Welcome back the the revitalized Phat Daily Column. I BELIEVE that I'm in a groove, in which I can produce these babies without taking any days off. At least I think so, unless something comes up, or if the few summer courses that I take start annoying me. Right now, I'm taking a wonderful math called Differential Equations, which could make me blow my lid.
Today, we'll serve up some Daily Apples, which will include the actual RAW ratings analysis. Good thing I was able to bullshit my way through yesterday's column, cause I would have been hurting otherwise. The ratings for RAW are indeed in, and we'll take our usual look at the numbers to sense any improvement in the show's viewership.
I'm struggling to write a longer introduction, so on to the PDC.
RAW Ratings Analysis
First Hour: 3.8
Second Hour: 4.6
Composite: 4.2
Composite Last Week: 4.1
Composite Last Year: 5.8
Hey, RAW went up this week!!! After a many week free fall after the post Wrestlemania RAW, we are finally seeing an improvement. Well, if you know some statistics, you could say this number is NOT statistically significant from 4.1, if you know the standard deviation. I just may throw all of the WWF ratings from when WCW Nitro ended and from then on in Excel to make really good judgments on whether the WWF is REALLY improving or not, or if it's a percentage error in the rating measured.
Ah, screw that technical crap. Let's just jump for joy that the WWF improved this week in the ratings, as we see the numbers before us. Works for me. The second hour helped the WWF, for the surprise of Diamond Dallas Page showing up, jacked the show up pretty nicely. I hope that serves as a lesson that a GOOD WCW invasion could draw numbers, unless it's screwed up and the undercard WCW wrestlers aren't introduced properly. Everyone and their mother, in the wrestling world, knows who DDP is. That's a simple fact. I'm sure they know Scott Steiner, Booker T, and Bill Goldberg, as well. I bet they now know Ms. Hancock, thanks to Smackdown. :)
If you notice my yearly number, the 5.8 from last year, it's a low rut in the ratings for last year's shows. In the previous week, it gained a 6.8, and 2 weeks later, the rating was 6.4. That's an insane jump from 6.8 to 5.8, and then up to 6.4. You could say that viewership is unpredictable during this time a year, which is why the Rock was easily given time off to do his movies. Historically, the WWF usually starts focusing more during the hyping of Summerslam, so we'll see in time how that goes for the ratings.
-Wow. Instead of seeing yet another X-Factor vs. Hardys match at King of the Ring, we just might see X-Pac vs. Jeff Hardy instead. Hey, that works for me. I'm sure with a competitor like Jeff Hardy and a title on the line, it could bring out the best in X-Pac. Now many get confused when I talk about X-Pac. Many times I'll bash him, but I'll admit that he still has potential. I yell about his not knowing of the potential he actually has, since he appears to put no energy into some of his matches. At least that's what it appears to me.
-With nerve damage affecting Chris Benoit, it's probably highly unlikely that he'll win the WWF title this weekend. If there was anyone in the 3 way dance at KOTR to pick, besides Austin, I would have went with Chris Benoit because he's worked hard and the WWF fans are starting to recognize that. Lately, I've said that Chris Benoit is peaking as a wrestler, and with the WCW invasion coming around, it wouldn't be a bad idea to make him champion to fend of WCW wrestlers. Austin wouldn't be the best champ during the WCW Invasion, because he would make himself indestructable against any WCW competitor. Benoit always works with any wrestler, and he'd be better to have as champion. But now that he has some nerve damage, I highly doubt that the World Title will go to Chris Jericho. I just don't see it happening for some reason.
-Why are all wrestlers now jumping to Ebay? Spend time with so and so. Go to a bar with whoever. Have this has-been show up at your graduation. I mean seriously, it's very much getting out of hand. Now, I understand that with the WWF monopoly now in place, it's hard for a lot of wrestlers to get work. But to sink that low? I guess you could say that a rival federation would save the day, for these desparate wrestlers could make an honest living, instead of auctioning themselves off to whoever feels the need to spend whatever amount of money.
-On Scott Steiner's website, he says the following about RAW and I quote: "Did you see the man in black last night? Man oh man...that's all I'm gonna say." So what does that mean? Well, keep in mind that this could just be another internet work by Steiner, who may have already signed a WWF contract. Steiner and DDP had a period in WCW where they absolutely hated each other, and where they would never work with each other, too. They would come to work with each other at the end of WCW's life on Time Warner, but who knows if that's forced or not. Whatever the case, it was purposely put there for someone to read it.
SMACKDOWN Hype
(SPOILER FREE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
Like I predicted late last week in the column, we'll see the Dudley Boyz vs. Chris Benoit and Chris Jericho. It was supposed to happen Monday, but it was later made into a 6 man match, instead. Now I haven't read the spoilers yet, but I could guess that someone will either cost the Dudleys the match (Spike), or that Austin will screw Benoit and Jericho out of the tag titles. An alliance between the Dudleys and Austin wouldn't hurt, as I speculated in Tuesday's column, I believe.
WWF.com is hyping that a rumor is going around that the Undertaker will indeed be at Smackdown. Oh boy, a long fucking interview with him about Diamond Dallas Page invading his backyard. Whatever. And you know what the sad thing is? Diamond Dallas Page is significantly older than the Undertaker, by about 7 years, and he can still move and work much better than the Taker these days. Way better, actually. I'd like to see DDP just jump out of no where and *BANG!*, give the Diamond Cutter to the Undertaker during his interview.
Hey, who wants to bet that we'll see some sort of Tag Team combination with the KOTR semi-finalists, without looking at the Spoilers? I bet we'll see Rhyno/Angle vs. Edge/Christian, but I may be wrong. That just seems like a likely match up, but I refuse to look at the spoilers to correct myself. That's right, I'm risking looking very stupid by predicting this since the actual thing is out there and available to read. I like to be surprised, sorry.
Hey, another match... Kane and the Hardys will take on Yo, You're Dealing with X-Factor in a match that screams ratings. Nah, I'm kidding, if this has some time to develop, it could be good, since we've seen Albert and Kane work together in decent fashion last week, and with the Hardys, anything is possible.
Finally, the ECW marks are getting their dream. A possible chance for Spike Dudley to become the Giant Killer could happen, as he takes on the Big Show tonight on Smackdown. Just note that the big slugs that Spike beat in ECW were either on their way out of ECW or weren't exactly high on the ECW ladder at the time. But hey, you never know, because the Big Show isn't exactly the most loved WWF competitor, backstage, for his inability to lose weight when asked.
Before we end this, WWF.com is hyping that Steve Austin, William Regal, Vince McMahon, and PERRY SATURN will "all be in the house" tonight on Smackdown. Perry Saturn? Listed with those names? Wow. That just utterly amazed me, as I wonder if the WWF will push Perry Saturn, even more, with his current storyline.
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@That's all for today. Note that the PDC should be up around 10 am EST from Monday through Thursday, and on other days, it will be different. That's just how it is. I'll see you tomorrow with a Smackdown review, if you can dig that.
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