By Chris Newth, PWTorch contributor

WWE Monday Night Raw
December 29, 2008
Upcoming PPV: Royal Rumble (fourth-to-last episode before PPV)

RAW STORYLINES AND FEUDS

Welcome to the sixty-seventh 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 Hvt. Champion JOHN CENA vs. JBL (1 week)

Summary Quick Shots:

-John Cena argued with Stephanie McMahon backstage about her decision to make him a guest commentator later in the show. He mocked the decision before suggesting a match involving him, Knox, and Mysterio. He left her in a pensive state.

-A bitter Jericho questioned being named Jerk of the Year by WWE Magazine. He asked for the criteria for that title and disputed the idea that a jerk was someone who tells the truth (which he believes he has done).

-John Cena teamed with Rey Mysterio, Kofi Kingston, and Cryme Tyme to face the team of Mike Knox, Dolph Ziggler, Kane, Miz, and Morrison. The match ended when Mysterio splashed Knox to pick up the victory.

-In Raw's main event Fatal Four-Way Match, JBL picked up the win to become the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship. He basically told Michaels to take a loss, and after a Clothesline from Hell, HBK let him win.

Analysis:

And so more storylines merge. Now we know that the JBL-HBK feud has directly influenced the creation of Raw's newest main event rivalry: Layfield versus reigning champion John Cena. A lot of this show felt like filler, as if WWE intended to sew some seeds as it heads into 2009. The Cena-Stephanie argument, the Jericho promo, and even the ten-man tag team matchup just seemed like ways for WWE to give people (particularly Cena) something to do before the show officially named a number one contender for the title. Now things can get underway with new fire. I like the idea of Layfield really taking advantage of his position as Michaels's employer in order to build success on Raw. HBK himself is a legitimate contender for the World Heavyweight Title, and JBL knows it. That, of course, was the point when JBL refused to allow Mysterio the chance to replace Michaels in the main event. In any case, the storyline is solid, and hopefully Cena can begin to express his opinions and get involved with HBK's ongoing series of dilemmas.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 7

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

RANDY ORTON vs. BATISTA (8 weeks)

Summary Quick Shots:

-Orton told Rhodes, Snuka, and Manu that they had to win their individual singles matches or they'd be out of the Legacy faction.

-A video package highlighted Batista's current health status after undergoing surgery.

-Kelly Kelly confronted Orton as the person she protected from Kane, but he blew her off by stating that he used her and that they're night together wasn't all that memorable.

Analysis:

Many different things happened on Raw regarding Randy Orton. In fact, he was probably the most utilized character on the show this week. He's clearly dedicated to this new faction, The Legacy, as he provided an ultimatum to the people who are striving to make the cut. It will be interesting to see what Orton decides to do with Manu next week. Will the guy be given a second chance, will he be simply let go, or will something worse—like a beating or humiliation—happen to him? Then we had Kelly's confession as she confronted Randy Orton about their secret relationship. She expressed concern and wanted to protect him from Kane, and she used a former rival (The Miz) to take the blame. But Orton showed no gratitude, instead callously brushing Kelly off after demoralizing her. Where that goes I have no clue, but it's nice to see a character involved in so many different little angles. And then we had the main event where Orton lost his chance to vie for the World Heavyweight Title against Cena. That loss will presumably give Orton more time to build up his stable and perhaps even deal with the Kelly/Kane issue, but we do know that his feud with Batista has been indefinitely pushed aside.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): n/a

Previous Feuds
Randy Orton: John Cena, Shawn Michaels, Chris Jericho, Jeff Hardy, Cena & Triple H, Triple H
Batista: Great Khali, Undertaker, MVP, Umaga, Shawn Michaels, Edge, CM Punk, John Cena

SHAWN MICHAELS vs. JBL (10 weeks)

Summary Quick Shots:

-Rey Mysterio kicked off Raw to ask Shawn Michaels face-to-face for an opportunity to get into the Royal Rumble Match after Michaels cost him that chance last week thanks to JBL. Michaels accepted sympathetically, but Layfield altered the decision using his financial leverage over HBK.

