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By Chris Newth, PWTorch contributor

WWE Monday Night Raw
May 26, 2008
Upcoming PPV: One Night Stand (last episode before PPV)

RAW STORYLINES AND FEUDS

Welcome to the fortieth edition of Raw Storylines and Feuds.

For those wondering about the Intrigue Level system that I employ, you can refer to the numbers as follows:

10 (excellent), 9 (great), 8-6 (very good, good, pretty good), 5 (decent; has its good and bad qualities), 4-3 (needs work, poor), 2 (bad), 1 (terrible)

Mr. McMahon started Raw with a backstage promo in which he stated that he was going to show appreciation for the fans. He concluded by hinting that something big was going to happen—something that has never happened on TV before. Jericho's idea was to provide a Judgment Day rematch featuring him and Shawn Michaels as well as a change in McMahon's music. Cryme Tyme suggested an auction to get rid of Regal's old stuff. Mickie James suggested that they make a contest to award a school with a WWE Diva Day. JBL suggested giving the fans ringside memorabilia like pieces of the One Night Stand mat with Cena's blood on it (how thoughtful). At the end of the show, McMahon promised two things: 1) a 2008 WWE Draft (which hopefully will even out the roster and solve some of the issues plaguing the top-heavy Raw brand), and 2) one million dollars to be given away to the fans each week on Raw for an unspecified amount of time.


WWE Champion TRIPLE H vs. RANDY ORTON (9 weeks)

Todd Grisham introduced Triple H and Randy Orton to kick off Raw with a face-off before their WWE Title Match at One Night Stand. Grisham asked Orton, "What makes you think that you can beat Triple H this Sunday?" Orton responded angrily by claiming that everyone downplays his accomplishments. Triple H talked about how Orton was unsure of himself and how he looked like he was trying to convince himself he was the best by saying it for the seven months he was champion.

When Orton brought up the fact that Triple H turned on him when he won the World Title during Evolution years, Triple H responded by saying that it was the logical thing to do (he wasn't just going to walk away and let Orton keep the title for himself). The segment closed with Triple H vowing to beat Orton at One Night Stand. "I am going to leave you lying here and walk to the back," Triple H threatened, "And when I do, the Age of Orton won't just be dead; it'll be like it never even existed."

This was a very strong verbal sparring session between Raw's two top stars over the WWE Championship. Randy Orton made logical points, looking extremely emotionally involved throughout the exchange, while Triple H appeared to be living up to his cerebral assassin moniker. The Game seemed to be playing mind games with Orton, describing his insecurities through psychoanalysis in the middle of an argument about who was going to beat whom at the next PPV. This is the kind of segment that WWE needed to show this week. As I mentioned in last week's column, Triple H almost seemed invisible during this particular reign as WWE Champion. I argued that if he were a heel, he'd be getting a lot more mic time to establish himself. Well, this week's in-ring argument between The Game and The Legend Killer helped to give some much-needed substance to a strong babyface carrying the title. Nicely done.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 10 [up 1 since last week]

Previous Feuds
Randy Orton: Dusty & Cody Rhodes, John Cena, Shawn Michaels, Chris Jericho, Jeff Hardy, Cena & Triple H
Triple H: King Booker, Umaga, Jeff Hardy, Orton & JBL

JOHN CENA vs. JBL (9 weeks)

Backstage, JBL interrupted Mickie James when she was giving Mr. McMahon ideas. He offended her by talking about how his match with Cena could stain the mat with fluids other than blood because of his relationship with Mickie James. McMahon tried to quell the situation by saying, "I think what he means by that is saliva. I think that's what he means." McMahon's reaction with that line was perfect. Later in the show, John Cena teamed with Jeff Hardy to face the tough heel team consisting of JBL and Umaga. The match ended when Layfield hit Hardy with his Lariat from Hell for the three count. After the match, the heels walked up the ramp as Cena helped Hardy to his feet.

This particular rivalry could have used something more than a tag team match, albeit a good one, with another upper-midcard feud on Raw. It still feels like it's missing something, and this week didn't make it complete. Cena isn't appearing like the star he once was, and that isn't a good sign for this storyline. It just seems that WWE could do a lot more with it, but they aren't. If their hearts are not into it, the WWE writers should definitely find new opponents for each of these guys after One Night Stand. The rivalry as a whole contains a hefty amount of potential; it's just a matter of shaping the narrative a little bit.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 7.5 [same as last week]

Previous Feuds
JBL: Chris Jericho, Finlay, Triple H & Orton
John Cena: Edge, Umaga, Bobby Lashley, Orton & Triple H

SHAWN MICHAELS vs. CHRIS JERICHO vs. BATISTA (9 weeks)

Backstage, Chris Jericho met with Mr. McMahon to discuss his ideas for change. Jericho suggested that McMahon update his music with something more rock-themed. He also asked for a Judgment Day rematch against Shawn Michaels on Raw since it was such a good match. McMahon asked if he was frustrated with Michaels, and he confirmed that he indeed was. So McMahon granted the match.

