-- 7/26 WWE Raw Reax

Richard H. of Wilmington, Ohio (5.5): A weak 5.5 on last night's Raw. I can't recall a match good enough to call best. As for worst, well I was surfing channels when the Bella Twins came out and returned just in time for a sloppy scissors kick finisher by Alicia Fox. The post-match bit between Jillian and Alicia did nothing but show how old Jillian's gimmick has become. Please call The Boogeyman and have him end this horrible gimmick too. As for the rest, WWE writers could not have been more heavy-handed. Making Nexus out to be the next Power Elite team is an art and they are using finger paints. I pity the members of Team Raw who had to take seven bullets for the Summerslam match. Nexus could not have been tighter or Team Ce-richo more fractured. The highlights of the show were, as always of late, a solid performance by Orton and the continued muting of the Internet Raw GM. Every time they have "and I quote" Michael Cole read someone's catchphrase, it eliminates that person from my pool of possibilities. So by that logic, the GM will not be Stone Cold, Bret Hart, or DX. (I am still holding out for a Cerebral Assassin type GM.)

Chris Spencer of Sierra Vista, Ariz. (6.0): Best: Any time Randy Orton was on screen. Worst: Nexus squash match. I understand they needed to make Nexus look strong in order to sell people that they have any chance against Cena at Summerslam, but that "match" was a joke. First, WWE buried the tag champs and a guy they seemed to be grooming for the main event, Evan Bourne. If a joke of a match is what WWE wanted, send Santino and Koslov out there instead of legitimate talent. Second, aside from Wade Barrett and maybe Justin Gabriel, these Rookies seem like just that...rookies. I thought they looked terrible in the ring, especially Mr. Jennifer Hudson. I know the Nexus angle is hot, but they can only hide their deficiencies for so long. The only hope for the Summerslam match is that they will be in the ring mainly with the established talents on Team Cena who can make them look good. All that having been said, is Randy Orton not the best thing going in WWE/PG land? As long as Orton and Jericho are around, there will be something worth watching on Raw, even if the rest of the show is junk.

John of Cocoa Beach, Fla. (7.0): Best Match: Morrison vs. DiBiase. Worst Match: Nikki Bella (or is it Brie?) vs. Alicia Fox. A pretty hot crowd in San Antonio, which made it interesting when the mystery GM had a DX reference. How coincidental is that? ... It just boggles my mind how the writing team has tried to make Nexus as dangerous as they are. More so than Evolution, The Four Horsemen, and the NWO? Weren't these guys just Rookies not that long ago without a job in WWE? I figured Team Cena would splinter, all the while the theme is Nexus is as unified as ever. But, please, never again give Skip Sheffield a microphone. ... The warm-up match with the Raw guys was booked to give Yoshi Tatsu, Goldust, and Evan Bourne a chance for revenge. My thinking is when Jericho or Edge quit, Evan Bourne might be the replacement since he was booked as the last man standing for Team Raw. I thought Cena was overdramatic to Jericho saying the Raw brand could end if Nexus isn't stopped. So, I guess they would have Monday Night Nexus and everyone else goes to Smackdown! ... Good teaser again for The Miz cashing in his Money in the Bank title shot against Sheamus, but not every week. There's absolutely no doubt Randy Orton is over; that's amazing in itself considering how loathed he was when he feuded with the McMahon and Cena families. To the people who say he's the new Austin, I also can draw parallels to The Rock. ... It's going to be interesting when Bret Hart comes back to see what happens. Could John Cena and he feud over who's the leader, as Bret has more experience? I liked how this is going to be a Survivor Series-type elimination match and a warm-up for the Survivor Series pay-per-view. I also wouldn't be surprised if they mix it up on Team Cena and perhaps have a Smackdown star join the fray. Overall, Raw was a really energetic show to build up more intrigue for Raw's main Summerslam storylines, including Nexus vs. Cena's Team and Randy Orton vs. Sheamus. Still, Raw in San Antonio, and not one HBK sign. Very odd.

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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