-- 7/19 WWE Raw Reax

Elliott R. of Atlanta, Ga. (9.0): Best Match: Wade Barrett vs. Mark Henry. Worst Match: Maryse vs. Eve. WWE is on a hot streak. Picking up from the excellent PPV last night, Raw was entertaining from start to finish with few lulls in the action. The Miz is solidifying himself as a future main-eventer, Sheamus is growing into his role, and they seem to have figured out what to do with the Nexus angle in a really, really clever way. Cena's team of Edge, Jericho, R-Truth, Khali, and Morrison are great in-ring workers (okay maybe not Khali, but an intimidating figure nonetheless), and they haven't been part of a hot angle perhaps since WrestleMania. Cena is still the top star, but he's been in the title picture so long it's gotten stale. Short of turning him heel, this is the best thing for everyone involved. It will be interesting to see how Bret Hart fits into the picture. It's worth noting that while this episode was short on in-ring action (which I'm sure is a result of how taxed the talent must be from last night), it was well-written and focused on winning championships and saving careers. Two other things that stood out: Tarver showed some solid mic skills and Santino had some great spots during the tag match with Kozlov. Let's hope the guest hosts stay gone until October because they're not needed.

Patrick Michael of Rochester, N.Y. (8.0): Best Match: Chris Jericho vs. Edge vs. Randy Orton. Worst Match: Eve Torres vs. Maryse. A very good show that was built around setting up the Raw side for Summerslam. The show opened with a strong three-and-a-half-star three-way match with several very good spots that were logically laid out during the match. The rest of the matches were hit or miss with Evan Bourne vs. Sheamus coming off solid, but it was followed by what I thought was a poor match between Wade Barrett and Mark Henry. I didn't think it did much to build up Barrett. The final segment of the show with Cena and Nexus was very well done. I'm not sure the reason for Khali part of Team Cena when someone like Yoshi Tatsu could use the rub more than a comedy figure. It also would have made more sense, as Nexus had previously jumped each guy. The return of Bret Hart was a nice surprise and he will add much more to the angle on the mic. Bret can still turn it on when he needs to.

Blake Reilly, Frontier Ramper (9.5): Best Match: Orton vs. Edge vs. Y2J. Worst Match: Santino/Kozlov vs. Regal/Ryder (even though it really wasn't that bad). This was a heck of a show. The flow was dead-on the whole night and they hit everything you want in an episode of Raw. When the show opened with the action-packed triple threat, I was worried the rest of the show would have a hard time following it. While there was nothing that really could top it, the rest of the show was definitely intriguing. The NXT storyline definitely took a turn for the better with the Sheamus truce, then moving on to the tag match at Summerslam. Also, I have to mention The Miz perhaps turning into my new favorite anti-hero, even if he were to defeat Randy Orton. Miz is actually going to be WWE champion one day; I can't believe that one. It was a major rush when Miz knocked out Sheamus and it looked like he would seize the moment to capture the WWE Title. After Raw, I'm already looking forward to Summerslam, but the only issue I have is Bret Hart being in the big tag match. I understand why storyline-wise, but wouldn't have this been the perfect opportunity to bring back Triple H? Maybe he really isn't ready to come back yet. Otherwise, very good show last night. I hope every Raw from here to Summerslam can keep up the pace.

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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