-- WWE Raw Reax 1/16

Evan of Syracuse, N.Y. (4.0): Best Match: Six-man tag main event. Worst Match: Divas. C.M. Punk was great as usual, R-Truth had me laughing out loud, and I always love an appearance by Mick Foley (bang bang). The reason why I gave Raw a 4.0 is simple and boils down to one event: John Laurinaitis "mistakenly" let Ryder compete when he wasn't medically cleared. Okay, let's suspend our knowledge of the show being scripted. The main on-screen authority of the show made a wrestler defend his title when doctors wouldn't even clear him to compete. In the day and age of WWE not allowing chair shots to the head, not allowing blood, and protecting wrestlers in any way possible...a guy is forced to compete when not medically cleared. That's pretty serious. If that happened anywhere else, there would be lawsuits and heads rolling. Vince McMahon literally should have walked on-screen, handed Laurinaitis his pink slip, and walked away. "Oops, my bad" isn't a legit excuse, and is a terrible way to attempt to get heat on the guy nobody cares about in the least. By the way, this is without bringing up the fact that the decision should have been reversed a la Mark Henry and Daniel Bryan on Smackdown last month. WWE is so inconsistent - it's getting unbearable. P.S., the commentary made it worse (again). Ryder kicked out of Swagger's finish TWICE, and not only was it not stressed, but him kicking out of anything while selling an injury was completely downplayed. I miss J.R.

Chris of Concord, N.H. (4.5): What can I say that has not already been said before. I believe Raw has been nothing short of a train wreck these past few weeks. Rehashed storylines, B-Movie rated acting, and, not to mention, sometime sleep-inducing promos. By the way, Match of the Night to Brodus Clay vs. JTG. It’s a sad state of affairs when a squash match takes MOTN. But, this was the only part of the show that I enjoyed and didn’t want to throw the remote at the TV in frustration. Although, I thought WWE had something with Brodus Clay being a monster heel, I’m slowly starting to like the “Funkasuras” gimmick. Moment of The Night was Cena beginning to “embrace the hate.” I know that the chances of Cena becoming heel are next to none. But, seeing the ruthless side of Cena breathed life into his character, and that has not been done in quite sometimes. It also has me intrigued for the possible outcomes. Worker of The Night: Dolph Ziggler. I’ve loved this guy since he first broke out on his own after the “Spirit Squad.” He has the work ethic, the look, and the ability to cut a pretty decent promo. I believe he should be WWE champ by month's end! Also, fire Cole. He is very likely the reason why WWE continues to lose viewers. I watch Raw with the sound down during most matches. A few more weeks of lackluster programming, I might just stop watching all together.

Matt of Westbrook, Maine, auto detailer (8.0): I thought the show was a solid upgrade from last week... Good opening promo from Ziggler and good use of Foley. Ziggler is a great mix of Rick Rude and Mr. Perfect... Nice to see the tag team division getting a chance, but I wish WWE would make tag teams more involved on Raw... Swagger vs. Ryder now can be a feud, as WWE needs more mid-card balance. I thought it was a good start with a hurt Ryder losing the strap in a squash... I thought R-Truth's segment was funny and good. And, Barrett really seems to be coming on as a major star. But, the over-the-top-rope challenge was bad and not smooth. It should have been a tag match... Brodus Clay. I waited a week before commenting. I like it and I like where WWE is heading. I just hope they don't make too much of a joke out of his character... Cena and Kane kept their running feud short, but sweet. After their match at the Rumble, do they join forces and Cena turns heel? Doubtful, but it would and could be exciting stuff... Jericho is definitely going to win the Rumble, I believe. Jericho not talking and walking out during the six-man tag says to me that he's ready for another memorable WWE moment...I thought the the tag match was okay. I liked Foley getting involved and I don't think I have seen a Cactus Jack double-arm DDT in quite sometime... Finally, Big Johnny getting to his breaking point was good. It was about time he showed some actual emotion with this character. I also liked him attacking Foley to keep Mick involved and relevant for his next appearance.

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 or email us at pwtorch@gmail.com.

[Torch art credit Grant Gould (c) PWTorch.com]

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