By Chris Newth, PWTorch contributor

WWE Monday Night Raw
June 2, 2008
Upcoming PPV: Night of Champions (fourth-to-last episode before PPV)

RAW STORYLINES AND FEUDS

Welcome to the forty-first 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)


WWE Champion TRIPLE H vs. JOHN CENA (1 week)

Triple H kicked off the show by announcing that the Age of Orton is broken and dead. He explained that Randy Orton broke his collarbone at One Night Stand, and he's sitting in a hospital bed this week. Triple H then began to talk about how he doesn't care who the next challenger is, and that's when John Cena made an appearance. He told The Game that with the WWE Draft just around the corner, this may be the last chance they have to fight for the WWE Title. "Are you ready? Are you ready for the biggest event in this business?" Cena asked. Triple H replied with a similar use of someone else's catchphrase: "If you want some, come get some."

Suddenly, Jeff Hardy's music hit, and he made his way to the ring. Jeff said that as far as he's concerned, he too is in line for the WWE Championship. Triple H said that he really doesn't care who he faces for the title. Hardy challenged Cena in a match for contention. Then Mr. McMahon came on the big screen and said that Jeff Hardy should face John Cena in a Number One Contender's Match. Ross and Lawler sarcastically credited McMahon for Jeff's idea.

Later in the show, John Cena met with Mickie James after her matchup. He apologized for all the rumors that are swirling; then he told her that she had forgotten something. He handed her a pair of panties, which she must have left at his place. She laughed it off—as if slightly embarrassed—before heading to see the trainer.

The main event got underway at the end of the show, and it concluded when John Cena rolled through Jeff Hardy's cross body before hoisting up Hardy for the FU and the win. After the match, Triple H came out to the stage, and John Cena met him there. They stared one another down as The Game held up his title to close the show.

The opening segment did a nice job changing the main event landscape on Raw with a smooth transition from Orton to John Cena and Jeff Hardy. It's also nice that Hardy challenged Cena to a matchup and that he positioned himself as a potential contender (at least in viewers' perception) for the WWE Title after stating a valid argument—that he beat Umaga at One Night Stand. Triple H is playing his character well as the almost overconfident babyface champion who's willing to put his title on the line against either Cena or Hardy.

As for the backstage segment with Mickie, I think it's smart for WWE to build this kind of relationship with one of their top talents. It's unnecessary (although possible) for Mickie to accompany Cena at ringside during matches. They are both tremendously successful on their own. However, WWE can later use Cena's relationship with Mickie as a plot device to help make a future storyline more potent. For now, they could be the interesting backstage couple. Plus, it does allow viewers to see another side of both Cena and Mickie James, which is never a bad thing when considering character growth.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 6.5

Previous Feuds
Triple H: King Booker, Umaga, Jeff Hardy, Orton & JBL
John Cena: Edge, Umaga, Bobby Lashley, Orton & Triple H, JBL

CHRIS JERICHO vs. JBL (1 week)

Ross interviewed Jericho, who was backstage. Jericho talked about how he respected Shawn Michaels and how he (Jericho) is a record-holding 8-time Intercontinental Champion. However, he wants to start defending the title as often as he can, and it will start against JBL in their upcoming Raw matchup. He concluded the interview by saying that he wanted to dedicate his match with Layfield to Shawn Michaels.

At the halfway point in the show, Jericho faced JBL in singles competition for the Intercontinental Title. The action eventually spilled to ringside, and JBL grabbed a chair, prompting the referee to call for the disqualification. Jericho then surprised Layfield with an enziguiri, felling JBL. He then stalked JBL with the chair, hoisting it up as he prepared to hit Layfield. But then his coolness prevailed, and he dropped the chair just as he did last week against Shawn Michaels.

