-- 11/23 WWE Raw Reax

Nicholas Sutton of Edmonton, Alb. (8.5): Best match: John Cena vs. C.M. Punk. Worst match: Diva Dress Up. Everyone I talked to seems really down on Sheamus's push to the top, but I think they're being a bit hard on the WWE here. People were saying the same thing when Brock Lesnar was pushed to the moon; that it's too soon, he's not ready. Now I'm not saying that Sheamus is the next Brock Lesnar, but is what does it hurt to spend a month seeing how Sheamus stacks up against Cena? Just see if Sheamus brings it. If he doesn't, well then he can at least he can go to back to the mid-card saying he went toe-to-toe with John Cena and almost became World Champion, which is a solid step up from being the man who retired Jamie Noble. Just open your mind a little and see where it goes, and appreciate the fact that Sheamus is so far holding his ground, which unfortunately is more than what they gave the Miz. Jesse Ventura was unreal. What a presence and voice. I would love him to be a long-term personality in WWE. He just carried everyone on a rollercoaster. He made popular decisions, and unpopular decisions, but it all made sense. I think this is the first time any divas showed a hint of dignity when it comes to being forced to dress up silly, and I find it funny how every time they dress up as Pilgrims and Indians, WWE gives the match a new name and calls it a "first ever." Maryse coming back is fine and all, but that stuffed gooker head beating on Melina was weak. Certain members of Raw still are being neglected and it tends to drive me mad (they have yet to show that they're even trying with Chris Masters). After two good wrestling guest hosts, it's back to business as usual with Verne Troyer next week and I can't help but feel these past two weeks of Raw have been the carrot dangled under the nose.

Henry Jenkins of Seattle, Wash. (9.0): Best: Vince and Jesse call a match. Worst: Tedious Hornswoggle jokes. Anytime the Gobbledy Gooker makes an appearance, you know it's gonna be a good show. First, Lawler got schooled by the archive clip of Mean Gene. Then Maryse couldn't get her giant yellow pants off for like five minutes. I laughed until I was red in the face. Hearing Jesse Ventura and Vince McMahon call a match together was a real treat. Nostalgia aside, they were great together. They turned a crap Raw battle royal into a classy match. Jesse was the best guest host they've ever had. He's a true outsider, but after all these years, the man is still in his element working a wrestling angle. Some fans may have a beef with WWE's decision to greenlight Sheamus ahead of other young stars. Not me. Sure, at least five other guys seem more prepared to run with the opportunity now. But Cena isn't dropping the title to any of them this month. Do you want to see a guy like The Miz lose his edge by jobbing to Cena in a table match at a one-off PPV? Or should we let Cena topple a new giant, then build up to a real passing of the torch at a bigger show? I'm just surprised they had the judgment not to have Orton win the Breakthrough Battle Royal. John Cena and C.M. Punk had a refreshing PPV-quality match. I'm always excited to see The Hart Dynasty get a real match. Overall, an exceptionally good Raw.

Ahmad Buttow of N.J. (7.0): Best match: Punk vs. Cena. Worst match: Battle Royal. I really loved the idea of the breakout battle royale, but as the night progressed you realized there was only one sufficiently-built star who could have won without being ridiculous. That was Kofi, but it's understandable they want to continue the Kofi-Orton feud (as they should). DiBiase would've been interesting for the implications with Legacy, but he would've been as ridiculous. And they needed a heel to face Cena, so it was obvious Sheamus was the guy. He's all right and not terrible, but, my God, the dude debuts on Raw a month or so ago and now he's in the main event? Way too premature as the crowd doesn't really care yet. Two-thirds of the show was very good, but a lot of it also had a dead crowd.

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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