James Caldwell, Torch Columnist (7.5)

Good show coming off Armageddon. They effectively advanced storylines and tied together some loose ends in a credible fashion before setting the stage for the next two weeks of TV to determine the next contender to John Cena. The main event was heavy on Randy Orton, which was perfectly fine since he's one of the top wrestlers in this company right now. The punt on Batista was a nice cliffhanger for next week. Good conclusion to the show with 18 minutes of solid wrestling.

Miz & Morrison vs. Punk & Kofi was an excellent tag team match. M&M click so well right now and Morrison is one step away from being a breakout singles star. I'm picturing him stealing the show and winning Money in the Bank at WrestleMania and increasing his heel presence by having another something to brag about before cashing in a title shot. But, that's a ways down the road.

Count me in the minority, but I thought the Kane-Kelly Kelly (don't put those letters together as an acronym, by the way) storyline development was intriguing if you could get past the kidnapping, blackmail, assault, threat of rape, and other Kane-isms we know and love. If TNA ran this angle, I admittedly would be raving mad, but at least in WWE, Kane is a heel and not a babyface intimidating women like Rhino. It's handled with care, whereas in TNA, they would be shaking and dropping the box while walking it upstairs, damaging the product by the time the box is opened.

Other thought: Small plug for the Raw post-game show with Greg Parks and me, as Greg had the joke that keeps on giving related to Hacksaw Jim Duggan being told "it's time," as if he were being led away to slaughter. It's worth the price of VIP admission to the VIP audio section.

Bruce Mitchell, Torch Columnist (5.5)

I thought they kind of backed off Cenamania tonight. Maybe just doing it two out of every three Raws is a good formula. That Son Of A Snuka was a tank. You get the feeling it was either that, or release him. William Regal is bringing something to the Intercontinental belt, just standing there. That Kane/Kelly stuff was pretty brutal, in the wrong way. Stephanie McMahon hurts the show every time she's on it.

Greg Parks, PWTorch.com Contributor (7.5)

I enjoyed this show quite a bit. It was heavy on backstage stuff, yet there was plenty of solid in-ring work. The backstage stuff wasn't pointless either; it set up a lot of intriguing possibilities for the weeks to come.

The Kelly/Kane stuff that permeated the show seemed like just another Kane angle, yet Kelly swerving him with The Miz was an interesting step. I'm actually excited to see how not only Kane reacts, but Miz as well. And is it just me, or does pro wrestling use the "crazed stalker fan" angle a lot to introduce new women wrestlers? I'm glad WWE finally decided to do something with Deuce as I think he does have a decent upside. I hope they don't include him in The Legacy right off the bat, as he's still pretty much seen as a jobber by most.

It seems they've moved on from Cena vs. Jericho, but I think Jericho gained any heat back he lost at Armageddon at Raw by refusing to fight Hacksaw. His argument with Stephanie also planted seeds for down the line for the next time Jericho goes against her orders. The tag title match was as good as you'd expect; those four are really good together and add a lot of athleticism to the show. I was disappointed in the follow-up to JBL and HBK. I'm guessing JBL loses his match in the little championship tournament and HBK wins, only for JBL to take Michaels' spot from him.

Dolph vs. Santa was the only real throw-away of the show, despite what James might insist on the Raw audio last night. Speaking of which, yes, Cryme Tyme & Jim Duggan's little thing backstage has me interested, so long as it doesn't end with Duggan joining CT. The main event was a great match and told a good story as well, with Rhodes & Manu still trying to impress Orton. And Orton got Batista back after losing at Armageddon.

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