-Mike Knox then attacked Rey Mysterio, but John Cena made the save.

-When Todd Grisham interviewed Shawn Michaels in the locker room, HBK said the only thing he's concerned about when it comes to WrestleMania is stealing the show.

-In the main event, JBL forced Michaels to take a loss. Michaels couldn't allow himself to simply lie down and be pinned, but he did let Layfield hit the Clothesline from Hell to take the win.

Analysis:

It's probably safe to assume that this storyline is about to merge into the upcoming Cena-JBL feud that's revving up for the Royal Rumble in January. For that reason, any analysis for this one will be included in that main event section at the top.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 8 [up 2 since last week]

Previous Feuds
Shawn Michaels: Randy Orton, Mr. Kennedy, Ric Flair, Batista & Jericho
JBL: Chris Jericho, Finlay, Triple H & Orton, John Cena, CM Punk

Intercontinental Champion WILLIAM REGAL vs. CM PUNK (6 weeks w/ 1 week hiatus)

Summary Quick Shots:

-William Regal observed at ringside as CM Punk fought Cody Rhodes one-on-one. The match saw Cody Rhodes sneak by with the victory when he jumped into the ring right before the ref's ten count. Punk lost by countout with some distraction by Regal.

-After the match, Punk was set to give Rhodes the Go 2 Sleep, but Regal caught Punk with a running knee to the skull, knocking Punk to the mat.

Analysis:

This week's events provided strong storyline support on two fronts. The match contained some inherent tension as Punk looked to retain momentum as he heads into his Intercontinental Championship match next week on Raw, while Rhodes looked to remain in the newly formed, Orton-led stable called The Legacy. A loss for Cody—as was made clear by Orton directly prior—would result in immediate expulsion. So the result of the match had heavy consequences. Will the knee to Punk's head affect his title matchup next week in any way? Overall, WWE did a nice job with this segment as it set the stage nicely for next Monday night.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 8 [up 0.5 since last week]

Previous Feuds
William Regal: Mr. Kennedy, Jamie Noble, Santino Marella
CM Punk: Elijah Burke, John Morrison, Chavo Guerrero, Morrison & Miz, Batista, JBL

WWE Women's Champion BETH PHOENIX (w/ Santino Marella) vs. MELINA (6 weeks)

Summary Quick Shots:

-Beth Phoenix and Santino Marella sat on guest commentary with Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler as six of Raw's divas—Mickie James, Kelly Kelly, Candice Michelle, Melina, Katie Lea Burchill, and Jillian Hall—competed in a Battle Royal Match to determine the number one contender for Beth's title.

-The match ended when Melina kicked Mickie James out of the ring to win. Afterward, Melina and Beth Phoenix fought at ringside, but Beth's super fan Rosa jumped the guardrail and darted for Melina. She was taken back through the crowd by security.

Analysis:

The win for Melina was slightly predictable. Anyone who can read the heading for this feud section: "WWE Women's Champion BETH PHOENIX vs. MELINA" could easily see who was most likely to win that Battle Royal Match. As for the post-match angle, it was done pretty effectively. WWE has been pointing out this particular fan for the past month now as she holds Beth Phoenix signs up in an almost obsessive way. Her dive over the rail to attack Melina was a great way to begin her incorporation into the storyline. She's obviously a sycophant with some psychological issues, and that could make for an entertaining new female character on Raw. Santino's reaction to the situation put the icing on the proverbial cake here.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 7.5 [up 0.5 since last week]

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


CONCLUDED FEUDS

(1) John Cena vs. Chris Jericho
(2) Randy Orton vs. Batista


POTENTIAL FEUDS

(1) John Cena vs. Mike Knox
(2) CM Punk vs. Cody Rhodes
(3) Sim Snuka vs. Charlie Haas
(4) Randy Orton vs. Kane
(5) Randy Orton vs. Kelly Kelly
(6) Matt Hardy vs. Manu


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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