4/20 WWE Raw Reax

David Miller of Terre Haute, Ind. (9.0): Best match: Triple H vs. Randy Orton. Worst match: Batista vs. Chavo Guerrero. An outstanding Raw was bolstered by a red-hot London crowd. Good opening segment with Steamboat and Jericho that couldn't even be ruined by the presence of John Cena. Backlash just picked up a few more buys with the announcement of Steamboat vs. Jericho. Batista's squash of Chavo was mildly amusing, mostly because of Chavo's bravado. Santino/Santina was very funny, as usual. Melina vs. Phoenix was a bit too short, but otherwise excellent. WWE should give these ladies a few more minutes to show their stuff in the ring. Given the chance, they can be every bit as entertaining as the men. Jericho vs. Cena was fantastic. The crowd was really into this one, clearly cheering Jericho and jeering Cena. They milked the crowd for all they could, and the interference by Edge didn't even ruin the match. Watching Big Show vs. Mysterio gave me the urge to call Child Protective Services on WWE. It was almost like Homer Simpson throttling Bart. The Triple H vs. Orton rematch was better than their WrestleMania match, with more intensity and drama. The ending perfectly set up the Backlash six-man match, leaving the fans wondering if Batista and SuperShane will be able to get along. After putting a dent in my checking account with WrestleMania and Lockdown, I had no intentions of ordering Backlash. WWE may have changed my mind tonight.

Mark of London, England (7.0): Best match: Cena vs. Jericho. Worst Match: Chavo vs. Batista. I actually had the pleasure of being at this Raw taping and it was good to be given such a solid match between Jericho and Cena. (I'm on a hot streak, the last Raw taping I went to two years ago had the Michaels-Cena match!) I'm not sure how it came across on TV, but the crowd was really into Jericho for the whole night, eating up his shtick. Cena got the usual mixed reaction but whatever anyone says, he sells more merchandise than anyone else and he holds up his end of any match he's in. The finish of the Kane-Punk match was actually the better of two takes. They managed to screw it up the first time, re-did it, and screwed it up again! I was interested to see the favorable reviews given to the main event, as the crowd really wasn't that in to it. My casual-fan girlfriend, who I'd taken along for the evening, even turned round at one stage and said "why's everyone so quiet all of a sudden?" I just don't think people are paying to see Triple H anymore. Orton got the far stronger reaction and had to turn on the crowd at one point because they were so behind him. Overall though, Jericho and Cena came across as the biggest stars of the night, drawing easily the biggest reactions of anyone.

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.

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