Your RAW Rev Up for 9/9/2013 - 24K GOLD Edition… Hello Wrestling fans, it’s Monday, and you know what that means. It’s time to get ready for Monday Night RAW, and no one gets you ready for RAW more than Shield Army. With only 6 days remaining until Night Of Champions, it should be an explosive show filled with last minute bookings and twists for the various title matches. And you may have heard a certain legend is showing up tonight as well to shatter some dreams… As always, here’s what you need to know before the show, let’s get Revved Up. Did Night Of Champions sneak up on anyone else, or is this just me? Well anyway, it’s this weekend, and to be honest, WWE still has a ton of booking to do in less than a week. Although SmackDown has really stepped it’s game up in recent weeks, we all know that most of the action and decision making goes down on RAW. With that said, look for Maddox, Guerrero, & of course Hunter, to do some pretty heavy booking tonight. As we speak there are only 4 matches officially confirmed for the Pay-Per-View which puts every title on the line. Except for the IC title, because Curtis Axel is going nowhere and CM Punk is way above that title, but that’s another article all together. So far we know that AJ Lee will defend her Divas title in a fatal 4 way match with Brie Bella, Funkadactyl Naomi, and Natalya. Punk will get his chance to get revenge on Heyman in an elimination handicap match (non-title on Night Of Champions shows how far the IC title has fallen since Axel won it) and Alberto Del Rio will defend the Heavyweight Championship of the World against crowd favorite Rob Van Dam. And of course, the main event for the evening is WWE Champion Randy Orton defending the title he stole from Daniel Bryan at SummerSlam. Before we go to crazy about those booked matches, let’s remember this isn’t a prediction piece, it’s the RAW Rev Up, so let’s focus on how RAW can fill the rest of that card that’s not nearly deep enough yet. It appears obvious that the US Title will be defended by Dean Ambrose against The Show Off, Dolph Ziggler. This evokes mixed emotions in most wrestling fans, as many have a very strong opinion on Ziggler one way or another. Some believe he is undersized and not quite polished enough. That group is dwindling every week however, as Dolph continues to show that he has the in-ring and talking skills to be a big time star for WWE. Ziggler supporters, such as myself, believe the man is good enough to be WWE Champion, and at the very least deserves more than to be in a match for a title that is seemingly lower than mid-card at this point. Don’t get me wrong, Dean Ambrose & Dolph Ziggler has the potential to be the match of the night and steal the show, but Dean has done nothing to elevate the United States Championship, and Ziggler was the World Heavyweight Champion just a few months ago. Rumors are that WWE is unhappy with Ziggler backstage over comments he’s made in interviews, but that is a frustrating explanation as to why this potential mega-star is being held down so severely. Regardless, look for that match to be officially booked tonight by Triple H. Don’t be surprised if something gimmicky is revealed for the fight either, did somebody say Ziggler/Ambrose ladder match? Yes, please. With the WWE, World Heavyweight, & Divas Titles booked, and the IC title not on the line because it is wasted on Curtis Axel, the Tag Team Championship is the only title we haven’t discussed at this point. My sources have informed me that the original plan was for Mark Henry & Big Show to face Reigns & Rollins for their straps, but a hamstring injury to Henry has derailed that train, at least for the time being. If Henry is cleared to go that may still be an option, but the recent abuse to Big Show would suggest that he will have a fight of his own on his giant hands at Night of Champions. I expect a surging Prime Time Players or perhaps the USO’s to fill the massive shoes of Henry/Show when it comes time to book The Shield’s title defense. Don’t rule out a curveball being thrown regarding the tag titles either. Maybe Big Show will be punished by facing Rollins & Reigns by himself in a handicap title match. It may not sound fair or the best possible option for the tag title defense, but isn’t this exactly the kind of thing you could see Triple H doing to show who’s really in charge around here? In many ways SummerSlam feels like a lifetime ago. Orton & Bryan have had so many confrontations since that fateful August night, and the New Corporation’s reign of terror has already established itself so much. On the other hand, the fact that a PPV is this weekend really came out of nowhere, and it’s already