-- 1/25 WWE Raw Reax

Alex Roberts of the U.K. (5.0): Best: Cena-McMahon Promo. Worst: No James Roday. As a big "Psych" fan, my biggest disappointment this week was the lack of James Roday, something that was out of WWE's control. With that said, I thought Dule Hill did a decent job as host and WWE did a good job of booking to his strengths. He wasn't booked as the sole focus of the show but instead used to advance existing storylines, angles and characters, which is what WWE should be doing every week with the guest host. Elsewhere I thought this was a solid focused edition of Raw that did what it needed to - sell the Rumble. The McMahon-Cena promo was easily the highlight of the night and further demonstrated what a remarkably strong talent Cena is when he's used well. McMahon and he were perfect in that segment. WWE has done a decent job of pacing this storyline to make sure they don't burn it out too soon. The DX opening worked well and I'm happy to see the jokes go even if it's only temporary. I'm not happy to see tension building between the two of them, though. I don't want another Michaels-Triple H feud. Orton-Sheamus didn't really progress this week, but I'm strangely okay with that purely because it means there wasn't more awkward Orton as a quasi-face. I honestly don't know what WWE was thinking when they booked these two opposite one another, but I predict an absolute trainwreck at The Rumble. Meanwhile, The Miz continues to shine. His slow and steady build and growth not only on Raw but stretching back to his time on ECW has been a joy to watch. If The Rock is seriously looking for someone to give the rub to over the summer, The Miz must surely be a leading candidate. Also, Jack Swagger got back some credibility by destroying Santino this week. Hopefully WWE follows that up with a strong showing for Swagger in the Rumble and a consistent push coming out of it. The women's matches weren't great, but I have higher hopes for Maryse-Kim in the ring and Maryse has been so good as a character since her return that I can overlook the less-than-stellar in-ring performances.

Ryan of Chicago, Ill. (6.5): Best: Vince McMahon. Power-walking through the first five rows and in-ring with Cena. Worst: Michael Cole. Good opening segment with a strong push to the Rumble, furthering the necessary DX dissension tease as the Rumble Match "hook." It was slightly predictable, but at this point a storyline that shows any sign of being compelling, is a start. I was also happy DX addressed Hornswoggle as being a "joke." I like Miz more each week and I enjoy his mic work with MVP. Miz vs. Kofi was fine and I'm glad MVP showed up to help wipe that Big Show squash away and head into the Rumble on a slightly more competitive image. ... Raw was the first time I've enjoyed Cena in a long time interacting with Vince McMahon. They had believable, relatable "real" talk that WWE has struggled with selling for quite a while. Props! ... I'm honestly having a hard time keeping up with the revolving mix of Swagger, Carlito, Santino, Masters, and Kofi. Nothing really feels memorable from any of these guys lately and it makes it tough to remember currently involved with who. WWE followed this with an excellent Royal Rumble video package! I think those three minutes did more to sell me on this Sunday's PPV than any match or promo thus far. Cena-Sheamus was okay. I'm still pretty concerned about how they're using Sheamus. Last week, he was in the opening match with Evan Bourne. This week, he was in the main event. He's the WWE champion. Either write him as the champ while he's your champ or don't. Overall, I was pleased with the show. I wish they would have secured Bret for the Rumble, but it's a nice tease for next Monday night. I'm optimistic at the strength of the show-openers the last two weeks. It seems as if they're showing signs of self-awareness.

Aaron D. Keizer of Oregon (7.5): Best: McMahon-Cena promo Worst: Swagger's role. Some good wrestling on this show, but the promos were what made this show work for me. The Hunter-HBK pre-match promo was great at reinforcing the tension between the two heading into the Rumble. Most importantly - no Hornswoggle and we didn't have to sit through any terrible "comedic" segments the rest of the show. The Miz and MVP seem to have a good thing going with their feud. It's refreshing to finally see a mid-card feud receive some week-to-week build-up. I did not like Show squashing MVP so quickly, as it diminished the U.S. Title belt in my opinion. Swagger was finally able to save some face, but am I the only one that thinks he should have received the mega-push that Sheamus got? I liked Kofi picking up the win over Miz, as I was fearing he was going to plummet back to the mid-card after his rise over the last couple of months. I don't feel the loss hurt Miz too much and it did a good job of furthering his feud with MVP. Vince's promo and interaction with the fans was just awesome. I might be in the minority, but the more the heel Mr. McMahon on the mic, the better. WWE did a great job the last couple of weeks of making us forget that Bret Hart had even been on TV, but they did a great job of bringing it back to the forefront tonight. Cena was right on with his promo. One of the best segments in a long time. Orton interfering in the main event was expected, but still worked on a couple of levels. Cena standing tall at the end to legitimize himself as a top contender for the Rumble with DX was nicely done. It also established more tension between Orton and Legacy with Ted and Cody not coming in for the save at the end. That break-up is long overdue. All in all, a good show and I am definitely in for the Rumble.

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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