At about the show's halfway point, Chris Jericho and Shawn Michaels squared off. The match ended when Jericho applied the Walls of Jericho on Michaels while both men were at ringside, prompting the referee to call for the double countout. After the match, Jericho remained frustrated, and he grabbed a steel chair. He hoisted the chair into the air, poised to attack Michaels, but after a few seconds of consideration, he decided against it. Instead, he helped HBK up and walked to the back with a really conflicted look on his face, as if he couldn't believe what came over him—what he was about to actually do. Nicely done.

Okay, the Michaels-Jericho rivalry is intriguing, but the booking is quite confusing. Jericho actually needs this in order to spring back to the top of the card. His matches with HBK give him great rub. If he ever beat Michaels one-on-one, his perception as a top-tier player would acquire a much stronger foundation. Jericho is currently one of the people suffering from this top-heavy Raw roster—a roster featuring legitimate main event stars like Triple H, Jeff Hardy, JBL, John Cena, Randy Orton, Shawn Michaels, and Umaga all on the same brand. As for Batista's role in this storyline, it is unclear. It seems that Michaels has his own issues on Raw with Jericho while Batista fights MVP on Smackdown, and neither combination truly promotes the upcoming Michaels-Batista Stretcher Match at One Night Stand.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 9 [up 0.5 since last week]

Previous Feuds
Batista: Edge, The Great Khali, Undertaker, Umaga
Shawn Michaels: Randy Orton, Mr. Kennedy, Ric Flair
Chris Jericho: Randy Orton, JBL, Jeff Hardy, Money in the Bank

JEFF HARDY vs. UMAGA (3 weeks)

As mentioned above, Hardy teamed with Cena to face Umaga and JBL. The match saw the heels win when JBL landed his Lariat from Hell on Jeff Hardy for the win.

This rivalry was restarted a few weeks ago, and it doesn't quite feel like it has reestablished itself just yet. A few more weeks should do the trick, so hopefully it continues beyond One Night Stand. These are two talented guys that can put on a hell of a match, and the feud must rely on in-ring competition since Umaga's character doesn't speak English. Let's see how this one plays out after their Falls Count Anywhere Match at One Night Stand.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 7 [up 1.5 since last week]

Previous Feuds
Jeff Hardy: Umaga, Mr. Kennedy, Triple H, Randy Orton, Chris Jericho
Umaga: Jeff Hardy, Triple H, Batista

MR. KENNEDY vs. PAUL BURCHILL (w/ Katie Lea) (1 week)

Mr. Kennedy faced Carlito one-on-one, and the match ended when Kennedy delivered his Mic Check for the win. After the match, an aggravated Katie Lea walked out with mic in hand. She told Kennedy that some people thought that Regal was doing a great job as General Manager of Raw. "You have made yourself a very powerful enemy," Katie said. Suddenly, Burchill attacked Kennedy from behind, taking advantage of Kennedy's weakened state after the match with Carlito. Burchill hit a neckbreaker before giving Kennedy the Curb Stomp. Afterward, the insidious sibling duo walked up the ramp with evil etched on their faces as Kennedy lay helpless and beaten on the mat.

This one has the potential to be a strong feud in the coming weeks. Now that Regal is gone, it looks like Kennedy is in need of a competitive heel, and WWE has apparently chosen Paul Burchill to fill the gap after months of squash matches on Raw. It's not a bad way to go considering that WWE wants Burchill to start off strong. Kennedy is probably in the best place on the roster for Burchill; he's not too high on the roster, and he certainly isn't low. There's even valid reasoning behind it, a storyline backing, if you will. We know that Burchill was chummy with William Regal, so it makes logical sense for him to seek out and destroy the man who got Regal fired. As for the hinted feud between Katie Lea and WWE Women's Champion, Mickie James, it is now uncertain as her sights may have shifted to Kennedy for the time being.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 5.5

Previous Feuds
Mr. Kennedy: Jeff Hardy, Shawn Michaels, William Regal
Paul Burchill: n/a

BETH PHOENIX vs. MELINA (4 weeks)

This week, Beth Phoenix sat on commentary with Ross and Lawler as Melina faced Jillian one-on-one. Before the matchup, Jillian talked about how she was Melina's best friend, but she has "no chance in hell" this Sunday at One Night Stand when she will face The Glamazon in an "I Quit" Match. She started singing Mr. McMahon's theme song in a way that could easily make someone's ears bleed. Suddenly, Melina arrived with a snide smile on her face. The match between Melina and Jillian ended when Melina applied her grapevine and bridge submission for the victory.

