought the hug was a bit disingenuous as mentioned by others, and thought the segment with Mr. McMahon was also not the best it should have been considering 12 years later. Sheamus is the man, but not enough to where he should already be the champ. Hornswoggle actually being in DX in any capacity... wtf... why does that guy even have a contract???

TNA actually has ring action more than WWE, but using all the "old names" i.e. Hall, Nash, Waltman, Ric Flair, etc... what a bunch of crap.

IMO. Looking forward to all the hate mail responses.

Kev, I'm well aware it was a joke. I was retorting with sarcasm.

Listen here, folks:
Bret was wrong in 1997, and Shawn was wrong in 1997. Both men saw things from their respective points of view at the time - they hated each other and weren't willing to budge about putting the other over and it wasn't just all about this 1 infamous match - there were several opportunities for either man to grow up and just do it - and just as many refusals, so both men ultimately caused the whole debacle- and - leaving the company or not, I've always understood that the golden rule was you NEVER refuse to do a job - no matter WHAT the circumstances are, so on that note, no man was more wrong than the other - but I have to say, admittedly as a Hart fan and supporter, at least Hart didn't feign injury to [as you so succinctly put it, Kev ] "weasel" out of doing it. Now, despite having said that, I am also a huge HBK fan, his in-ring work and genius cannot be denied as he's been nothing but athletically brilliant his entire career.
On another note, HHH' s saying that he hopes the Hart angle flops is just as bad for the business, speaking of hypocrites - if you ask me, his issues with Bret Hart that obviously stem from '97 and Montreal carry no weight and have no meaning at all, they're non-issue and his opinion of Hart doesn't amount to s---, as he himself was nothing but a young, arrogant, unproven, a---kissing parrot-mascot for HBK and the Kliq in those days, anyway - despite the fine performer he has since become (even IF we've seen too much of him and his million-plus championships over the years and are doomed to continue to see....)

Those are my thoughts on the matter.

Raw the other night was great for me to see Shawn and Bret bury the hatchet - even if it wasn't 100% heartfelt by either man, I think the healing has at least begun. We all know Bret and Vince put most of it behind them years ago and that their onscreen feud is merely storyline fluff.

Ultimately, I think TNA will tank like WCW did, as they seem to be attacking the WWE much in the same way WCW did in the original MNW's, although for a while, I think it'll make for some interesting television.

Peace, everyone.

Well let me just say, everything HBK said about the montreal thing was always in the ring and in front of the whole world. But Hart on the other hand cried on every possible shoulder that there was to offer since then. He carried the bitterness in him for far too long. We wanted to quit WWE and that too with his own terms and conditions. Thats nothing less than Warrior putting a gun into McMahon's head for a pay rise. What Michales did that night was very much needed for WWE's future in the battle against WCW. Michaels did what any loyal employee would do for his company (to say the least he even risked his own life that night).
Bret Hart is and has always been a great wrestler and performer. But on personal front he has some serious issues. He carried his bitterness towards Michaels even upto his Hall of Fame induction ceremony. The 'fallen hero' persona didnt quite work bret. Now for a change quit whining all the time and give something back to the wrestling fans that made you!

Miz's new theme is indeed awesome!

us developed fans need to remember that probably more than half of the fans making wwe money right now were not even born/able to watch wrestling 'back in the day(s)'
so i am interesting to see what they all thought of the show?
hopefully the 2 minute video package was enough to warp them into the show '12 years in the making'

a little of the same kinda goes for TNA -
WWEs show was in a way made for its older fans, but they had to put on the usual (in my opinion) boring product for the rest of their fan base.

TNA i think just went all out, it kicked off any chance of young new fans watching the show - bringing in all these guys who cant offer anything in future weeks, and just give a big night of entertainment to older fans.
although bringing in jeff hardy - is something major, he has heaps of young fans who wont 'switch' to TNA, but will atleast tune in, as most probably dont even know of his real life problems, etc

ultimatley, we have a good year of wrestling ahead of us :)

Hey Kev, we all that the Sheamus push is too soon but its happening so lets just roll with it.
I think the WWE tried to put the reason why Sheamus kicked out of Air Bourne was becuase he jumped the gun and did it too early. As if to say that just because you play your strongest card early doesnt mean you will win quickly.

I'm glad that TNA have made moves to compete with the WWE as it can only be good for the wrestling business. But at this time I feel the WWE still have the superior show. Impact sometimes seems shoddy and confusing, whilst the WWE has a structure which leads to more memorable moments when they come along (like HBK/Hart segment on Monday).

As for the talk about surprises on Impact (like Jeff Hardy), these are good and do add to a show, but they can't happen week after week. The biggest surprise of all is that Bret Hart is actually working WWE shows again. It'll be NO surprise at all if Triple H and HBK face off at wrestlemania, yet most fans would want to see it.

TNA have great wrestlers, i just hope they continue to be utilised to make it a top show, if not the WWE will walk all over TNA eventually.

"We wanted to quit WWE and that too with his own terms and conditions. Thats nothing less than Warrior putting a gun into McMahon's head for a pay rise"

__________________________________

Bret did not want to quit WWE. He turned down WCW's offer of 2.8 million per year, an offer WWE couldn't match, and re-signed with WWE out of loyalty to McMahon. Shorty thereafter, Vince informed Bret that the company couldn't afford to pay him, so they could either pay him the promised money on the back end of the twenty-year contract, or they could let Bret out of the contract altogether. Bret didn't try to rascal anything out of Vince. With that being said, Bret was rewarded for his loyalty by Shawn rubbing banana in his face and insulting his father at the announce table, so at THAT point in time, maybe he really did want to quit.

How can people not mention the Miz? His comment about Mark Henry was awesome 'Mark Henry should be on the biggest loser. He is fat and he is a loser'

My friend texted me the best description of Bret & HBK on Monday: "That hug was more awkward than the kiss between michael n lisa marie!"

I AM LOVING THIS BLOG!!!!!