-- 8/31 WWE Raw Reax

Adam J. Grammas of Westchester, Ill. (4.0): Best: Jericho-MVP. Worst: Chavo-Hornswoggle. First of all, the over-the-top laughing at the stuff in the Chavo-Hornswoggle matches has to go. I've said it numerous times about Lawler and Cole, but they just keep getting worse. Who is really being entertained by this? Then we got two big men holding a headlock for what seemed like a half-hour. And people wonder why I prefer Styles and Daniels matches. Dusty says the "finger poke of doom" was the beginning of the end for WCW. I got news for ya, Dust, it was when Hogan decided not to put over Sting clean at Starrcade '97. Hunter really dug into Mero and it seems like many people like Mero as a worker. Terra Ryzing was pretty nothing happening too. I guess Arn was shown doing the Shockmaster voice-over since his uncle did the original. I mean his brother. No wait, his cousin. Surprising to see Dusty "turn heel" while DiBiase, Sr. remained face for his whole guest GM stint.

Alfonso Sanchez of Central Islip, N.Y. (6.5): Best Match: Jericho vs. MVP an Mickie vs. Beth. Worst Match: Hornswoggle crap. This week Raw was marginally better than past weeks. Two segments dedicated to the divas, and only one of those segments were entertaining. I thought Alicia Fox might continue to gain some momentum with a win in the battle royal and a one-on-one match for the Divas title. She seems to be one of the more athletic divas and while Beth Phoenix was a smarter choice to be given the win, hopefully Alicia continues to gain some steam. The Mickie-Beth match late in the night was one of the best divas matches in a while. Had they been given another two minutes after the DDT spot, it could have rivaled a lot of men's matches. The Gail-Jillian stuff was pretty bad. Did they foresee how awful it would be, punishing Gail as the only diva to come out to someone else's entrance? Awkward. Jericho-MVP started out great, slowed down a bit, then finished nicely as well. Jericho does so many small things right. He really knows his character and everything that his character would do/say in a given situation. Kinda weird though to see him beat MVP cleanly when MVP had to cheat to beat him last week. Does that defy booking logic? Jericho, the heel, got his revenge this week against MVP, the babyface. Odd, but I'm not complaining. Big Show-Henry was an okay spectacle match. Big Show is definitely one of the better big men of his time. ...

The DX stuff was take it or leave it. I'd think by now that both Triple H and Shawn Michaels would want to come up with some fresh and exciting stuff at this point in their careers. Michaels was a part of a lot of great stuff last year and early this year. Triple H, while good in the role he gives himself, really hasn't done anything fresh since...hmm, 2005 maybe? The less said about these horrible Hornswoggle segments the better. Does some one in the back have some weird furry fetish? I don't know how much he makes, but if I were Chavo, unless I was becoming filthy rich working there, I would have quit by now. The main event bait and switch was okay. Orton is really good when he gets a chance not to look like a goof. If only his matches were more exciting. The U.S. Title four way was fun, but again, absolutely no character development for any one in the mid-card. Miz is a lot of fun and his shots and moves look impactful. Hopefully they focus on two or three people in that division and make us care about them. Anyone remember the great Jericho-Benoit feud over the secondary titles back in the beginning of this decade? Yea, this is a far cry from that. Dusty Rhodes was fun; he definitely has ring presence. Overall, I thought Raw was better this week because they actually let the matches go for longer than the usual two minutes that everyone but three or four people usually get.

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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