-- 5/3 WWE Raw Reax

Alex Roberts in the U..K (7.5): This was not a fantastic edition of Raw and there were moments of the show I really disliked, but on the whole, this is the most engaged in the product I've been in a while. Batista's opening promo was another pitch-perfect heel performance. If he really is leaving, he'll be missed. The use of Sheamus opposite Batista and Cena was a clever and effective way to worm him into the title match. I can't say I'm excited about that, but it was a strong storyline driven moment. Highlighting two NXT rookies against arguably the two biggest stars of the company was a brave move and both Daniel Bryan and Wade Barrett took a lot away from their matches. Meanwhile, the use of DiBiase, Morrison, and R-Truth this week wasn't the most exciting use of them, but it's potentially productive and a tantalizing tease of an undercard on Raw. Even the guest host segments were acceptable this week, including a tease for a Santino/Koslov team. ... The show wasn't without its lowlights, though. The Divas division is a waste of time. Also, Zack Ryder's introduction as the official Raw jobber did nothing for me either. Those are minor complaints followed by the two best moments of the night. Firstly, the formation of Jericho & Miz as a team. Sure, there's a hundred reasons why this teams make little to no sense, but I honestly don't care because it's a fantastic team. The possibility of a brilliant Miz-Jericho feud down the road has not escaped me, either. The other major highlight of the night was the show-closing segment. Edge's opening promo was poorly written and poorly delivered, but the second Orton hit the ring, that segment took off. I have no idea how Orton has managed to get this over as a face, but he is undeniably hugely over right now and he's utterly compelling. Without saying a word, Orton had the crowd eating out of the palm of his hand and it was incredible to watch. This wasn't a great show, but last week's Smackdown and this week's Raw actually has me excited about WWE's future.

-- 5/3 TNA Impact Reax

Jordan Johnson of Fort Hood, Tex. (7.0): Best Match: Team 3D vs. Beer Money vs. Motor City Machineguns. Worst Match: A.J. Styles vs. Abyss. Well, there wasn't a ton of actual wrestling on this episode, but Sacrifice was promoted well. Lethal was simply amazing personating Flair. Even better was Lethal using his real voice and cutting a very good promo. The opening brawl covering a great deal of time did seem to drag a bit, but also seemed realistic and added a different touch to the show. Seeing 3D and RVD in the ring together made me think, but then I thought better of that thought. Ink, Inc.? It sounds stupid, but it makes sense written on paper. And I'm glad they are teaming Neal and Moore. Otherwise, we might have to watch them in different segments. The quicker we get them off TV, the better. Douglas Williams is slowly growing on me. Samoa Joe is fun, but he doesn't belong in the X Division. Mr. Anderson was money tonight. I foresee a TNA World Title shot sometime soon. It was excellent to see a Hardy Boys reunion tonight - Jeff Hardy's body got together with Matt Hardy's gut. Seriously, Jeff has ballooned out recently. Tara is beginning to hurt my eyes and ears. She's mid-card act at best. It was fun to see Motor City and Beer Money in the ring together, but I turned the channel when Orlando Jordan came out and I didn't turn it back until I thought it was safe. I say the same thing about Abyss every time he comes out. Why is he being pushed?! Because he's fat? Tall? I have no idea, especially against A.J. Styles. A.J. could have great matches with so many people on the roster, and yet has continually been paired with the greasy-haired monster who gets powers from a ring. As for RVD vs. Wolfe, Wolfe has the talent and ability to be a solid main-eventer, but he simply isn't there yet. Sting is still fun to watch. If only he wasn't feuding against Jarrett. Overall, great decision to move back to Thursdays. Mondays simply weren't working right now. As for Sacrifice, it looks like a very strong card. I'd add one match: triple threat, loser-leaves-the-company match between Jarrett, Abyss, and Orlando Jordan with the obvious finish being a No Contest. All three leave the ring and are never heard from again.

Scott Courier of Brea, Calif. (0.0): I'll be honest, it only took 30 minutes for me to finally decide to turn Impact off. Wow, so Jay Lethal hit his head and started acting like Ric Flair? I was hoping he wouldn't do the "throw down the jacket and elbow drop it." A knee drop didn't help the cause. If you can't give a guy something to do, just have him re-hash some long-ago gimmick. After Flair attacked Lethal, a text went out "in real time" to Hogan just seconds after it happened? Hey, did anyone pay attention to the sunlight and realize that it couldn't have been a quarter after 8:00 p.m.? (Flair forbid actual realism.) I was ready to change the channel when we got more of the same old brawl. Didn't I just watch this and why do I want more? More Russo booking. And then Hogan comes out to tell us about RVD-Wolfe at the top of the card. Wait, what happened to that ratings system? I think Bubba the Love Sponge got off the Titanic when the time was good. So did Morley and the Nastys.

We welcome your 0-10 score and comments on these shows for a "TV 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 and Impact, click here.

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