1/26 WWE Raw Reax

Art "Bucky" Blarr of Buffalo, N.Y. (6.0): Best Match: Michaels vs. Cena. Worst Match: Kane vs. Kingston. I felt that Raw's follow-up to the Royal Rumble was pretty weak and a letdown. I really feel that the "IED" angle is horrible and can't believe how the WWE may have ruined a great storyline with the Legacy by going this route. The ending of the show made no sense when Stephanie told Orton that firing him would be too easy and Shane came to the ring to take on the three Legacy members by himself while the rest of the Raw roster stood and watched. I am liking the JBL/Michaels angle and that was clearly the highlight of the show. I also enjoyed the Miz & Morrison vs. Cryme Tyme match. I really don't care for Cryme Tyme, but I was pretty impressed by Shad after getting the hot tag in the match. I think with his size and a small gimmick tweak, eventually Shad could make it as a singles wrestler. I thought Kane looked pretty bad in his match against Kofi Kingston & I can't believe Kingston will be in an elimination chamber, although I can see him getting attacked on a future Raw episode (possibly by Kane) leaving him unable to compete in the match. Jericho vs. Punk was a decent match but should've gone longer. The women's match and the Regal vs. Rey match were both nothing special. Overall, that's how practically the whole show was.

Russell Jaffe of Brooklyn, N.Y. (2.0) Best: Cena vs. HBK. Worst: Shane's teeny punches. This show sucked, plain and simple. I have totally had it with cutting the WWE slack; I am a total pro wrestling addict and will never stop watching, but I have just have to burst my disappointment with Raw here. This show never would have happened ten years ago when WWE was interested in getting big ratings and beating the competition. They are not building new stars, and 40+ Shane McMahon looked silly and outrageous kicking the asses of the top heel stable. Kofi didn't really win...he got a fluke pin, smiled, and danced. WWE has no new stars in the hopper, and even guys like Punk and Mysterio don't get to speak a word. They just smile and do their jobs. It feels like everyone on the show but Orton, Y2J, JBL, and occasionally HBK just smile and act like they have no personalities. And speaking of no personality: Rourke could not have sounded more bored if he tried when "challenging" Jericho. Big Show/Mayweather it ain't. That match has the potential to be the worst ever at WM. This was a mail-it-in Raw from a company interested in mailing it in to little kids who don't have the minds or attention spans for compelling stories and dramatic pro wrestling.

Sully Pylut of Hudson, N.Y. (6.5): Best: HBK/Cena/JBL; closing segment. Low Point: pretty much everything else. Raw really dropped the ball in my opinion. However, the segments that were good were really good, so I gave it a 6.5 rating. HBK and Cena put on a solid match as usual, and the advancement of this storyline continues. HBK is on another level that he doesn't even need to compete for a title and he is still one of the highlights of every show he is on. In fact (to further my HBK love-fest) HBK continues to take his role to another level that Creative wouldn't dare explore with almost anyone else. Raw has become the HBK show, and all others are merely along for the ride. Orton is also worth mentioning as a high point as well. He has taken the Lead Heel role on Raw and is weekly making it better and better. Everything else however (divas, tag title match, even Punk and Y2J) was just "m'eh!"

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.

We suggest these recent related articles...

WWE PPV REAX #1: "I wanted the biggest event of the summer to end with an exclamation point; it ended with a semicolon and a question"

WWE PPV REAX #1: Battleground finish generates mixed reactions...

WWE PPV REAX #2: In-Person Battleground Report on overall show, reactions, more