-- 11/23 WWE Raw Reax

Matthew Robins of Chicago, Ill. (7.5): Best Match: Battle Royal with Vince McMahon and Jesse Ventura on the mic. Worst Match: Everything else with Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler. The matches, storylines, backstage interviews, Thanksgiving-themed segments (Gobbledy Gooker is so silly, you have to smile), contract signings, t-shirt battles, etc. were all the same as they ever were. Coming off one of the Big 4 PPVs, would new storylines be created, would re-matches be granted, would stars from the previous night not even appear on TV? Yes, yes, and yes. What made this Raw get me on my computer and actually write some feedback was the six-plus minutes of magic during the Battle Royal. No, Sheamus winning was not something that got me overly excited, even though I am a fellow redhead. No, Kofi getting the best of Orton (once again) did not help me to think that his push is real, even though he is doing this all without a belt or a storyline that concerns a title. Isn't it obvious? Vinnie Mac and The Body back as announcers! Just the tone of Vince's voice when someone would be about to get thrown out, just the way he was calm in explaining the rules during other parts of the action, just the way him and Jesse traded shots, just the red bowtie, just anyone but Michael Cole, just some intellect from a color commentator and not the whiny voice of The King. WWE wanted you to think it was a shoe-in that Randy Orton would win since he entered the match through the back door before just chillin' outside of the ring. Then, they wanted you to think about getting new referees. Nick Patrick, where you at? I have been watching wrestling for over 20 years and I miss guys that describe the action, like Gorilla Monsoon, Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, heck even Juventud Guerrera on Thunder was worth tuning in. Vince and Jesse just had that chemistry, and still do. A play-by-play voice that knows what he is talking about and can describe it so easily, and a color commentator that does not get up only for Divas matches. Maybe now it's easy to see why people miss Don West on TNA Impact.

Ron Hoffecker of Pa., Torch reader (8.0): Best match: Cena vs. Punk. Worst match: Divas Pilgrims vs. Indians match. I have to say first that Jesse Ventura did a great job hosting. The Breakthrough Battle Royal match was brilliant and WWE should tack this on as a bi-monthly thing. Having a new face enter the main event picture, even if it's for a limited time, is a good thing. The animosity between Orton and Kofi is good; I can't wait to see them go at it at TLC. WWE is doing a great job making Sheamus look like a new Brock Lesnar. Although he hasn't had a good feud yet, he is coming off as a monster and this show (from his match to the end) proved it. Cena vs. C.M. Punk was a good match and pretty entertaining. I think that Punk should have won, especially with Ventura's focus on new faces and talent. I was surprised at how early this match was in the show, as well. I'm upset at how Swagger is being treated now, as you could tell immediately that his team would not qualify since Chavo was in his corner. The Divas match was a yawn like usual. Why can't WWE make this portion of their show at least as good as TNA's Knockouts? Hart Dynasty got a nice small push when they looked pretty dominant in the ring against Shawn Michaels, then again who isn't booked to look dominant against Shawn now-a-days? Jericho had another great promo after this match, and I hope they keep the belts at TLC. The Breakthrough Battle Royal was really interesting. Watching Sheamus and Randy wait around and strike at opportune times really showed how similar these two can be at times. Randy doing nothing about Legacy being thrown out was nice too and hopefully stirs up some new hate between the group members. Kofi and Ted vs. Cody and Randy anyone? Sheamus winning was a huge surprise. I practically jumped out of my seat. Last note, Vince and Ventura needs to be the new announce team permanently.

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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