-- 12/28 WWE Raw Reax

Nicholas Sutton of Edmonton, Alb., Canada (6.0): Best Match: Chavo/Show vs. DX (most notably Chavo Guerrero seemingly holding his own against DX, albeit for five minutes). Worst Match: Sheamus vs. John Cena. This was a great Raw in theory, and my overall score is probably pretty generous. It's one thing for me to judge a show based on what I see on TV, but sometimes I really feel for a live audience. They paid to see what? A Bret Hart announcement and about 15 minutes of wrestling, if that? That's the first thing that always comes to my mind on shows like this. For what it's worth, I thought it was a good crowd this week. The Timbaland stuff didn't bother me and it's kind of strange how they keep a bigger name like Timbaland low-key when he at least seemed comfortable, yet they pushed Johnny Damon way beyond his limits last week. And did they really need to do that Legacy storyline? That seemed like a waste of time. It felt like the writers picked up a forgotten transcript from a Raw from earlier this year and couldn't leave it unused. If they trimmed that out of the show, we could have had a memorable World Championship match, which I feel Sheamus needs so bad right now. But, whatever happens in the wrestling world this week is irrelevant now. It's all about the return of Bret Hart, the hope that January 4 is the start of a positive upswing for the wrestling industry, and crossing my fingers that the Raw team doesn't mess this up.

Sergio H., Torch reader (7.0): Best: Vince, Bret, and Shawn. Worst: Triple H, Hornswoggle, and Jericho silliness. This Raw is a great example of what happens to the writers when they get challenged with a little competition. The bad: having Jericho, who was once a superb top heel, "protesting" outside was a waste. He would have more heat if he simply won matches and backed up his mouth. Trips, who himself has a history with Bret Hart, has nothing better to do than general hi-jinx? Remember when DX had an edge and beat the snot out of people? The good: Giving the fans a hint of how Michaels and McMahon will handle the return of Hart was brilliant. Will Michaels lean towards his Christian side and make amends or devolve back into the man that yelled at Hart to "get out of his ring!" after the classic Iron Man match? Vince has a real shot of sparking a great real-life/kayfabe storyline with real emotion that hasn't been accomplished in recent memory. Please, please, WWE creative...do not mess this up. The ending of the Sheamus-Cena match was expected but necessary. Want to push young stars? Have Shamus pin Cena straight up in a PPV main event and then I will believe. I will watch both Raw and Impact next week, but I have to believe that in houses with no DVR, Hart will attract more viewers than Hogan. There is more emotion, more tension, and less predictability with Hart.

Ashlynn Riley of Valley Stream, N.Y. (2.0): Best: McMahon-Michaels promo. Worst match: Sheamus vs. John Cena. Wrestling-wise, this was really a crappy show. How in the world does WWE think a wrestling show with its main event lasting barely two minutes is good? The whole bit with Legacy left the impression that DiBiase or Rhodes would turn face on Orton, or maybe even both. And then what happens? They both win, and the whole storyline seemed like it never happened. What was the point? And poor Evan, he's stuck losing every single week while Hornswoggle gets a decent amount of TV time. The whole DX-Hornswoggle fiasco ran its course after the first week. Thankfully, Shawn got some credibility back with the promo on Bret Hart. Although when McMahon kept repeating "good things will happen" very awkward, it gave some great opportunities for interesting storylines involving McMahon, Bret, Shawn, and possibly Undertaker. ... Was it me or did Timbaland look high and out-of-his mind? Maryse-Kelly was a typical Raw divas match. I have always been a big fans of the divas, but now there seems to be no point. Just give Maryse the belt, and have her feud with Gail. I like Melina, but I can't stand to see her mess up her finisher again. The main event was one giant letdown. More time was spent advertising it than actually having it! I am sick of DQ endings for how the champion retains. I didn't like it when DX did it to Jericho, and I didn't like it now. Speaking of Jericho, his whole facade with the protests was okay, but, of course, they had to throw in a gay joke with him and Big Show. They can't say "ass" or show blood anymore, but they can have that. Because that's what PG is all about. Hopefully Raw kicks in into gear next week. For their sake, they better.

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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