It's good for Jericho to clear the slate and start fresh against an actual heel. JBL may not be the right person, but who knows where this is going to go. Let's remember that Jericho has already battled Layfield. Also note that Jericho said he wanted to defend the Intercontinental Championship as often as he can, which suggests that he will be taking on a variety of challengers in the upcoming weeks. The storyline of a continual and frequent title defense is one that WWE doesn't use often, so there's valuable intrigue inherent in the idea.

Was Jericho's reference to Shawn Michaels a way to transition the storyline from HBK to something else, or will Michaels become a part of the evolving story? Not many people can picture Michaels vying for the Intercontinental Title against Jericho, but that may be where this is heading. After all, Michaels will be appearing on the Highlight Reel this Monday night on Raw.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 6

Previous Feuds
Chris Jericho: Randy Orton, JBL, Jeff Hardy, Money in the Bank, Shawn Michaels
JBL: Chris Jericho, Finlay, Triple H & Orton

MR. KENNEDY vs. PAUL BURCHILL (w/ Katie Lea) (2 weeks)

Mr. Kennedy came to the ring to cut a promo on Paul Burchill. He grabbed the mic that fell from the ceiling to talk about how Regal cried on his way out the door and how Burchill should look forward to following in his footsteps when Mr. Kennedy beats him. Then Burchill, accompanied by Katie Lea, walked onto the stage with mic in hand. He said that he would like nothing more than to enter the ring and beat up Kennedy, but he had to help Katie prepare for her first women's match later in the show. However, Burchill found a suitable replacement.

And that's when Umaga's music filled the arena. Kennedy and Umaga went one-on-one, and the bout ended when Kennedy dodged the flying Samoan as Umaga launched himself to ringside. The Samoan Bulldozer landed rib-first onto the announce table, causing him to roll on the ground in pain. Kennedy entered the ring while the referee began the ten count. Eventually, the ref hit ten, and Umaga remained writhing on the floor favoring his taped ribs. So Kennedy won the match; however, Burchill returned to attack an unsuspecting Kennedy. The segment ended with Burchill staring down Kennedy after the assault.

Later in the show, Katie Lea and Beth Phoenix won their tag team match, and Burchill came out to congratulate his sister. Suddenly, Kennedy avenged his earlier beat-down by attacking Burchill with multiple punches. Burchill eventually escaped the ring and headed up the ramp with Katie as they had another stare-down with Kennedy.

Well, talk about pushing the midcard. WWE featured an ongoing rivalry in two separate segments of the show, effectively building the intrigue with their short bursts of fighting. Could they have given Kennedy a clean victory against The Samoan Bulldozer the night after One Night Stand, a night where Umaga suffered possible injuries at the hands of Jeff Hardy with the big Swanton Bomb? They probably could have, but Kennedy can still tout the countout victory without mentioning the countout part. As for the story with Burchill, it's smart for WWE to intertwine this with Katie Lea because it has the potential to push all three characters simultaneously. This storyline is only in its second week, so it will take a little more time to really get going; however, these last two episodes of Raw have provided a very solid start.

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

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

BETH PHOENIX vs. MELINA (5 weeks)

This week, Phoenix teamed with Katie Lea to face Mickie James and Melina. During the match, Melina seemed to be in a catatonic state, as Ross put it. When Phoenix tagged in, Melina screamed at Mickie to tag her. As soon as it was Melina-Phoenix, Melina charged her opponent and started hurling punches. Phoenix surprisingly rolled out of the ring in retreat. The crowd started chanting "Melina." At the end of the match, Phoenix used a double axe handle to the back of Mickie's head, which enabled Katie Lea to score the pin.

