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I am totally unworthy of looking Under The Microscope. I did not earn this right. I lucked into this title and it's only because my father and my grandfather also went Under The Microscope. With that out of the way, let's take a closer look at Raw.
 
Right place, right time

If you listened closely, you heard several references to fluke champions, undeserving champions and lucky champions. This is not a new concept in the WWE. If you're upset about C.M. Punk not actually competing in the match which decided who held the title, remember how he won the belt. He wasn't in a match, he had a briefcase. You know, like the good old days! The idea of a prolonged feud, during which the underdog chases the champion with several near-wins until he finally overcomes the odds and captures the belt in dramatic fashion, seems terribly outdated. Please remember, these are the same people who brought you the Hardcore Champions Pete Gas, Maven, Rodney, Crash Holly, Joey Abs, Mighty Molly, Gerald Brisco, Shawn Stasiak and one of the Godfather's Ho's. Lack of credibility is nothing new.
 
Let's begin...at the beginning
 
For those who order the Pay-Per-Views, the opening segment of Raw is simply the next step from the night before. For those who don't order the PPV's and who choose to avoid the recaps, this should be the big payoff for the anticipation of the last few weeks. Lillian Garcia did a great job of pausing just after "New WWE Champion" long enough for the audience to run down the list. The announcement of Chris Jericho as champion surely was a surprise. Nice work by Jericho to explain how he even got into the match and then also wiped away the loss, reminding everyone that it was an "unsanctioned" match. Solid attention to details, as he has done throughout the last months.
 
Now for something completely random
 
As Jericho walked to the ring, he passed a fan holding a sign proclaiming the presence of "Scuba Steve". Scuba Steve was the superhero in the Adam Sandler comedy "Big Daddy". While Sandler's character has custody of small boy, he dresses up as Scuba Steve and reminds the kid to take a bath. Sandler's love interest in the film is a character named..."Layla". File that one away for later.
 
Look back and look ahead
 
The WWE frequently has a policy of never acknowledging history or looking to the future. The only time they'll reflect on the past is when they talk about what happened just before the break. Their version of forward thinking is talking about what will happen after the break. Monday's Raw showed a strong emphasis on looking ahead and remembering the past.
 
Mike Adamle recognized the obvious question of how C.M. Punk could lose his title despite not being in the match. He followed that by announcing he'll get a title shot next week. A cage match for the title should be something promoted a week in advance.
 
During the match between Beth Phoenix and Mickie James, Jerry Lawler and Michael Cole acknowledged the history between Phoenix and Candice Michelle, who had been sitting ringside. It's not often that a wrestler will appear at ringside and not get involved in the match. If you look a bit closer, you could tell by Michelle's outfit that she wasn't going to get physical in this match. Not even Scuba Steve would have been able to help keep that outfit under a PG rating.
 
But first, a song
 
When Jillian serenaded Jamie Noble and Layla, the song choice was obvious. "Layla" from Derek and the Dominoes was written by Eric Clapton and Clapton later released a slower version of the song. The song was written by Clapton about his affection for Pattie Boyd. There was just one problem.  Boyd was married to his best friend George Harrison. Whoops.  If Noble would have listened more closely to the lyrics, perhaps he would have picked a better song. Judging by the later events with Layla and William Regal, "Stand By Your Man" would have been a much more productive song choice.
 
The other song that was featured was an interesting version of the Barry Manilow song "Copacabana". Yes, Barry Manilow is Raw. Despite Noble's best intentions, Layla is never mentioned in the song. It's actually Lola. Yes, she was a showgirl with yellow feathers in her hair and a dress cut down to there. This is not the first time the song has been featured on Raw. Several years ago, The Rock pushed Jonathan Coachman to sing the song in front of the crowd. It ended like most other exchanges between The Rock and The Coach.
 
Honk if you're hardcore
 
Fantastic job recognizing The Mountie as the former Intercontinental Champion by Santino Marella! Assuming he keeps the belt until next Monday, he will pass Jeff Jarrett, Lance Storm, D-Lo Brown, Albert, Rob Van Dam, Christian, Val Venis, Steve Austin and someone named Chris Benoit. Let the betting begin about the odds of them NOT mentioning certain names on this list.

Lee Stevens is not hardcore. Did you catch something that he missed? Any questions or comments can be sent to him at GLStevens.Torch@gmail.com.

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