By Chris Newth, PWTorch contributor

WWE Monday Night Raw
June 9, 2008
Upcoming PPV: Night of Champions (third-to-last episode before PPV)

RAW STORYLINES AND FEUDS

Welcome to the forty-second 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 (2 weeks)

John Cena and Triple H met backstage in the locker room to discuss their upcoming WWE Title Match. Cena claimed that they were the two best wrestlers in WWE, but Triple H clarified the statement, noting that he was still better than Cena. John Cena mentioned how he beat The Game two years ago at WrestleMania, but Triple H vowed to win their next match at Night of Champions.

In the first main event of the night, Cena faced JBL while Triple H joined Ross and Lawler on commentary. The bout ended when Cena caught JBL with an inside cradle for the victory. After that match, Triple H stood atop the announce table holding the WWE Championship. Cena then jumped up there with him to have a face-to-face stare-down. To close the segment, Triple H got off the table and then pulled Cena's leg out from under him, causing him to fall on the announce desk.

This feud is getting there. As of right now, the excitement of a potential Cena-Triple H title match isn't quite full, but the program is only two weeks old. It was smart to have Triple H on commentary (and an unusual move). Having each wrestler sit, watch, and comment on their opponent during high-profile matches is a good strategy. It allows viewers to hear what's in the wrestlers' minds. And in some ways, going on commentary often breaks down some of the character walls, sometimes allowing people to get a glimpse of truth in what they are saying. Triple H's comments about John Cena were said in character, but many of his words may mirror truth about how he feels. This storyline is clearly being eclipsed by the continual McMahon's Million Dollar Mania segments, but that is WWE's current television strategy.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 7 [up 0.5 since last week]

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 (2 weeks)

JBL was shown backstage to address the crowd. He said that none of the WWE fans deserve Mr. McMahon's money. He then talked about his matchup with John Cena in one of Raw's two main events this week. After a commercial break, Layfield went one-on-one with John Cena, a match that ended with a win for Cena.

Chris Jericho, on the other hand, hosted another edition of the Highlight Reel this week. His special guest for the night was Shawn Michaels, who was introduced as Y2J's personal friend and mentor. Michaels entered the ring, and Jericho began by congratulating him for withstanding the pain and fighting his heart out against Batista at One Night Stand. He then brought up the fact that he is upfront with people while Michaels lies to the fans. Jericho was baffled that the fans booed him for not hitting Michaels or JBL with a chair, yet they cheer Michaels for Super-Kicking Jericho. "How did Michaels…turn into such a lying, cheating, pathetic worm of a human being?" Jericho asked before charging Michaels with a flurry of punches. Y2J then gave Michaels a low blow and sent him crashing through the Highlight Reel television monitor.

Here we have two very strong segments that suggest the conclusion to this short feud—a feud that was reignited only two weeks ago. It isn't clear where JBL is heading since WWE is likely to keep Triple H and John Cena a singles rivalry with a one-on-one title match at Night of Champions.

Jericho, on the other hand, is now gunning for Michaels, this time with a clear-cut heel character. And WWE deserves credit for staging this well; over the course of the last few weeks, they've had Jericho show a decent side (by not hitting people with chairs) only to be booed by fans who wanted carnage. Now he's using that as an excuse to turn into a jealous heel. I guess not hitting people with chairs was just a way to please fans, and when they booed him, he decided to up the damage and crash Michaels's head into a television set. It was a smart move by WWE to finally turn Jericho into what could be a very strong heel player on Raw after a semi-disappointing crowd reaction to him as a babyface.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): n/a

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) (3 weeks)

To kick off the show, Mr. Kennedy faced Paul Burchill in a singles matchup. The bout ended when Kennedy hit his Mic Check finisher for the three count. After they showed replays, Katie Lea stood in the ring face-to-face with Mr. Kennedy. After a brief pause, she hurled a slap to his face, which prompted another stare-down. Then Burchill surprised Kennedy with a neckbreaker that Ross called the Twisted Sister. So the heels stood tall after Kennedy won his match this week.

