by Jon Mezzera, Torch Specialist

RAW HITS

Opening Segment: Vickie Guerrero is pure heel gold. She used to have to say "Excuse Me!" to get a huge boo from the crowd. Now, all she has to do is stand in the ring. I like how she brought up how her husband Edge won the World Title at Backlash. Randy Orton then gave a good promo about ending the McMahons and being the dominant force on Raw. I like how they set up a #1 contenders match for the main event. Big Show vs. Batista was logical. I wish Vickie had explained the choice a bit, just simply saying that she deemed them the top two contenders and they would fight it out to become #1. But, that is a minor complaint. The segment really picked up with the surprise appearance by Montel Vontavious Porter. With Shawn Michaels taking some time off after WrestleMania, and presumably Triple H taking time off to sell the punt from the PPV, MVP finds himself instantly elevated up the card, and this was a great way to cement that fact. His verbal sparring with Orton, Ted DiBiase and Cody Rhodes was strong. This led to another big match being announced for later in the show, MVP vs. Orton.

Draft Recaps: I like how the announcers recapped the various draft picks that Raw obtained throughout the show. For one thing, it reminded us of who got picked, and for more casual fans who perhaps didn't follow the supplemental draft online, it filled them in as well. Also, it made the show have more of a sports feel to it. They were simple and short and added to the quality of the show.

Orton vs. MVP: This was the best match of the night, although that isn't necessarily saying much considering the rest of the card (more later). But, this was a good 11 minute match. It went back and forth throughout and neither wrestler had a prolonged advantage. It featured good action. The opening minutes were very strong with the mat wrestling ultimately leading up to MVP's huge kick in the corner, knocking Orton out of the ring. The crowd was really into the action, particularly during the standing punch exchange later in the match. The match was booked well to keep Orton strong, while also making MVP look like a star for hanging with the WWE Champion the way that he did. Having a non-finish was the way to go in this instance, but I just am not a big fan of Shane McMahon in this storyline right now (again, more later).

The Miz: We know that John Morrison is a star in the making and that after his team with The Miz ended that he would be fine on his own. However, the same couldn't be said of Miz. That is not meant to be a shot at Miz. I was worried that he would get lost in the shuffle on Raw. I thought he had a better chance to become a singles star by staying on ECW, or going to Smackdown. However, his first solo appearance on Raw was very strong and hopefully is a sign of WWE getting behind him. He gave a good promo challenging John Cena to a match and ridiculing him. His line about not seeing Cena since his movies don't stay out in the theaters long was hilarious. This was a classic heel tactic and Miz is very good at being a heel that the fans want to see get beat up. I'm guessing next week he challenges the absent Triple H to a match.

End of the Show: The main event was ok, but not particularly good. The real quality came at the end of the match with the surprise appearance by John Cena. It was a bit predictable, but WWE did do a good job of trying to make the fans think Cena wasn't at the arena. He sold the effects of the big Backlash bump well. The timing with him distracting the Big Show, leading to Show being counted out was well executed. Show slit into the ring right after the referee got to 10. Batista's spear afterwards was strong and positioned him to look good in becoming the #1 contender. Big Show's anger at Cena afterwards was good too. This sets up the two top Raw matches for Judgment Day, Batista vs. Orton and Cena vs. Show.

RAW MISSES

Wasting the Divas: What a waste. Kelly Kelly showed a great deal of improvement in the ring in 2008, but hardly has been given a chance lately. We know how skilled Mickie James and Beth Phoenix are. Maryse has a long way to go, but has shown flashes of having a future in the business. Jillian Hall is a solid worker with an annoyingly fun gimmick, but when was the last time she sang? The Bellas are decent with the twin gimmick having potential. But, instead of allowing any of those gimmicks to develop, or allowing the talented workers a chance to shine, or allowing the up and coming Divas a chance to develop their skills, this 2 minute 8 Divas tag match focused entirely on Santino Marella and Hornswoggle. That is a major waste.

Shane's Hit and Run: As I said before, I wasn't thrilled with Shane McMahon's appearance at the end of MVP vs. Orton. Something had to happen, and it isn't surprising that McMahon would still be involved seeing how he didn't get punted at Backlash. However, I am tired of the Orton vs. McMahons feud. It keeps going and going and going. I am looking forward to an Orton vs. Batista feud. It is the right direction to go in right now. However, Shane's involvement has to come to an end next week.

Orton - McMahons Video Twice: I didn't need to see this video at all. If I never see the video of Orton punting Vince McMahon again it will be too soon. But, to show it twice on the same show? Am I an idiot? Do I not remember seeing Orton beat up the McMahons over the last few months, or the many many videos they have shown replaying those moments in that time as well? Am I so stupid that I need to be reminded of those actions by Orton twice in one Raw? I think I've been offended.

Wrestling Quality: Other than the good Orton vs. MVP match, the rest of the card was lacking for one reason or another. The Brian Kendrick vs. Kofi Kingston was fun to watch, but it was less than 3 minutes. It was way too short. If you are trying to establish Kendrick on Raw, while continuing to give a moderate push to Kingston, you have to have the match go longer so that the fans can see more of what Kendrick can do. The result was fine, the action while it lasted was great, but it was ridiculously short. I already complained about the Divas tag "match" so I won't say any more about it here. After a good promo from Matt Hardy, his "match" with Goldust was just him being chased around until he had a chance to knock Goldy out with his cast. The Colons vs. Chavo Guerrero & Jamie Noble was a decent tag match to establish the Unified Tag Champs on Raw with a strong win, but it wasn't particularly good. It was fine in and of itself, as was the Hardy vs. Goldust "match", but when you put them on the same show with other short matches or poor quality matches it takes away from the enjoyment of the show. Matters don't improve much with a less than stellar main event like Big Show vs. Batista.

Jon Mezzera is PWTorch.com's WWE Hits & Misses Specialist, providing his point of view for Raw, Smackdown, ECW, and Superstars each week. Email him at jmezz-torch@sbcglobal.net.

For another view from the original Hitlist author, compare Jason Powell's views to mine by visiting prowrestling.NET's "Hitlist" section here.

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