So after this month I'm going to try a 2007 television thread for us and see how it goes.

That's a good idea. It'll be a fun thread to look back on when 2007 is over too.

Possible Raw spoiler:

Ok, so that ECW show was flat. worse than Pepsi left open for three days. Now all I have to watch is TNA and the CM Punk match on Hardcore Hangover

Too bad Heyman isn't around anymore, or given the book. The smartest angle possible would be to keep booking "#1 Contender matches" with Big Show and some scrub (Shannon Moore?) to keep giving him title matches until he wins it back, then build up to WM 23.

Sorry, using my brain here.

Real angle: Nothing.

Whatever happens with ECW does look interesting with these all these changes and everything. I don't have a problem with Lashley being ECW Champ either. Lashley/Show was good and Bobby's turned out to be pretty good this year. With all of this going on, Vince has managed to spark interest in this show, even if it was from stupid moves (aside from Lashley's title win).

I have to say I watched Smackdown for the first time since the summer yesterday. Great show and hopefully Michael Hayes gets a long run as the main booker for that show. It's rare that a WWE show actually feels like a wrestling show these days.

I'm getting DVR soon, and Smackdown's one thing that I'm looking forward to taping

Was it just me or was there much more wrestling on Raw last night than usual? It looks to me like Smackdown's recent success hasn't gone unnoticed after all.

Recent success? That show's been hot all year. I wouldn't know if you're right or not though since I don't watch Raw.

By recent success, I mean "ratings" and that people are finally giving it kudos rather than shitting all over it, which tends to happen even when Smackdown is going through a hot phase. It only took the majority of the year, but people can finally admit to liking the show without the fear of persecution.

But yeah, Raw did feel a lot more like Smackdown than usual last night. It had numerous matches that went longer than they typically would. I'm not alone in this thinking, I've heard the same sentiments echoed back to me on other boards.

I think one of the reasons for Smackdown's lower ratings, especially from spring to fall, was that some UPN stations had baseball on Friday nights, which would move Smackdown to Saturday.

Moving it to Fridays didn't help either.

I stand by my statement that losing Velocity was the best thing to ever happen to Smackdown. Thanks to that move, they have no choice but to be smarter about booking the shows, meaning no one can be buried on it for ages. I know right now Jamie Noble and a few others keep getting stuck working the dark match or flat out jobbing, but at least it's on the main show now.

Tried to watch ECW last night. Fell asleep midway through and apparently missed something with Khali and Tommy Dreamer.

The big 3-way with Test, RVD and Sabu was actually pretty good... but the concept was a tough sell, considering the voting gimmick. Didn't make sense to have all 3 guys in a pointless contest where the outcome has no real meaning (other than to set up "Test will run in during the main event in two weeks"). Logic in Wrestling and all that.

From the Things I Think About File: Wouldn't a guy named "Test" be the perfect heavy/enforcer for a guy with a school teacher gimmick?

Lashley has a good look, but needs to work on his vocal delivery. I can envision a promo where he says "so, umm... Test, I'm going to try and kick your butt tonight. If that's okay with you and you have no real objections. Otherwise, I suppose that's cool... but it might be a swell match here in WWE, err...ECW.".