-- 12/28 WWE Raw Reax

P. Ward of Raleigh, N.C. (6.0): Not a bad show, not a great show. Sheamus is three title defenses away from being a legit monster champion and Cena is doing some of his best work with Sheamus. Cena is actually selling and I can't remember the last time WWE used Cena to actually put someone over to this degree. Randy Orton continued to show why he's one of the best heels in the business. His willingness to turn on his own disciples is just another testament to his incredible heelness. Jericho, Jericho, Jericho - the stage was set really nicely for him throughout the show. Other strong points on the show were the tease of friction with Bret Hart and Vince McMahon, Vince expecting DX's help, DX challenging JeriShow with the ultimatum that Jericho is gone for good if they lose, and the possibility of Bret and Jericho's Canadian/Dungeon connection. I'm betting the mortgage that Bret screws DX and gives the belts back to Jerishow on Monday. I'd be all for it!

Barrie of Edinburgh, Scotland (5.0): Best: Bret Hart announcement. Worst: Every Timbaland segment. The overall show was an improvement compared to last week's shambles. It was good to see Shawn Michaels back in the spotlight where he belongs but the involvement of Hart and Taker's names seemed a bit messy to me. Michaels has to feud with Hart, as him ignoring/avoiding the Hitman would be out of character. A well-timed Sweet Chin Music on January 4 would be a hell of a way to start WrestleMania build-up. The Cena show intro was dire as usual. I seem to fall asleep every time he talks. Give the mic to Michaels, Jericho, or Orton, who all can actually control an audience with their verbal skills. Talking of verbal skills, the weekly Triple H Show is awful. We seem to have progressed from small jokes to homophobic jokes. Not funny and not PG.

Terrie Neilson of Las Vegas, Nev. (7.0): Best: Vince-Shawn promo. Worst: Chavo-Horny begins again? Definitely a much better show than last week. The Royal Rumble still seems light years away, though. That said, the show accomplished a lot, which could still carry into a big match at the Rumble. Timbaland looked stoned through most of the show; thankfully, his involvement was kept to a minimum. But he couldn't come up with a better wardrobe? I was dreading WWE pulling the trigger on another Cena title reign after this much build for Sheamus, but a reasonably happy medium was found. All this fuss about Triple Hs 13 belt notches, and how many other wrestlers are hovering around six or seven in shorter time than even him? DiBiase and Rhodes keeping their spots in Legacy should be a bigger deal, but I'm guessing the end is still close on the horizon. Orton returning to mess with Kofi's title shot made sense, as it's now they're even in that regard. Hopefully this time Kofi gets the upper hand and some traction back. While I'm not a religious person, Triple H's swipe at Shawn taking Hornswoggle to church is borderline offensive. And its not his first insult at Shawn of late. Shawn has had plenty of opportunities to let Triple H have it, but he's done nothing. Does WWE even know what they're doing with DX? Why does "the greatest tag team ever" need a little help (so to speak)? And worse, we got another round of Chavo-Horny that was poorly executed this time around. Shawn, though, redeemed himself in the promo with Vince. It had the reminiscent feel of the 2005 promo that set off the Michaels-McMahon feud. But something different happened this time, and not just that Vince didn't threaten Shawn. It has all the makings of a Montreal reunion (in a bad way). I could be wrong (and the way WWE has been lately I probably am), but I think Vince will be getting the worst end of it next week. It was nice, for a change, that Shawn got a "We want Bret" over "you screwed Bret." Could we finally see the closure Montreal so desperately needs? It would be nice, but probably not expected.

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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