Well, that's an interesting stipulation for a divas' match this Sunday. Melina gained some momentum after winning her match with one of her signature moves, but it didn't do much to get the crowd on her side as a babyface. It will be interesting to see if WWE turns her wholeheartedly at some point or if she will instead return to the natural heel persona to which she has grown accustomed since her original debut.

It's still odd (but not necessarily in a bad way) that WWE decided to pit these two against one another; it's quite intriguing, actually. Melina is arguably a better heel character, but Beth has a somewhat mean spirit combined with her powerhouse wrestling status. It's an odd pairing for a divas' feud, but they haven't yet developed it into something truly engaging.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 6 [up 0.5 since last week]

Previous Feuds
Beth Phoenix: Candice Michelle, Mickie James, Maria, Mickie James
Melina: Mickie James, Candice Michelle

SANTINO MARELLA vs. RODDY PIPER (5 weeks)

Ross and Lawler hyped an upcoming matchup between Santino and Cousin Sal on a future episode of Friday Night Smackdown. They then cut to a training video where Cousin Sal was getting some wrestling tips from his friend, Roddy Piper. It was a humorous video where a reluctant Cousin Sal was being beaten down by Piper as Jimmy Kimmel watched with popcorn from the outside of the ring. Kimmel joked throughout the session, and the segment ended when Piper and Kimmel left for lunch as Cousin Sal lay motionless on the mat, having ultimately learned nothing during the training session.

What is there to say about this feud? It's a non-traditional, nonwrestler storyline that could be entertaining (Santino's involved, after all). I guess that's the only thing worth criticizing: Santino should have played some role on Raw.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 6 [same as last week]

Previous Feuds
Santino Marella: Umaga, Ron Simmons, Val Venis, Steve Austin, Maria
Roddy Piper: n/a

World Tag Team Champions HARDCORE HOLLY & CODY RHODES vs. TED DIBIASE (1 week)

This week, Hardcore Holly and Cody Rhodes teamed up and put their World Tag Team Titles on the line against the team that's so elusive, you can rarely even see them on Raw: Paul London and Brian Kendrick. The match ended when London found himself caught in position for the Alabama Slam. Hardcore Holly delivered the move, made the cover, and retained the World Tag Team Championship for his team. After the bout, Ted DiBiase came out and introduced his son, Ted DiBiase as the new threat on Raw. The young DiBiase told Hardcore Holly and Cody Rhodes that he would be champion in his first match. That's some prediction.

This just got interesting. We have the son of Ted DiBiase battling the son of Dusty Rhodes in a feud for the World Tag Team Championship. It was time to bring in someone new to freshen things up. Now the question revolves around whom WWE will partner DiBiase with. What about D.H. Smith? Or maybe someone with a more veteran status that could be a good matchup against Hardcore Holly? This is going to need a few weeks to flesh out, but hopefully DiBiase can garner some nice heat as the conceited newcomer, perhaps even taking a page out of his father's proverbial playbook with the rich, smarmy guy gimmick.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 5.5

Previous Feuds
Hardcore Holly & Cody Rhodes: Santino Marella & Carlito
Ted DiBiase: n/a

LANCE CADE vs. TREVOR MURDOCH (7 weeks w/ 4 weeks hiatus)

The only segment that included anyone pertaining to his feud occurred when Trevor Murdoch sang his own version of "No Chance in Hell" to McMahon, who quickly put an end to it, telling him instead to go gather the entire Raw roster for the big announcement at the end of the show. It isn't certain, but this one could very well be over. What is going on here? This rivalry had a lot of potential, and WWE seems to have blatantly dropped it. And where has Cade been?

Intrigue Level (out of 10): n/a

Previous Feuds
Trevor Murdoch: n/a
Lance Cade: n/a


CONCLUDED FEUDS

(1) Lance Cade vs. Trevor Murdoch?
(2) Mr. Kennedy vs. William Regal


POTENTIAL FEUDS

(1) Hardcore Holly & Cody Rhodes vs. Paul London & Brian Kendrick
(2) Mr. Kennedy vs. Carlito


Thanks for reading, everyone. If you have any questions, suggestions, or comments, feel free to email me at newthtorch@hotmail.com. I greatly appreciate all the feedback that I receive, and I will respond to every email. Please insert a word in the subject line that deals with a wrestling topic or write something such as "WWE," "feud," or "Charlie Haas" so that I know it's not junk mail.

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