-- 3/1 WWE Raw Reax

Henry Jenkins of Seattle, Wash. (5.5): Best: Bret is back. Worst: Cheech and Chong. Explain this to me: why is it that a bloody lip is considered too extreme for TV, but suggesting recreational drug use is okay? Surely parents should be more concerned that kids will turn to marijuana than that they'll become hooked on sucking their paper cuts. On a related note, I actually thought the pillow fight was sort of fun, but these particular guest hosts were the worst they have ever invited. ... I love the fact that Bret vs. Vince is now official. I never miss attending a WrestleMania, and that's the match, even more so than Undertaker-Shawn, that I'm really excited about this year. But even I have to admit that for some reason this can't-miss historic angle is missing the mark. Bret looked weak and he didn't sound like a coward; he sounded like a stuffy old fart. I want to see Bret care again. ... Batista looks like one bad dude every week, but they had the right idea when he did an interview the other week without saying a word. If he talks too much, he starts to sound like Batista again. ... I liked the Triple H pep talk for Shawn Michaels a lot. I see him as Burgess Meredith in Rocky's corner. "You can do it, Shawn. Duck and weave!" My final note for today: Money in the Bank. I love it, and I welcome it twice a year. I'm glad to see deserving guys like Jack Swagger, Shelton Benjamin, and MVP find a spot on the lineup. But it's hard to imagine WWE putting the strap on one of these guys when they can't even get 60 seconds for a qualifying match. Let's see two minutes next time!

Patrick Michael of Rochester, N.Y. (3.0): Raw this week was a show that featured a money-making Batista and John Cena promo, the start of a Randy Orton face run, and Rhodes and DiBiase getting some needed heat, but everything else was awful. Besides the Orton and Ted DiBiase match, the wrestling was reminiscent of a 1980s episode of Superstars. The Vince McMahon and Bret Hart angle added nothing to the feud and really detracted from it. Bret Hart did not look good physically and he seemed mentally out of the segment. I want to remember Bret Hart for who he was - a great worker who carried WWF for several years. The Cheech and Chong segments were awful. The tongue-in-cheek goof that the Lucky Charms were laced with weed was insulting if you just don't come out and say it. The segment at ringside appeared completely forced and continued to bring us closer to the death of the women's division that at one time really featured strong work.

Terrie Neilson of Las Vegas, Nev. (6.0): Best: Michaels-Hunter promo; Cena-Batista promo. Worst: way too short MITB qualifiers. The road to WrestleMania hit a few bumps. What was the point of the way-short Money In The Bank qualifiers? If the guest host isn't actually going to function as a Guest GM, then maybe it is time close this chapter. I really could have done without Cheech and Chong if it meant the qualifiers got time to mean something in the bigger picture. Apparently WWE does read reviews because they backstepped on the claim about everyone who has won MITB cashing in the case. Also, I could have also done without the Divas pilowfight match. I though WWE was PG; the ladies were dressed at least PG-13. And where was Maryse's title belt? The whole Legacy storyline got an interesting tie to NXT that didn't feel like a reach. Orton vs. Rhodes and DiBiase seems like a logical next step in that storyline. Cena-Batista was a dynamic promo that fit both personas and gave a solid explanation for Batista's actions. Vince-Bret and Batista-Cena are clearly converging to become one match come March 29. ... I'm guessing that it will be used as "mind games," but Undertaker distracting Shawn during the tag title match seemed unnecessary. The match was unrelated to The Streak. It really made Undertaker look like the heel here. Why not muddy the waters and put the tag belts back on Shawn and Hunter? At least the pin didn't look flimsy like the title loss pin. Quid pro quo going forward, Shawn should foul up Undertaker's World Title re-match (if one even happens). All that said, Shawn's distraction and storming out of the match did segue well into Sheamus attacking Triple H. The story is simple (Hunter cost Sheamus the title at the EC PPV), even though Hunter didn't win the Chamber in the end. But, overall, if the intent of this episode was to make me think that Michaels-Taker 2 will end any other way than Shawn leaving, I'm not convinced. "Mr. WrestleMania" was a dead giveaway that Shawn lost last time. The song hasn't changed on the second play.

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.

[Torch art credit Grant Gould (c) PWTorch.com]

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