Tony Donofrio, PWTorch.com Contributor (8.0)

I'd have to say that this was a very strong overall show for WWE. They kept the silly comedy skits to an absolute minimum, which was a great way to go. Even the DX/Hornswoggle/Santino skit wasn't too silly and childish that I wanted to change the channel. I hope this will continue to be the rule and not the exception. All that aside, let me get going with the in-ring action. I'm hoping that WWE makes the Divas's tournament look like a semi-big deal. It was slightly disappointing to only see one tourney match last night. But, considering the importance of the night, I'll not harp on that one. The tag title match was a solid showing for all four involved. I was a bit surprised that Chris Jericho didn't have more to do with the show after the loss to DX considering his really good interaction w/ Bret Hart earlier in the show. As far as the US Title goes, I am looking forward to a program with MVP and The Miz. I know there has been split reaction, but I like Miz's new music. Also, he instantly regained any of the heat that he lost last week. Pertaining to Sheamus vs. Evan Bourne, I didn't have a problem with the match or how it came about. Sheamus is playing the part of a "badass heel", which is a nice change of pace in WWE. However, he still doesn't really look like a star. You'd think that a show of this caliber would feature the company champion in someway (and make him look like a bigger star), but it didn't. Even still, no big complaints about the match or it's result. Oddly enough, the lowest point of the night (for me) was Kofi Kingston's loss to Randy Orton. The match itself was just fine and I loved the premise that if Orton lost, Legacy would boot him out. However, I really thought that this was the payoff match for Kingston. This was a match that he had to have and he didn't get it.

Oh yeah, then there was the big attraction, Bret Hart! Hart opening the show with HBK was great stuff. Everything with those two came off really well until the half-hearted hug at the end (more on that in a bit). Bret and Vince McMahon was also gold (by the way, the fact that Stu Hart isn't already in the WWE Hall of Fame is pretty ridiculous in itself. He should be up there with the likes of Verne Gagne and The Von Erichs that never once set foot in a WWWF/WWF/WWE ring). Just seeing those three in the ring together (in any combination) is almost always a good thing. But, you could see the indifference on Bret's face during both interactions. I guess that is only natural considering the feelings Hart has had for those two the past 12 years. It brought me to a few possible assumptions. First, is that Bret still doesn't like either one of these guys deep down in his heart and it showed in the ring, even when "burying the hatchet". Second, Bret may have legitimately buried the hatchet with the 2 behind the scenes before the show, but he still doesn't trust either one of them. It could even be a combination of both assumptions. Or, maybe Bret's acting skills were just rusty after being off of TV for the past 8-9 years since leaving WCW. With all of that said, it was great to see Bret back in the WWE and the next 4 months should be really good stuff. At first, I thought the ending of Raw with Bret and Vince fell a little flat at the very end. But, after more consideration, I think that it was a solid ending to a very good show for WWE. I believe we are so accustomed to getting a payoff so fast now in the wrestling business, that we forget what it's like to build a good story slowly. I believe this is what they're gonna do with Bret, Vince, and yes, HBK too. I don't think his involvement with this is done (remember that half-hearted hug). All things considered, it was the best Raw that we've seen in quite some time, from writing to in-ring action. Competition brings out the best in everyone. If TNA has scared WWE that much and we get more Raws like this, I'm all for it! Let the war commence.

Greg Parks, Torch Columnist (7.5)

While this was a newsworthy show and overall a thumbs-up, it wasn't a terribly strong show, but I think that was the point on WWE's end- if they put on a real big show, it would seem that they were threatened by TNA and saw them as competition. In that way, it seemed like WWE wanted to put on a going-through-the-motions show to prove that they aren't scare by TNA's Monday night timeslot.

The Bret segments were great. Some people have been disappointed about his confrontation with Michaels and McMahon, but I think it clearly set things up leading to Wrestlemania: He's on Shawn's side as a face, but not on Vince's (a heel). It makes sense to set him up that way. His mic skills were also better than I expected and he looked good out there. As for the rest, DX beating Big Show and Jericho makes me wonder why they bothered doing a re-match. Sheamus vs. Evan Bourne was an interesting concept, and they pulled it off well. It didn't really hurt Bourne anymore, and in fact, made him look better than his usual Raw mid-card losses. Still not sure where Kofi Kingston stands at this point.

Shawn Valentino, PWTorch.com Contributor (7.0)

For the first time in years, Monday night had a true big-night can't-miss atmosphere about it. I was anticipating the mini Monday Night War all week and when it came to change channels from Impact to Raw at 9pm, it felt like 1998 all over again, in a good way. Unlike Impact, which had all types of intriguing scenarios and surprise appearances all night, this show was all about the opening and closing segments. Was there anybody that did not have chills down their spine when Shawn Michaels came out and confronted Bret for the first time in over a decade? It was truly a magical moment that none of us ever thought we would see. I believe their interaction was genuine and it was interesting to see both of them struggling to make peace while obviously battling years of anger and frustration with the other. The handshake and hug were some of the most hesitant I have ever seen, but that only added to the tension of the segment. I hope that this is not it for HBK and the Hitman as there are many more layers that can be added to make this a compelling storyline.

The final segment with Bret and Vince was interesting but predictable. I enjoyed McMahon manipulating his former employee with phony smiles and real memories. Bret did not do much on this show but the mere sight of him on Raw again made it special. Hopefully this is just a start of some interesting programming.

The rest of the show was average at best. The DX vs. Jeri-Show match was pretty good and the Orton-Kofi match was midly entertaining. It seemed like the crowd was underwhelmed throughout the show. The potential Legacy split does nothing for me because I don't believe they have done a good job building them up in the first place. Worst of all, Triple H was an absolute embarassment. I understand that DX sells merchandise, but I really hope he is really not as oblivious as he seems to how terrible he comes off every week. Lets just hope this campiness doesn't hurt the serious issues on Shawn's agenda.

Overall, a solid show because of Bret Hart's involvement and the possibilities it sets up. I don't know if it was just me but I thought Hart looked a bit sluggish in his movements. It is understandable after a stroke, but it calls into question if he can work a match at Mania. I am going to remain optimistic. This was one of the funnest nights of wrestling I have had in years and we can only hope that WWE follows this up with some strong storytelling.

We suggest these recent related articles...

PARKS'S WWE SMACKDOWN REPORT 10/8: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of Thursday show, including Roman Reigns & Randy Orton vs. Bray Wyatt & Braun Strowman

METZGER'S ROH TV REPORT 10/4 & 10/7: IWGP World champ Okada vs. Roderick Strong main event, plus Briscoes vs. Time Splitters, more from "Field of Honor," Overall Reax

MCMAHON'S TNA IMPACT REPORT 10/7: TNA Title Series kicks off, Bound for Glory fall-out, more; Overall Reax