1/19 WWE Raw Reax

Adam Riemer of New York, N.Y. (5.5): Best: Randy Orton becoming the biggest heel in recent memory; CM Punk vs. Regal. Worst: That 25-second battle royal. C.M. Punk and Regal had a great match. Stiff matches are hard to watch sometimes, but man was it great. After last week's Cena-HBK match and this weeks Regal-Punk, the WWE might be on to something with giving the fans at least one great match a week. Now onto the end and the return (and apparent departure) of Mr. McMahon. I didn't like the Jericho part at first. It felt like it weakened his character a lot, but now he has ammo thanks to Randy. I was very opposed to a dual- McMahon-run Raw, but thanks to Randy, we don't have to endure that overplayed mess. WWE did something for Randy Orton - they turned him into a true mega-heel. First, Orton running down Steph in front of Vince was great. Second, Orton not standing down to Vince and challenging him to fire him was fantastic. Third and most important, by attacking the guy who fans popped loudest for in the night and then punting him, Randy Orton laid the ground work to be remembered for quite some time. My only thing is that I noticed a lot of fans slowly grow behind Orton as the tension grew into that climax. Randy came into his own tonight as the TRUE star of Raw, and with that, he now has the mega-heel path paved in the perfect direction to become maybe the most influential heel WWE champion since The Rock ran with the Corporation.

Dan Strauss of Goodhue, Minn. Best: Punk-Regal and Orton's finish to the show. Worst: Rosa storyline. If Kelly Kelly is from Florida Florida, why is she wearing a Blackhawks jersey to the ring? If you're not from that area, don't try for the cheap pop by wearing the local jerseys. The IC Title match was great, and in the early stages of '09 is definitely a TV-match-of-the-year candidate. Great work by both men, and good job by WWE to televise Punk's celebration with his hometown. Keep these two guy fueding and I think we've got the IC Title back on the map. The Cena-JBL contract signing did not excite me right away, but the verbal confrontation did. WWE is utilizing JBL great by keeping him out of the ring, in a suit, and using his mouth. He gives some of the best heel promos I've seen. On the same night that WWE honors M.L. King, Jr. (and rightfully so), the thugs of Cryme Tyme refer to Miz and Morrison as "white boys." Just because there's a double-standard in society doesn't mean WWE has to allow it on Raw. The first part of the ending segment with Jericho was sort of a buzzkill for Vince's return. It picked up big time with Orton. Orton's expressions, along with Priceless's "WTF?" expressions, really sold the segment well. I could have done without Steph's waaay too exaggerated screams, but the show ended awesome and this cliffhanger has me very excited. Overall a very well-booked show. JBL-Cena has been hyped very effectively, however, in my years of watching pro wrestling, this has got to be the very least I've seen the actual 30-man Royal Rumble hyped in a January.

We welcome your 0-10 score and comments on this show for a "WWE 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.

[Randy Orton art by Grant Gould (c) PWTorch]

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