4/6 WWE Raw TV Reax

David Miller of Terre Haute, Ind. (5.0): Best segment: ten-man tag team match. Worst segment: McMahon vs. Orton. It was nice to see Randy Orton and Jeff Hardy selling the previous night's matches by hobbling to the ring in apparent pain. For that reason, I disagree with Keller's take on McMahon vs. Orton. Although it was a lousy segment, I found it believable that McMahon could get in some offense against Orton due to the previous night's beating he took. Santino/Santina was hilarious as always. Most WWE comedy acts are stomach-turning, but Marella is genuinely a riot. The divas were given a bit more of the spotlight tonight, but given the number of women on the roster, they should be able to have their own PPV. Instead, they are given three minutes on Raw. What a waste of talent. For those fans like myself who were mourning the lack of tag action at WrestleMania, at least we got the re-match tonight. Although I missed the presence of Michaels and Undertaker, I can think of no two wrestlers more deserving of a night off. Batista looked freakishly huge. Thank God WWE has a Wellness Policy. Not a bad follow-up to WrestleMania, but nothing memorable either.

Terrie Neilson of Las Vegas, Nev. (6.5) Best: "Wrestlemania All Star Tag." Worst: that overwhelming feeling of being ripped off. The outgoing show was entertaining, but WWE really didn't learn from its mistakes at WrestleMania. We get a re-do of the tag title unification match; I'm just hoping it wasn't a note-for-note redo. There were the "what if?" draft scenarios running all through the night making the draft a big deal (even if it really isn't adhered to). And how ironic that WWE is trying to be PG when Burger King decides to plug its kids meal by merging SpongeBob Squarepants with "Baby Got Back?" The divas tag didn't do much for anyone, and the returning divas were further buried. The "All Star Tag" was fun to watch. Steamboat gave everyone in the match some rub and he got shine right back from the very hot crowd, and a nice send-off (since WrestleMania weekend is probably what he'll be working as a special appearance). And I'm sure this had to be a surreal sight: Matt and Edge on the same team, tagging to each other. Vickie's going to be on Raw, eh? Great, whoopie. Draft could send her back to Smackdown so not holding my breath totally. Santino is a hoot, but I can already see the shelf life dated on Santina. Orton-Vince was made important all through the night, and it was a chance for Randy to be righted after the finish at WrestleMania. And then...Batista shows up. I actually wasn't missing him. And he returns bigger than he was when he left due to injury (but not quite as big as looked at WrestleMania 21). I heard "WrestleMania's greatest match" multiple times during the show, with a bit of a backhand reminder which match was being referred to (Michaels-Taker, of course). There were multiple plugs for something that sounded big deal regarding said great match. The show ends...and nothing? Oh, we saw a few stills highlighting the match and a quick shot of the front page article about it. I was waiting for a substantial follow-up of some kind: a concession/re-match challenge promo by Shawn, an "I have vanquished yet another challenger" promo from Undertaker, or even a medical update considering the brutal bumps both took. Nothing. Blaming the buyrate on your money match, are you, WWE?

Lee of St. Louis: Best match: MITB Rehash Tag Match with C.M. Punk sneaking glares at Cena and the Championship Belt. Worst Match: Santina vs. Beth Phoenix. You know, I was going to keep my mouth shut today, after watching what turned out to be a bland, predictable showing after a very good WrestleMania 25. But, the "fan" in me prompts me to speak. On the good side, I am looking forward to what could be a very entertaining showdown between C.M. Punk and John Cena. I doubt very seriously that Punk would be satisfied with WWE Championship gold, opting for the top jewel instead. Besides, it makes sense for Cena to "move on" to a new program. Plus, the result could be that much needed heel turn for Cena, even though he still gets a big pop as champion. C.M. Punk seems to have a large following of his own, and he was not an embarrassment as champion. The rest of the gang? Well, Steamboat is back, in decent shape, still looks good in the ring and the crowd love him for now. Maybe the draft will stir up some new feuds, but I see several faces slowly fading into the sunset, probably to reappear on TNA in the near future. The Lumberjack Tag match was interesting (to me), as it showed so many people in the locker rooms that are not getting air time. ... Here comes Vince, Shane, Triple H, and Stephanie for another six months, teaming up to destroy the "futures" of wrestling, and to insure that they come out on top, they garner the services of Batista. Thus, Orton will not see gold, Rhodes and Dibiase will not see gold, Jericho will not see gold, Kane, Michaels, Undertaker, the list being endless; all go back to the second and third tiers while the McMahon's steal the spotlight. Tune in next week, as the impossible is done again: Vince and company manage to hold a whole roster at bay, by using them as lumberjacks and crowd scenes. What a great year this is going to be in WWE.

We welcome your 0-10 score and comments on this show for a "WWE Raw Reax" feature in the Torch Feedback section of PWTorch.com. Just to add a twist to this feature, include not just your hometown, but also your occupation (mechanic, lawyer, stay-at-home-dad, college student, etc.) so readers get a flavor for what everyone does as "day jobs." To contribute your thoughts on Raw, click here.

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