by Lee Stevens, Torch specialist

Thank you for joining me as we put Raw "Under The Microscope." For new readers, this is not a complete recap of the show. This is a closer look at the broadcast, from what was heard to what was seen and anything that crosses my mind during the night.

We could go back into wrestling history or we could go in a completely random direction which has nothing to do with the business. I will be serious when needed, but in most cases, let's just have some fun.

Whoo-hoo! I mean D'oh

Josh Matthews, you have struggled to make people notice you in the WWE and you've done everything asked of you, including working on Velocity, Heat, and various shows online. Thanks to your loyalty and dedication, we would like to offer you a spot as a lead announcer on ECW, including a rare chance to appear on the flagship Raw program during a special three-hour Draft show.

The only catch is that during the first moments on camera, you are going to have blood drip out of your nose, forcing you to sheepishly look away from the camera and quickly grab a tissue. Congratulations.

Although I haven't heard the actual cause of his untimely nosebleed, according to WebMD, one in seven people will develop a nosebleed at some time and they tend to occur during winter months in dry, cold climates. They didn't have any statistics of nosebleeds in people trying to make a good first impression to a demanding boss who will take a weakness and turn it into an on-air gimmick.

The most common cause of a nosebleed is trauma, such as a blow to the face, repeated irritation or nose picking. Regardless of the cause and any back stage ribbing he received, full credit to Matthews for recovering enough to have a decent performance the rest of the night. During the span of three hours he proved that he's a decent announcer and the easiest possible opponent in a first-blood match.

More Bad News

The fan of the night is the gentlemen in the stands spotted during Batista's entrance. He was wearing the classic (or is it vintage?) #12 jersey from the movie "Bad News Bears." Fans of the team sponsored by Chico's Bail Bonds will remember that number belonged to scrappy shortstop Tanner Boyle. He was the emotional leader of the team which also featured Kelly Leak, Amanda Whurlizer and Timmy Lupus who was unfortunate enough to have the last name of a chronic autoimmune disease most commonly found in women. For the record, nosebleeds are not a common symptom of Lupus.

Oh yeah, now I remember

The WWE production team did their usual solid work with videos, but specifically I appreciated the attention to detail in regards to Batista and Randy Orton. I had remembered that "The Animal" had been injured, but for a moment, I had forgotten exactly what had happened, at least for on-air purposes. Although he was actually rehabbing his hamstring, the video recap of the Orton punt to the head added a dose of tension to the final match of the night.

Other duties as assigned

One of the nominees for quote of the night goes to Raw General Manager Vickie Guerrero, who reminded everyone that the title of G.M. actually comes with responsibilities. "The only person who will determine who will face Orton and when, is me." I'm not sure how long that will last, but it's a refreshing bit of logic. I enjoy the determination in one wrestler challenging another for a fight and they can even score some hostility points by demanding that match by the end of the night in "this very ring", but in the end, the G.M. or another authority needs to call the shots. If they don't have that power, why do we have that position?

Center square for the block

The draft certainly prompted an interesting evening, but at The Microscope, I was drawn to the grid of superstars photos just before the pick was revealed. Just as the center square on Hollywood Squares always featured the unofficial "star" of the show, my favorite block was the upper right corner. There were two versions of the chart which rotated throughout the evening and in one, Teddy Long was in the upper right. In the other, "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan was featured, proving that all of the in-ring talent was available for the night.

Further proving that the WWE wants to include everyone, ECW ring announcer Tony Chimel had his smiling face featured throughout the night, however he was not "randomly" selected.

TV's are in color now too

"If the Miz fixed his hair, he'd look like Dwight Schrute from "The Office." ---Matt Striker

"Who?" ---Jerry Lawler

Schrute, played by Rainn Wilson, is the top salesperson at Dunder Mifflin Paper Company on the hit TV show "The Office." This is the fifth season of the U.S. version of the show which originated in the U.K. The American version has won Golden Globes, Emmys and Screen Actor's Guild awards and has spawned successful merchandise sales related to the show. As for the comparison, I'll let you be the judge.

Mr. Loverman

As Kofi Kingston took a fall to the ringside area, Matt Striker insisted that "Shabba Ranks is on his back." Just in case you are not as familiar with dancehall music, Ranks is a Jamaican singer who had a hit single with "Mr. Loverman" and has appeared on other songs with Maxi Priest, Queen Latifah and Johnny Gill. He has also been known to share a similar hairstyle as Kingston.

No scrubs, please

We continue with our musical theme as Chilli from TLC was pictured in the crowd. Although she was correctly identified by a lyric from their song "Waterfalls," she was wrongly warned to stay away from Andre Rison's house. Her former band mate Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes had a fiercely emotional relationship with the former NFL Wide Receiver after one particularly heated argument in 1994, she burned down Rison's Atlanta mansion.

Legend

"If Tommy Dreamer is a legend, so is Brooklyn Brawler." --Todd Grisham.

First, play nice kids or I'll turn this car around.

Second, let's take a closer look.

Tommy Dreamer:
-- ECW Heavyweight Champion
-- ECW Tag Team Champion (3 times)
-- WWF/WWE Hardcore Champion (14 times)

Brooklyn Brawler:
-- No titles at the major level, although he was the Border City Wrestling BCW Can-Am TV Champion and Can-Am Heavyweight Champion.
-- Appeared as Steve Lombardi, Abe "Knuckleball" Schwartz, Kim Chee, and Doink The Clown on various ocassions.

One interesting note on The Brawler is that Knuckleball Schwartz actually started as MVP, but in this case it stood for Most Violent Player. No official word on whether or not he was straight up ballin'.

I heard you the first time!

John Cena mocked Jack Swagger's nickname by insisting that it was ridiculous to have a name like The All-American American. It was absolutely foolish to have a name and just repeat the last word of it.

Isn't that right Mr. Kennedy?

Kennedy.

Lee Stevens examines Raw and Smackdown with "Under The Microscope." You can leave comments below or e-mail him at GLStevens.Torch@gmail.com

We suggest these recent related articles...

10/5 WWE Raw Hits & Misses: Natalya vs. Paige, Owens vs. Cara, Stephanie McMahon, Sasha Banks, Xavier Woods

COLLECTIBLES COLUMN: The History of Foam Hands in Pro Wrestling

9/28 WWE Raw Hits & Misses: Kane's Split Personality, Divas Revolution, Heyman & Big Show, Reigns vs. Wyatt