-- WWE Raw Reax 5/14

Adam Riemer of Brooklyn, N.Y.: Best: No Lord Tensai. Worst: John Cena. I can't explain how much WWE is dropping the ball on everything they are doing right now. Triple H had some good points in his promo about legitimacy (notice how he didn't say Mick Foley, The Rock, or Steve Austin, considering they were bigger stars than him during his heyday), but it was still good...then, Triple H ran Brock Lesnar into the ground and buried him as only Hunter can do. I don't understand how anyone in the back can think that pointing out how Brock is a quitter will make people believe in him at all. Oh, and Brock quit UFC because he had a legitimate medical issue - Lesnar would still rather be fighting for that company than WWE. Then, the whole John Cena thing happened. Cena was absolutely atrocious in the final segment. When Vince McMahon did anything to Stone Cold, you didn't see Austin out the next week telling jokes and laughing, no he was whooping ass. When Big Johnny does something to Cena, he comes out smiling and telling jokes. If this were 1999, I'd say Cena would lose this match and Big Johnny would continue on his power trip for about nine more months. But, this is the new WWE where they hotshot feuds and change authority figures every two months, so I wouldn't be surprised to see Cena win here. They also have the stip of "any Superstar that interferes will be fired" - my guess is that Johnny still wins thanks to help from the recently-fired Big Show, who is now forced into doing Big John's business to get his job back, leading to a storyline of the reluctant giant doing the GM's dirty work. Why do I assume that? Because WWE is so predictable these days, and WWE has to recognize that Lord Tensai just will never get over.

Lozano of Philadelphia, Pa. (1.0): Best: Punk/Santino vs. Bryan/Rhodes. Worst: The whole show. I thought this week's Raw was pretty boring to say the least. I watched the first match, then after that I found myself turning the TV off and on. But, I decided to watch the ending promo with John Cena. I swear I gave the ending a chance, but with Cena doing his corny act I quickly turned off the TV again. The only good part of Raw was the Big Show "firing," but even that segment made me embarrassed to be a WWE fan.

Steve in Pompano Beach, Fla. (5.0): Best: Jericho vs. Orton tied with Heyman-Triple H segment. Worst: Big Show vs. Kane. This week's Raw was yet another edition full of few ups and too many downs. I'm glad they had Paul Heyman come in when he did, because not only did he help add to what now appears to be an eventual Brock Lesnar-Hunter showdown, but he broke up Hunter's typical "Lookit me I own u and evry1 else sux lol" style of promo... I think Daniel Bryan's character took a bit of a hit by bailing on the tag match. He's been stellar as a tactician-type heel, but having him run from Punk...maybe it's to counteract the positive reactions / "Yes!" chants? Whatever the reason, cowardice doesn't seem like a good fit for him. Also, for the love of Max Moon, Santino needs to drop the U.S. Title already; it suffers from his shenanigans... The Divas match left Beth looking strong. That is, of course, until all her heat was killed via Layla... As for Big Show and Kane, that had to have been one of their worst matches ever. Neither man looked very coordinated, and seeing Show take that "shoveslam" was painful to watch. Not as painful as his acting when Big Johnny fired him, mind you, but pretty close. I'm sure the announcers were told to pass off the gallons of sweat pouring from Show's face as tears... Jericho vs. Orton was the default best of the night, but you knew what was the ending was as soon as Sheamus stood up and dropped his headset. Lastly, I continue to not care about Cena-Laurinaitis at Over The Limit, and Cena's antics were not only unfunny, they were the definition of "pandering." Jim Carrey called, Mr. Cena, he wants his Ace Ventura schtick back. All in all, not the best way to try to sell the PPV this Sunday.

***

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 or email us at pwtorch@gmail.com.

[Torch art credit Travis Beaven (c) PWTorch.com]

We suggest these recent related articles...

WWE PPV REAX #1: "I wanted the biggest event of the summer to end with an exclamation point; it ended with a semicolon and a question"

WWE PPV REAX #1: Battleground finish generates mixed reactions...

WWE PPV REAX #2: In-Person Battleground Report on overall show, reactions, more