WWE NEWS: Report - WWE had to change Raw mid-show due to RawActive polling (w/Analysis)
WWE reportedly had to change their Raw line-up mid-show due to legit RawActive poll results.
According to the Wrestling Observer, WWE expected Randy Orton to win the poll to face C.M. Punk. However, Chris Jericho won the poll - with a majority of votes - which meant Orton and Jericho had to switch opponents.
Orton, who was originally scheduled to face Punk, went on to face Wade Barrett yet again. This also meant Jericho, was originally scheduled to face Barrett, had to face Punk in a match WWE laid out mid-show.
Punk vs. Jericho turned out to be the best match of the show, but it meant Jericho had to take a loss his second week back on television because Punk needs to look strong heading into a re-match against The Rock at the Elimination Chamber PPV.
The original plan reportedly called for Jericho to beat Barrett and for Punk to beat Orton, so it turned out that Jericho "lost" by winning the poll and Orton "won" by not winning the poll since he beat Barrett clean with the RKO.
Caldwell's Analysis: Stories like this make you wonder if WWE pays attention to their own booking since a reasonable person would have expected Jericho to win the poll. First, Orton has been treated like a nice, adequate, semi-Superstar doing pretty much nothing as far as an actual program goes since returning from injury. So, he has nothing to sink his teeth into and he wants to turn heel, which means his "vote for me" promo would not excite anyone to vote for him. Second, Jericho was brought back for a short-term run, had a huge reaction at the Rumble, and had a great return promo last week on Raw. Plus, Jericho tweeted mid-Raw to encourage more votes.
But, the majority of WWE's TV booking centers on short-term, fast-food, quick items to fill three hours of Raw every week and to keep the live audience interested. So, Jericho would obviously win the voting - if it's legit - because WWE has conditioned their audience to ask, "Okay, what's next?" since WWE acts like ancient history is what happened three weeks ago on Raw. To WWE's audience, Jericho is "now" and Orton is "then," just like WWE has conditioned them to respond, which is why it's odd that WWE would have expected Orton to win the poll when they haven't treated him like a big deal in months.
_________________ The Hawk wrote: There is not a damned thing wrong with people who are bull shitters.
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