WWE Raw Reax - January 12, 2008 edition

Eric Gall of Bridgeport, Conn. (6.5): High Point: Michaels vs. Cena. Low Point: Michael Cole and the Needless Graphics (see them on tour!). The Raw writers seem to have their writing caps on now that the Road to WrestleMania is under way. The Jericho-Stephanie interaction was interesting, and it makes you wonder when Jericho will pop up next. The Austin package made me nostalgic for a time when Raw was must-see TV. I think I figured out why I had such a problem with Shawn's sad face. Everyone has had a boss they didn't like, but having a sad/angry/sullen face 24/7 just isn't realistic. Kudos to Shawn for changing his "woe is me" face to "okay, I'm working for him, but I'm just tuning him out" face. The main event was an excellent match, and I would call it a Match of the Year contender, at least a Raw Match of the Year. I didn't mind the finish to Regal-Punk last week, but this week was really trying. Throwing on three minute matches designed solely to advance next week's storyline without even trying to present the match itself sucks.

Bryant Mooney of Stamford, Conn. (7.0): Best Match: Michaels vs. Cena (early match of the year candidate). Worst Match: Regal vs. C.M. Punk. This show overall was a very solid show. It did have some down points, but still a good show. The opening promo with Stephanie and Jericho was brilliant; both were very strong on the mic and the "firing" of Jericho was a great touch to further solidify Jericho's dislike for Stephanie. I hope that Jericho stays on Raw because Raw really needs him; I don't think he's going anywhere though. Rey Mysterio vs. The Miz was WAY too short of a match. I was just getting into the match when it quickly ended. Regal vs. C.M. Punk was a very disappointing match. I just hope that next week will be a solid finish. I LOVED the Stone Cold video package and also that they didn't edit down to a "PG" level is surprising to me but I was not complaining. I didn't really pay attention to the Vince McMahon return segments, which are on the "McMahon" DVD. Not that I'm not excited to see Vince return but the packages were unnecessary for me. I enjoyed the Legacy beating down Snuka and Manu. I was a bit surprised to see DiBiase back to align with Orton but this stable can become a major stable on the Raw brand if handled right. Now to the match of the night and possibly one of the best matches of the year (so far). Cena vs. Michaels was the best match I've seen on an episode of Raw in a long time. They gave it more than enough time and JBL's stern looks during the match were priceless. It did get slow during the middle of the match but it quickly went back up and it was another great match in the Cena-Michaels series. Michaels leaving immediately after the match was good and displayed his frustration well with JBL standing over the fallen Cena to close the show. Michaels once again displayed his greatness in the ring which makes him the legend he truly is. I stood up and applauded both men because they truly deserved it after that great match. It's good to see that we can still get good TV main events like this one which I'll definitely remember at the end of the year.

WWE Raw Coverage
-- CALDWELL'S 1/12 Raw TV Report
-- KELLER'S 1/12 Raw TV Report
-- Summary, Notes, and Info on 1/12 Raw

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