2/9 WWE Raw Reax

Matt Johnson of Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. (7.0): Best: Flair-Jericho promo. Worst: Divas match. The Flair-Michaels segment was the most intense promo in WWE this decade. Michaels and Jericho did a fine job on the mic last year, but Flair-Jericho literally made me suspend my disbelief for the first time in ten years. This can be attributed to the weaving of fact with storyline. There were a few hints tonight that Orton vs. Triple H is a possibility for WrestleMania. Rhodes and DiBiase really benefit from being with Orton, and he benefits by having followers. I hope they don't break it up any time soon. It would be great to see a faction actually last for a few years. This Raw show was pretty light on actual wrestling. It still gets high marks based on the opening segment. The main event was solid while it lasted. Thank goodness Shane McMahon saved the Undertaker. It is so tone deaf that Shane is being treated like a badass who is an equal to one of the top stars in the company. Orton also needs to lose the exaggerated stare. Nobody does that.

Alex Roberts in the U.K. (3.5): Best Match: Six-man tag. Worst Match: Cryme Time vs. Legacy. I'm finding it almost impossible to believe that three weeks ago I was incredibly excited about Raw and its future direction because I couldn't be less excited about the product now. I have no idea how they've done it but somehow WWE has managed to completely cripple Randy Orton, Legacy, and the feud with McMahon before it even truly started. The use of Shane McMahon has been so misguided. It's been painful to watch, and it was nice to see Shane selling that punt to the ribs WWE replayed repeatedly throughout the night. Oh wait, he didn't. Away from the frustratingly bad turn Randy Orton's booking has taken, Raw isn't doing much better. The build for the Elimination Chamber match is non-existent and since none of the challengers are remotely credible title contenders at this point (yes Jericho included), it is a completely pointless match. WWE needs to hope Kingston and Mysterio turn it on Sunday night to make that match worthwhile. The six-man tag was enjoyable enough though. I was incredibly disappointed by Ric Flair's return to Raw. As hot as the crowd may have been for him, he came across as a rambling drunk during the first-half of the segment and the whole thing felt like a giant waste of time, as it didn't advance or accomplish anything. I was also disappointed by The Undertaker-Orton match, primarily because the WWE didn't give it anywhere near enough time. Anyone that tuned in for that match has the right to feel a little let down. Thankfully, JBL and Shawn Michaels continue to provide the goods in their feud and have become pretty much the only saving grace of Raw, which makes it even more perplexing that the WWE is seemingly wrapping this angle up so early. JBL's promo on Michaels was great, and while I don't think it's going to happen, they set up a potential Mrs. HBK heel turn, which could be awesome if handled right. On one final note, I knocked an entire point of my score because of Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler, who were completely intolerable this week.

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