By Jon Mezzera, Torch Specialist

RAW HITS

Opening Segment: Raw got off to a good start with the in ring segment between Batista and John Cena. Both gave short, good promos. Cena was a little silly for my tastes with the goofy imitation of Batista's face at WrestleMania, but was good otherwise. I like that he acknowledged what all the fans were thinking when he challenged Batista, that the heel always says "no" to these challenges. I like that he brought it up and Batista still said "no." It was also interesting to see Jack Swagger jump Cena and attempt to cash in Money in the Bank. I like putting Swagger in the opening segment. I was not expecting that, so it was a nice surprise. I seem to remember CM Punk starting to cash in Money in the Bank once, only to get jumped by a wrestler (I think it was Umaga?) before the bell sounded. That was the only other time I recall doing something with the briefcase other than just cashing it it and winning the Title. I give WWE credit for creativity in this case.

HBK Moments: I always enjoy these trips down memory lane and on this night, they helped put the focus of Raw right where it belonged, on saying farewell to Shawn Michaels.

Elevating Mid Card Heels: I already mentioned that it was good to see Swagger in the opening segment attacking Cena. Having Ted DiBiase lose doesn't exactly elevate him, but they seem to be going somewhere with him after he walked away from his father in the ring. It was great to see Sheamus attack Triple H during his emotional good-bye to Michaels. Even with Michaels gone, with Randy Orton now a babyface along with Triple H and John Cena, that only really leaves Batista as a top heel on Raw. I'm glad that instead of turning Triple H heel to balance things out, they are continuing to elevate Sheamus and continuing their feud. They had a good match at WM and I want to see more. I like that they gave Miz mic time insulting Bret Hart. Just having him insult a legend like Hart elevates him (on a side note, it is good to see the Hart Dynasty getting a rub from Hart's return and feud with ShoMiz as well). And despite taking the loss, it was nice to see Swagger also in the main event with stars like Batista, Cena and Randy Orton. Keep it up WWE (unlike the push for Kofi Kingston).

Swagger & Batista vs. Cena & Orton: Speaking of Kingston, I was expecting him to be John Cena's partner, although I thought Orton was also a possibility. The announcers did a nice job of explaining why Cena would choose Orton despite their own past in terms of Orton's hatred for Batista. The match itself was a solid tag match. In addition to the solid wrestling action, I'm giving it a Hit for capitalizing on how popular Orton has become, for having Swagger in the mix, and for the intrigue it created wanting to see where they go from here. Will Batista vs. Cena rematch turn into a triple threat? Will we get Orton vs. Swagger? I assumed with Kingston as the partner that we would get a Kingston vs. Swagger feud that if done right would elevate both wrestlers. Perhaps a feud with Orton would elevate Swagger, although I worry about him getting buried instead.

Michaels' Farewell: There isn't much to say about this. It was a very classy and emotional farewell from Shawn Michaels. It was a great moment and I appreciate how they used Undertaker and Triple H, but allowed Michaels the spot light and chance to say good-bye. That's all I have to say about the actual farewell. But, I want to talk a bit about Michaels himself. Shawn Michaels was the best wrestler of his generation, which is to say my generation as a fan. But, that doesn't really matter to me at the moment. We talk about the best wrestlers and the best matches, and sometimes confuse the best with our favorites. Shawn Michaels was my favorite wrestler as a kid and teen. As a huge fan, I missed him when he it appeared his career was over after WM 14. My favorite match in the past 7 or 8 years was Michaels vs. Jericho at WM 19. There have been better matches (including several from Michaels himself), but that was my favorite, because it was really what put a stamp on Michaels' return. He had a few matches before that, but this signaled that the Heart Brake Kid, the show stopper, Mr. WrestleMania was back (plus it was a great match). Here we are, seven years later, and I hope everyone realizes how special these seven years have been for us wrestling fans. Think about what we would have missed out on as fans if he had never come back. Think about what we will miss now that he is retiring. It is sad to see him go, but I am glad to see him go out on his own terms. He is healthy. He has found peace in his life and even with Bret Hart. He gave us so many great matches and moments through the years that I have to thank him for being such a great entertainer and for giving so much to this industry that we love.

RAW MISSES

Just Fire the Divas Already: I haven't written about WrestleMania, but let me just say that the Divas didn't belong on that show. It is nothing against them as performers. There are some very talented women in WWE right now. But, the way they've been used on Raw for the past year + and the way they've been used on Smackdown since the Royal Rumble (they did a good job giving them time before that PPV), they just unfortunately didn't belong on the biggest show of the year. Without the Divas, you could have easily given Rey Mysterio vs. CM Punk another 5 minutes (on a side, another 5 minutes could have been taken from Vince McMahon vs. Bret Hart). If you are going to have the same 10 Divas tag match the next night on Raw, then why have it on WM? I'm happy the Divas got their pay day, but we fans are paying that money and deserve better than this. Those in attendance of Raw deserve better than a 3 second match. If you treat the Divas this way, they aren't going to make any money for the company. Nobody bought WM the see the Divas, but they got their slice of the pie. If I were a WWE shareholder, I would want them fired as they currently serve no purpose at all.

ShoMiz Dissension: I mentioned above that I liked seeing The Miz in the ring with Bret Hart and that a possible feud between ShoMiz and The Hart Dynasty has potential. However, ShoMiz hasn't been a team for very long and WWE is already having some dissension between them. They did the same thing with JeriShow last year. Luckily, they didn't end up rushing to break that team up, and I hope the same is true here. It is just too early to tease it.

Swagger's Promo: I gave WWE credit for elevating Swagger with his early attack on Cena and his presence in the main event tag match. However, his pre-match promo was not very good. His performance was fine. I didn't like the script. Having him proudly exclaim that he is the "odds on favorite" to win his matches isn't exactly a bold statement. I like that he brought up his prediction from last week's Raw that he would win Money in the Bank. However, the odds on favorite catch phrase is one of the wimpiest catch phrases ever. It is the same as saying, "I've got a good chance to win!" Or, "I think I'm going to win!" Just say "I told you I would win and I did. Now I am telling you that when I cash in this title shot, I am going to win that match too and become WWE Champion!" That would have been a strong statement instead of the weak one he made.

Jon Mezzera is PWTorch.com's WWE Hits & Misses Specialist, providing his point of view for Raw, Smackdown, NXT, and Superstars each week. Email him at jmezz-torch@sbcglobal.net.

For another view from the original Hitlist author, compare Jason Powell's views to mine by visiting prowrestling.NET's "Hitlist" section here.

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