Hey, Remember How Great We Used To Be? (RAW 15th Anniversary Show)

I don't write here too much these days, mainly because whatever spare time I have to write about wrestling online is going towards Inside Pulse. That, and I have my rampant video game addiction to keep up. And I even occassionally go to work! So, yeah, kind of pressed for time. That said, the WWE had a couple of things all internet wrasslin' wags are required to write about, and who am I to shirk that duty?

So, yeah, that RAW 15th Anniversary Show; it sure did a good job reminding you how fun the show used to be, and how much it isn't, by and large, now. I mean, sure, Scott Keith said it better because, you know, he's Scott Fucking Keith, but I think that's another thing you have to mention when writing about this. It was pure nostalgia, but what the hell else do you ask from an anniversary show. There was all of the requisite "Hey, it's __" moments, from a totally surprising RVD appearence to Tammy Sytch being really, really hot again. On a further libidinous note, I have to begrudingly agree with Papa Smark and say that Trish looked borderline unhealthy but retirement seems to agree with Lita (by the way, her punk band's coming down here; I'm not going, but it's happening).

All of the fun bits aside (I think Mike Shaw may have been more svelte than Tammy, especially compared to his Bastion Booger days), it is hard to escape how much the current product pales in comparison to the best moments, even keeping in mind the fact that nostalgia is so intoxicating because you're only think about the best times, and not remembering that there was a whole heap load of medicore crap endemic to WWE even in their best days. Their were two title matches and a main event caliber six man that all felt rushed, but the matches were beyond the point. I dunno, it was a fun show, but kind of depressing when compared to the current product, even for someone like myself who finds it not totally without merit these days.

Oh yeah, there's also a PPV today, but I think it's telling that they ran the big anniversary show in lieu of doing a hype job on it this week. It is, after all, Armageddon, which always feels like the least important show of the year, due to its placement at the end of the year and before the Royal Rumble and the beginning of the Road to Wrestlemania. This year isn't terribly different, although at least they're trying harder than TNA did with their December offering, which would have made a good Impact.

There are some matches I have a decent interest in; HBK vs. Kennedy foremost among them, just to see how much working with Shawn will do with the Annoited One (or annoying one) of up and coming young guys. Khali vs. Finaly is on a similar, if even more extreme, level of "how good a match can the veteran get out of the new-ish guy." MVP and Rey have shown good chemistry in the past, although the fact that they've had a couple good, long-ish matches on Smackdown dissuades me from paying money to see them. I'm sure the title matches and Hardy vs. the Hs will be solid at the least, too. Kane and Punk vs. Men on a Mission 2K7 is the only real stinker announced so far (not the least of which because Matt Stryker is no Moe), but that's to expected as long as ECW's a repository for guys who don't get over. It actually sounds like a better than average card; I just don't want to pay money for it. My priorities are elsewhere anyway; it is the season of giving, after all. So, when I am being a selfish prick and spending my money on myself insted of others, I want it to be on something better than an WWE PPV.