When a D-Lister Gets a Pinfall in the Forest, Does Anyone Care?

Okay, so, if you didn’t know, WWE brought in Kevin Federline to face WWE champion John Cena on their show on Monday.

No, really.

More over…he won.

No, he didn’t win the title, but he did pin Cena in the middle of the ring thanks to “Why No, I’m Not Samoa Joe” Umaga’s interference. Yep, the WWE put Britney Spears’s ex over their world champion.

Now, WWE’s rationalization of all this was that they were trying to garner publicity and, thus, boost their rating. Well, if you’ve been watching entertainment shows over the past week, you know they got their wish on the publicity end, though the coverage has been less “hey, WWE is hot again!” and more “what the hell was WWE thinking using that Has-Been/Never Was?”

Moreover, WWE has been bragging about how big a rating the show did on Monday, boasting on their website that the show drew 2.5 million viewers more than usual and peaked at 9 million, which would be one of the biggest numbers EVER if that was true. Those who chastised WWE for using Federline would certainly have to shut their mouths at THAT news.

Because of the holiday, the ratings were delayed until the Wrestling Observer broke the story today.

3.9.

For those who don’t keep up with such things, Raw’s been averaging, oh, a 3.5-3.6 in recent weeks. Higher in some, lower in others, but right around there. Yep, Federline’s appearance meant a WHOLE, uh, .2 to .4 of a point more in the overall rating.

Now, that is indeed a big increase from the previous week’s show, which only did a 2.5, but reflect upon the fact that this show was A.) on Christmas, and B.) their annual “Tribute to the Troops” show taped in Iraq, which usually gets a lower rating since it is a pre-taped show.

WWE spent a MONTH on this guy. Hyped him to the moon. Made a monstrous deal out of how he was coming in to wrestle their champ. PUT HIM OVER the guy who is supposedly carrying their company.

And it got them about jack squat.

Oh, look, some more ROH stuff just arrived in the mail. They’re having a sale over at their website, you know. And hey, Impact’s on tonight. Angle/Joe III in two weeks. And while TNA’s booking has gotten really weird lately, I usually still find that the worst ROH & TNA stuff is still more consistently entertaining than McMahon’s Traveling Circus of Oddly Pushed Oddities.

Just saying.