By Chris Newth, PWTorch contributor

WWE Monday Night Raw
September 22, 2008
Upcoming PPV: No Mercy (second-to-last episode before PPV)

RAW STORYLINES AND FEUDS

Welcome to the fifty-sixth 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)


World Heavyweight Champion CHRIS JERICHO vs. SHAWN MICHAELS (3 weeks)

Summary Quick Shots:

-Chris Jericho kicked off Raw with a promo atop a very tall ladder. He claimed he has more experience and more history with Ladder Matches than HBK and that he will win the World Title Match at No Mercy.

-Randy Orton interrupted Jericho's promo. Orton announced that he is untouchable by a new rule executively made my Mike Adamle. Jericho then left the ring, but Punk arrived to replace him. After an intense stare-down, Punk slapped Orton a few times.

-Mike Adamle then jogged to the ring to enforce his authority on Raw, promptly suspending CM Punk. In another twist, Shane McMahon made a rare television appearance to overrule Punk's suspension (but not the untouchable rule itself). Shane also booked the opening and closing matches.

-In the back, Shane told Adamle that he respected him and thought he was doing a fine job as GM.

-In Raw's main event, Jericho, JBL, and Lance Cade beat Batista and Shawn Michaels when Cade found a way to hit his finisher on Michaels for the big win.

Analysis:

The opening segment of the show pretty much epitomizes the way in which Raw has been written as of late. It's less segmented and more intertwined. People from various feuds find themselves interacting with one another. Look at the people involved in the opening scene: Jericho, Orton, Punk, Adamle, and Shane McMahon. There isn't a single feud that those guys fall under. The show seems a little bit more complex with the new writing strategy.

As for Jericho, he continues to be a very strong heel. "I am an honest man; I am a good man; and I always tell the truth," Jericho said. And Orton is gaining his momentum back by giving great lines like when he haughtily said, "When you're a third-generation superstar and you're the most valuable commodity on Raw, you tend to get what you want." Adamle's untouchable rule for Orton could be played out nicely if WWE takes advantage of it. It was understandable to see Orton fuming after being slapped by Punk and then having the suspension decision dropped by Shane. But it would be interesting to see Orton use the untouchable rule to get under everybody's skin. He could literally sit back and make comments that anger people throughout the show and laugh at the idea that they can't lay a finger on him. It would show how arrogant and slimy he is as well as how effectively he handles situations.

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

Previous Feuds
Chris Jericho: Randy Orton, JBL, Jeff Hardy, Money in the Bank, Shawn Michaels
Shawn Michaels: Randy Orton, Mr. Kennedy, Ric Flair, Batista & Jericho

REY MYSTERIO vs. KANE (7 weeks)

Summary Quick Shots:

-Kane demanded a match with Rey Mysterio from Adamle, so Adamle booked the match for No Mercy.

-Mysterio gave Evan Bourne a quick pep talk before his match.

-Kane defeated Bourne after delivering a chokeslam for the win.

-After the match, Rey Mysterio stopped Kane from attacking Bourne any further, but Kane quickly laid Rey out with another chokeslam.

Analysis:

This was the week to show Kane gaining all the momentum in his feud with Mysterio. With only two weeks left until No Mercy, the threat that Rey faces at that PPV had to be shown. Another good continuation for the storyline was the inclusion of the mask angle. After chokeslamming Rey Mysterio, Kane angrily and bitterly screamed at Rey, calling him a coward who hides behind a mask. That's still the driving force for Kane. WWE hasn't yet explained it exactly, but that's not necessary. We can assume that Kane is probably jealous that Rey can get away with wearing a mask throughout his career while still receiving great support and cheers from the fans. The feud is relatively strong, but not anything special just yet. Keeping Evan Bourne in the mix might add a little freshness, especially if WWE is heading in the direction of a protégé/mentor relationship Bourne is going to have with Rey Mysterio.

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

Previous Feuds
Rey Mysterio: Chavo Guerrero, Finlay, MVP, Edge
Kane: Shelton Benjamin, Chuck Palumbo, Chavo Guerrero, Miz & Morrison, Mark Henry

JOHN MORRISON & THE MIZ vs. CRYME TYME (1 week)

Summary Quick Shots:

-WWE ran a montage of interspersed clips from WWE.com's The Dirt Sheet and Cryme Tyme's show, Word Up.

-Miz and Morrison defeated Cryme Tyme after Morrison kicked Shad in the back of the head when the referee wasn't looking.

Analysis:

No surprise to see Miz and Morrison defeat Cryme Tyme in their first match together, giving reason for a feud to grow from here. The clips from the WWE.com shows were great when edited together. It felt as though these guys have been arguing via the internet for weeks. That footage gave more meaning to their match and made their potential feud feel a lot more significant. Using more internet-related footage in this storyline as the weeks pass would be a great way to do something different while also playing into these guys' personalities. Nicely done.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 6.5

Previous Feuds
John Morrison & The Miz: Yang & Moore, Dreamer & Delaney, CM Punk, Finlay & Hornswoggle
Cryme Tyme: Ted DiBiase & Cody Rhodes

BATISTA vs. SANTINO MARELLA (2 weeks)

Summary Quick Shots:

-Batista caught Santino Marella making fun of him backstage; Santino cowardly ran when he got the chance.

-After Kelly Kelly beat Beth Phoenix in a singles matchup, Batista saved Kelly from an attack by Beth and Santino. He snapped Santino's face mask and then speared him.

Analysis:

Not quite sure where WWE is headed with this one. Most likely, this is to give Batista some more TV time since he's currently not involved with any major feud. There may be something between him and JBL, but that rivalry hasn't really been emphasized. Of course, Santino is no match for Batista, but he can certainly bring out more of The Animal's character. That's what Santino should be used for anyway, so it's a smart move. It will be interesting to see how this plays out as No Mercy nears and if they continue to bother with these segments after this week.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 5.5

Previous Feuds
Batista: Great Khali, Undertaker, MVP, Umaga, Shawn Michaels, Edge, CM Punk, John Cena
Santino Marella: Steve Austin, Maria, Cody Rhodes & Hardcore Holly, Roddy Piper, Kofi Kingston

Women's Champion BETH PHOENIX vs. CANDICE MICHELLE (4 weeks)

Summary Quick Shots:

-Kelly Kelly defeated Beth Phoenix in a singles match with a surprise roll-up after a distraction by Santino backfired.

Analysis:

Nothing happened this week between Beth Phoenix and Candice Michelle. Odd.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 4.5 [down 1 since last week]

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

JAMIE NOBLE vs. WILLIAM REGAL (8 weeks w/ 2 weeks hiatus)

Summary Quick Shots:

-Jamie Noble pleaded with Shane McMahon to grant him one more shot against William Regal. Shane blew him off for bigger stars.

Analysis:

This feud was lost in the shuffle this week as Raw focused a lot more on much bigger storylines.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 3 [down 1.5 since last week]

Previous Feuds
Jamie Noble: Hornswoggle, Vickie Guerrero, Chuck Palumbo
William Regal: Mr. Kennedy


CONCLUDED FEUDS

(1) Randy Orton vs. Ted DiBiase & Cody Rhodes & Manu

POTENTIAL FEUDS

(1) CM Punk & Kofi Kingston vs. Cody Rhodes & Ted DiBiase & Manu
(2) Beth Phoenix vs. Kelly Kelly
(3) Santino Marella vs. Deuce
(4) Randy Orton vs. Shane McMahon


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 "Val Venis" so that I know it's not junk mail.

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