This was a classic example of formulaic, yet effective, wrestling booking. The pushed babyface gets the clean win over his rival, but the last impression viewers have of the segment is one of the heel one-upping his competition. Katie and Burchill make a good pairing, and this feud does have potential moving forward. It's clear that their issues with Mr. Kennedy will continue in the coming weeks, and if the storyline is given more narrative beyond Kennedy winning matches, these characters could take off in popularity. Burchill is doing a nice job as a heel, and Katie makes a good manager with the ability to get viewers angry. This feud needs more talk because WWE is likely to put Kennedy over, leaving Burchill with no clean wins. And as a relatively new member of the Raw roster, that doesn't fare well for Burchill's future.

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

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

BETH PHOENIX vs. MELINA (6 weeks)

This week, Beth Phoenix went one-on-one with WWE Women's Champion Mickie James. The match ended when Mickie landed a Thez press off the top rope for the win. After the match, Beth began to stalk Mickie, but Melina jumped into the ring to attack her current rival. Phoenix lifted Melina onto the ropes, but Melina grabbed Phoenix by the hair and planted her face in the mat with an impressive new move. Phoenix stared at Melina from a still-prone position as the segment came to a close.

Another effective week to continue the issues between Melina and Phoenix. Their fiery rivalry is steadily growing, and now Melina is showing that she may have some moves that could put The Glamazon away. It probably didn't do much good, however, to have Phoenix lose to Mickie in a matter of minutes. Wins over her used to be few and far between; now her position as the most fearsome diva on the roster may be compromised. The crowd reaction to this feud has been fantastic in recent weeks, but WWE has to forge a plan that will benefit both Melina and Beth. For example, maybe Beth should have won a squash against someone like Maria or Jillian or Ashley before the surprise attack by Melina took place. In any event, this is still a strong non-title rivalry. Nicely done.

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

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

SANTINO MARELLA vs. RODDY PIPER (7 weeks w/ 1 week hiatus)

With the exception of a brief recap from Smackdown as well as the backstage vignette joking (I assume) about a match between Cousin Sal and Big Show, nothing was done on Raw to suggest that this feud will continue. This one looks like it's over.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): n/a

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 (3 weeks)

Hardcore Holly and Cody Rhodes teamed up to face the monster heel team of Umaga and Snitsky this week on Raw. The match ended when Umaga took Rhodes out with the Samoan Spike for the win. After the matchup, Ted DiBiase, Jr. walked out to the stage with mic in hand. He said that in a couple of weeks, he will team with a partner of his choosing, and they will win the World Tag Team Titles at the Night of Champions PPV. He said that the moment of them winning the gold will be just like him: "simply priceless."

Wouldn't it be completely deflating for the high standards of DiBiase if he didn't win the World Tag Team Titles come Night of Champions? I mean, WWE has basically set it up to a point where if he doesn't win, he'll look like a fool with no credibility behind his words. However, he does make a really good bad guy despite not yet appearing in any matchups. When he says his "simply priceless" lines, I can't help but to think, "That's one pompous heel."

As for Cody Rhodes and Hardcore Holly, they are slowly losing their edge. Although the current storyline revolves around the idea that their team is crumbling, it seems like their fate would be much worse if they held it together. Their team used to be eclectic and fresh, but it's grown pretty stale after months of ignoring character issues between them (and keeping them off TV for weeks at a time). With everything lining up like this, it makes the feud pretty predictable, but the excitement now lies in the possibilities to come after the inevitable title loss.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 6.5 [up 0.5 since last week]

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

LANCE CADE vs. TREVOR MURDOCH (9 weeks w/ 5 weeks hiatus)

Again, nothing was done to advance this particular feud. Maybe their matchup last week was the culmination of this half-hearted storyline. Then again, perhaps WWE will continue their once-every-other-week treatment, allowing the rivalry to continue next week. But in all likelihood, WWE probably didn't want too much to come out of this beyond the partnership broken and the heel turn made by Lance Cade.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 3 [down 2 since last week]

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


CONCLUDED FEUDS

(1) Chris Jericho vs. JBL
(2) Santino Marella vs. Roddy Piper
(3) Lance Cade vs. Trevor Murdoch?


POTENTIAL FEUDS

(1) Hardcore Holly & Cody Rhodes vs. Umaga & Snitsky
(2) Cryme Tyme vs. Santino Marella & Carlito
(3) Mickie James vs. Beth Phoenix


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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