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WWE Raw Reax #3: "Right now Jeff Hardy could credibly headline WrestleMania." Jan 15, 2008 - 7:48:15 PM
Mark DiNatale of Los Angeles, Calif. (8.0): Best Match: Actually, the highspot that closed the show. Worst: The extended "mini" Royal Rumble. This show felt like nothing happened but at the same time things are going so well. I believe this is the first time in a long time that the WWE is using a lot of time to really build and add life to the feuds heading into the Royal Rumble. I for one am enjoying it more and more every week. I am marking out like I did circa 1998. The Jeff Hardy vs. Randy Orton feud is WWE gold. The set up is beautiful, Jeff always one-upping the champion is great. The fans reactions are awesome. While I do not think Hardy is going to win the title (yet), I am enjoying this feud immensely. I didn't like the mini-match, only because it was too long. HBK and Kennedy Kennedy is going along great. They have really made a nice feud, next week should be another excellent match. I am really enjoying the JBL stuff; he's the most evil bad guy ever; his promos are great and the extended pyro makes me laugh only because he makes me believe he's that big of an a-hole. I am really looking forward to this PPV more than any in the past year (actually, since last year's Royal Rumble now that I think of it). Say what you will about the divas, but I can never see Mickie James or Melina too much. Royal Rumble at this point feels like it's going to be a classic.
Mat La Vore of West Palm Beach, Fla. (7.0): Best Segment: Hardy-Orton. Worst Segment: Mini Rumble. There wasn't a whole lot of wrestling on this show, and what there was wasn't all that great. Still, the hype and build up for Orton-Hardy continues to be tremendous, and just watching Jeff Hardy break more and more through the proverbial glass ceiling each week is intriguing and entertaining in itself. The closing segment with Hardy making the big dive onto Orton was phenomenal. And it had resonance because it's not something WWE does very often and they sold it great by going silent after it happened (TNA take notice). If WWE and Vince were at all worried that they had lost their top babyface when John Cena went out injured, Hardy is more than filling in for him. Fans are really behind Hardy, guys and girls alike. Whatever WWE has planned for him, I hope they don't drop the ball, because right now Jeff Hardy could credibly headline WrestleMania. No matter where this goes though, I hope the Orton-Hardy feud extends at least until No Way Out. It's the best feud they've had on Raw since Triple H and Batista. Both guys have just been stellar in their roles.
Jon Leonard of St.Cloud, Minn. (1.0): Best Match: None. Worst Match: All with the "mini" Royal Rumble taking front and center. The only thing that saved this show was Jeff Hardy. His promos have improved drastically since this push. He also was able to keep his promise of "taking Orton out." I've seen so many times somebody vow to take someone else out only to see their plan blow up in their face. There is one continuity error, though. Usually when someone gets flung off the stage, there's a huge explosion, maybe some piece of the set falls on top. This time we get nada and Orton lands on what appeared to be a dumpster (maybe used for the dismantling of the set later on?).
We welcome your 1-10 score and comments on this show for a "Raw Reax" feature in the Torch Feedback section of PWTorch.com. Just to add a twist to this feature, include not just your hometown, but also your occupation (mechanic, lawyer, stay-at-home-dad, college student, etc.) so readers get a flavor for what everyone does as "day jobs." To contribute your thoughts on Raw, click here.
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