WWE Monday Night RAW, 23rd December 2013: Superstar Ratings

WWE

The WWE pulled off another themed show this week with a Christmas edition Raw. The show seemed to be mainly focused on the younger breed of fans since it showcased many gimmicky matches and angles that made no sense what so ever to the traditional fans.

The writers also seemed to be on vacation as none of the storylines were moved during the show. But there was plenty of in ring action for the fans to be happy about. Some high pace tag team bouts and surprisingly solid singles match, all made the show less painful and made most of us forget the comic part of the whole thing.

Most of the superstars also had a good outing this week and here is a look at how the roster faired on the latest edition of WWE’s flagship show.

Mark Henry and Damien Sandow – 1

Mark Henry and Damien Sandow

There is no point in wasting time writing two separate ratings for these guys. Henry and Sandow was clearly the scape goats of a pathetic angle that the creative pulled off to put some smile on the face of some children.

Two of the gifted guys in the business running around in Santa costumes were more than painful and can only be classified as

wasted talent.

Natalya- 2

Natalya

The heart and soul of the Divas division, AJ Lee had to settle in the commentary this week and witness a stupid match that featured all the other divas.

The match only had some divas dresses in skimpy Christmas dress with nothing else to show. Easily among the worst matches of the year, Natalya makes into the ratings because she got the decisive pin in between the whole division. None of the other even deserves to be ranked but AJ Lee was more than charismatic with the microphone also which stamps her status as the top diva in the company.

Dolph Ziggler- 3

Dolph Ziggler

Ziggler has been transformed successfully into a jobber from his previous push as a main eventer. He is currently a stepping stone for anyone who wants a shot at the mid card titles.

Despite being technically sound and having the fans behind him, Ziggler is being victimized by the bad booking tactics with the latest loss of Fandango being another nail in the coffin.

Curtis Axel- 5

Curtis Axel

The match with Sin Cara was one of those prime examples for the fact that Axel is well groomed when it comes to in ring performance.

Axel seems in good shape, but his character still lacks the verbal skill which was earlier provided by Paul Heyman. Despite getting a loss, Axel put on an excellent performance which is far better compared to the previous weeks.

Kofi Kingston- 5

Kofi Kingston

Kofi seems to be lost from his previous feud with The Miz and was in a brief encounter with Ryback at Raw. Kofi is always entertaining to watch but a randomly put match never makes the crowd roar.

A defeat didn’t help Kofi either as he will be looking for a new direction if he is to stay in the limelight.

Ryback- 5

Ryback

The rollercoaster ride of Ryback continues in the company. Couple of weeks back he was seen teamed with Curtis Axel fighting for the tag team titles and now he is seen smashing Kofi Kingston like he never knew Axel.

The win works well for almost all the wrestlers but Ryback is someone who is not a stranger to the inconsistency that he suffers in the booking.

Fandango – 6

Fandango

Though Fandango earned himself a title shot after winning the pole match against Dolph Ziggler, there weren’t much to be happy about in terms of performance and crowd backing.

The silly stipulation cost dearly for both the stars and didn’t have much hype though it had a lot at stakes.it could be a foundation for a better push for Fandango but the WWE should look into his matches which are falling down in quality.

The Real Americans- 6

The Real Americans

The highly rated tag team looked credible as a challenger for the tag titles last week but fell hard this time around when they hit on the Los Matadors.

Though they lost the match, the technical performance inside the ring was consistent as always with Cesaro’s swing being one of the main attractions.

Los Matadors- 6

Los Matadors

The energetic pairing was out of the spotlight for some time but came back with a bang with a win over the Real Americans.

However, the comedic nature of the team still doesn’t put them over as title contenders. But the matadors are good for the eye and give some fast paced exciting action when called upon.

Rhodes Brothers – 6

Rhodes Brothers

The case of the Tag team champions is actually a bit complicated. They are holding one of the most coveted titles in the business but still pick up defeats on weekly shows on a regular basis.

They might be winning on pay-per-views and retaining the titles but the champs are still yet to show the consistency that a true champion would have.

Daniel Bryan – 7

Daniel Bryan

From the looks of it, Bryan is all set on a mission to avoid joining the Wyatt family. The flying goat went head to head in a 6 man tag team match and showed why the fans love him.

The intensity that Bryan brings into the ring still is unmatched by anyone on the present roster and he deserves credit for setting the bar high even when he is losing.

The Usos- 7

The Usos

Usos snatched a win against the Primetime players in a fair manner and is building some momentum as they head closer to Royal Rumble.

Another go at the Tag team titles looks ready on the card. But with such a vast division nothing could be predicted before it actually happens.

The Primetime players- 7

Prime time players

The team from the bottom reaches of the tag team division came and gave a crisp match against the Usos. Both the superstars shined even in defeat.

They also made it clear that everyone one has their eyes set on the prize rather than fighting it out for nothing

Sin Cara -7

Fresh push

The winning run of Sin Cara continued at the expense of Curtis Axel this week. The gimmick has been flourishing ever since Hunico started wearing the mask and he even gave a promo which saw the character talk for the first time.

The verbal addition hints at a potential bigger push for him which would be similar to that of what Rey Mysterio got before a few years. a win in a solid match again put Sin Cara in the driving seat with momentum and might be headed for a good match in WrestleMania.

The Wyatt Family- 8

Wyatt Family

Another solid Raw for the Wyatt family clearly shows how much the stable has grown after being called up from NXT. The dangerous combo of in ring brilliance and scary promos is making them stand out from the rest.

And unlike old school heels, the Wyatts don’t cheat to win also which further increases their market value. Another win over the tag team champions and the fan favorite only acts as a cherry on top.

The Shield- 8

The Shield

Another great performance from the Shield was showcased when they went up against three of the most hyped names in the business at the moment.

The trio stood out even in a tainted loss and Roman Reigns in particular was the pick from the lot. He pulled of some powerful moves and grounded his opponents and substantiated why the company has decided to give him some great push.

John Cena – 8

John Cena

Cena once again gets caught up in the match with Shield and showed no signs of challenging for a rematch for the title.

A disqualification win doesn’t help him much but being involved in such a match looks great on the resume and the sells he did were more than what the fans bargained for.

CM Punk- 8

CM Punk

Punk and Cena were overshadowed most of the time as Roman Reigns and Big E Langston was involved in the match.

Punk still gave a solid performance and proved that the fans still are behind him to go up against the Authority. The Shield feud need not be continued as it has already served its purpose.

Big E Langston- 9

Big E Langston

The main event was all about the push that was given to Roman Reigns and Big E Langston. The other wrestlers would only serve the purpose of extras who adds the ingredients to make the main characters look good.

Langston stood tall in last week’s SmackDown and followed it by another impressive performance this week. So Langston arguably is the best superstar of the week for his heroics.