time to gear up for another premiere WWE event. Night Of Champions has really became a fan favorite show, and the idea of every title (except Curtis Axel’s wasted IC Title, of course) being on the line is a great foundation for a Pay-Per-View. A night that big deserves more than a rushed set up, and to be honest having Bryan face the new Corporate Champion this soon may be a mistake. Do many fans believe that this whole idea is to put the belt ‘back’ on Bryan and have him be a huge underdog story who finally got his revenge? Yes. Does anyone really expect him to do it this soon, to win ‘back’ the WWE Title from Triple H’s ‘face of the company’ after only a few weeks? No, not at all. Perhaps this would be a night where Bryan could face Big Show in a tables match or something of that nature. Show could be in a very Cody Rhodes like situation, where if he refuses to fight Bryan in a tables match, he’ll be fired. If Bryan doesn’t win, he can’t fight for the title, something like that. WWE has made it clear that the story here is that Daniel Bryan is going to have a long, grueling road to the WWE Title, and it needs to be careful how many PPV main events along the way are Bryan/Orton. Even the best matches can become stale, and when Bryan has his retribution moment, it should feel fresh and exciting. He’s earned that. Also on RAW tonight, look for potential mid-card performers to throw their hat in the Night Of Champions ring. Wrestlers like Wade Barrett, Ryback, Kofi Kingston, Fandango, Miz, Mark Henry, USO’s, PTP’s, Christian, and especially Money in the Bank briefcase holder Damien Sandow, are still floating around without a spot on the big time PPV. Will all these men find their way into the show, of course not. However that’s too talented a list to leave everyone off, especially on a card that only has 6 guaranteed matches, because that’s how many titles WWE has. Usually a PPV of this level has an 8 match set list. Expect Brad Maddox to come up with a creative option to incorporate more talent. Perhaps a 4-way dance for Sandow’s briefcase? As long as it’s not Miz vs Barrett or Fandango again I’m ok with it. Seriously WWE, how many times can we see that match? You may have noticed that this is the 24K Edition of the RAW Rev Up. Do you know why? It’s because something truly amazing is happening tonight, the Son of the American Dream, the half brother of Cody Rhodes, GOLDUST will be competing on Monday Night Raw this evening, against WWE Champion Randy Orton on top of it all. I am a huge supported of Dustin Rhodes (Goldust). In the Attitude Era, WWF was loaded with talent. Guys that were mid-carders then could have been main eventers today. Wrestlers like Ken Shamrock, Val Venis, and Test were all former Intercontinental Champions that were only at that level because The Rock, Triple H, Undertaker, Kane, Mankind, and Stone Cold Steve Austin were simply too big to not be the stars of the show. Goldust may have been weird, unconventional, and overall gimmicky, but the man’s talent is undeniable. Rhodes comes from a strong Wrestling background, and his in-ring work was as sound as his microphone skills were unsettling. He was in total control of an over the top character that no one could have played better. Goldust was unpredictable, exciting, and just plain fun. Under of all the feathers and wigs however, was a very talented Professional Wrestler, and former Intercontinental Champion. With a WWF roster LOADED with talent, Goldust found his niche and success. A very impressive feat when you really think about it. I’m a big time supporter of Dustin Rhodes & the Goldust character, and fans should be in for a real treat tonight with the return of the head of 24K Productions. Will he beat Randy tonight? I think we all know that’s a stretch. Will he entertain fans and put on a quality Wrestling match? You bet your ass he will. I think this is a great move by WWE, an honest surprise when that’s tough to do in modern Wrestling, and a huge treat for the fans. Good booking Hunter. With only 6 days left until Night Of Champions, all 3 hours of RAW should be action packed in order to fill, and hype the show. WWE knows how to insert a swerve or exciting new element on the last RAW before a Pay-Per-View, and with the new energy and momentum the company has found, tonight should be no different. Stick with us through the night as we live-tweet RAW, and make sure you stick with Shield Army for all of your Pro Wrestling news, rumors, and discussions. And of course, enjoy the *breathes deeply* oooooooooooooo, Goldust *bite* -I’m Jason Moltov
Posted on: Mon, 09 Sep 2013 17:11:03 +0000
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