The match's conclusion was a little unexpected with that axe handle causing the pinfall, but the story here was phenomenal. Melina did an awesome job looking like the extremely frustrated loser from One Night Stand who can't help herself when it comes to attacking Beth Phoenix. The issues between the two women—whatever they may actually be—have boiled over, and the results are great. It was uncertain up until this week how WWE was going to successfully transform Melina from a strong heel diva to a babyface (or at least someone the WWE audience could rally behind), but they undoubtedly accomplished that this week. Who would have thought that two clear heels could create such an intense rivalry? The crowd is behind Melina and her transformation, although it is not yet clear whether she has changed as a person—as a character—or whether it is simply a matter of personal distaste for The Glamazon.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 7.5 [up 1.5 since last week]

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

SANTINO MARELLA vs. RODDY PIPER (6 weeks)

This week, Santino Marella and Carlito fought Hardcore Holly and Cody Rhodes in tag team competition. Before the match had begun, Cody Rhodes noted that there wasn't a timekeeper because, for their match, there was a special person to fill that job. Rhodes introduced Roddy Piper as the special guest timekeeper for the match. When Piper rang the bell, the match started. During the bout, Piper tried to intervene by grabbing Santino's foot, but that distraction backfired. Hardcore Holly set Santino up for the Alabama Slam, but Carlito kicked Holly, causing Santino to sunset flip him into a victory. After the match, Piper was angry at himself for essentially causing the loss.

WWE needed to find some way to give Santino a hint of momentum heading into his match against Cousin Sal Friday night on Smackdown. A win over the World Tag Team Champions is a good way to do that. Piper's involvement seemed utterly ridiculous, as if he thought the babyface champs needed the assistance because things weren't going their way. Piper's reaction after the conclusion of the match suggested that he felt the same way in retrospect. Overall, this was just a segment on Raw to hype the "celebrity" matchup on Smackdown and to give Santino something to work with since his chances of pulling off a victory against, well, anyone in singles competition are slim.

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 (2 weeks)

After losing their match against Santino and Carlito, Hardcore Holly met with Cody Rhodes in the locker room to ask why Cody didn't tell him about Piper being at ringside. Cody said that he wanted it to be a surprise, but that it was okay since the match wasn't for the World Tag Team Titles. Hardcore Holly said that if things don't change, they won't be champions much longer. Then Ted DiBiase, Jr. entered the locker room and told Cody that DiBiases have a tendency to get what they want. DiBiase analogized the look on Cody's face when he loses the titles to himself: both are "priceless."

It was odd for WWE to pit Rhodes and Hardcore Holly against Santino and Carlito again, but driving the proverbial wedge between the World Tag Team Champions was a good ultimate result. It looked sly for DiBiase, Jr. to sneak in and continue to brag about his seemingly inevitable victory at (presumably) Night of Champions. His chances look even better now with the new rift between Rhodes and Holly. It will be interesting to see how it all plays out, particularly concerning DiBiase's partner. Overall, this was a good way to continue the feud; the uncertainty is set, and DiBiase appears like an arrogant newcomer with an inflated ego.

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

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

LANCE CADE vs. TREVOR MURDOCH (8 weeks w/ 4 weeks hiatus)

This week, Lance Cade faced Trevor Murdoch one-on-one. Murdoch, who came out with new southern music, sang a little song before their match started. The match ended when Cade delivered a sit-down powerbomb for the three count.

This match certainly didn't make it seem like the feud was very important. In the last two months, WWE has basically pushed this team breakup and the resultant rivalry every other week. This short match between Cade and Murdoch did little to give viewers any good reason to put their interest in the feud. A decisive victory for Cade in a short contest doesn't leave much to work with. It's possible that Murdoch could try to avenge his loss with future matchups, but if WWE continues this one beyond this week, they should consider a lot more talking time (especially for Cade). The most intriguing element left is Cade's reasoning for decking his longtime tag team partner, and they should give Lance the opportunity to express that reasoning.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 5

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


CONCLUDED FEUDS

(1) Triple H vs. Randy Orton
(2) John Cena vs. JBL
(3) Shawn Michaels vs. Batista vs. Chris Jericho
(4) Jeff Hardy vs. Umaga
(5) Lance Cade vs. Trevor Murdoch?


POTENTIAL FEUDS

(1) Mr. Kennedy vs. Umaga
(2) Santino Marella & Carlito vs. Hardcore Holly & Cody Rhodes


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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