-- WWE Raw Reax 4/2

Steve in Pompano Beach, Fla. (9.5): Best: Punk vs. Henry tied with Rock's opening promo. Worst: Santino's dancing. Phenomenal way to follow up Mania and start off the "new season." Everything flowed and fit together really well. The matches were good, even the short bout between Kofi-Cody and Lord Tensai's destruction of Alex Riley. Punk vs. Henry was PPV-worthy, and despite Jericho's slip, he managed to keep the feud going with Punk and add even more fuel to the fire, which should make their eventual re-match even better. Promo-wise on Raw, Rock flat out killed it. No one else came close. Then, there's Cena, who by way of his segment to end Raw, came off as human. To me, his words were well-chosen, and him opting to go that route instead of just brushing things off with a smirk as he often does seemed to add a new and much-needed facet to his character. It'll be interesting to see how long he'll stick with that, especially now that Brock Lesnar returned the way he did. It looked he said something to the effect of "I've been waiting a long time to do that." Cena-Lesnar at WM29 could be huge, and if WWE does a proper build-up, it could make Rock-Cena look tame by comparison.

Justin Young of Pittsburgh, Pa. (7.5): Best: Punk vs. Henry. This was a great spot all around. The storytelling was great and Henry looked like a beast. Punk may have been better here than he was the night before. Also, this was the only time I liked all the "Yes!" chants except for the "Si!" chant for Del Rio. Following the match was very good, minus Laurinaitis. I wasn't a fan of the Punk-Jericho angle, but Jericho is maybe the only guy that can sell this... I don't know if there was a worst match this week. Maybe Tensai vs. Riley, but it did what it was suppose to. I also hate the Funkasaurus. Great bump by Dolph, though... This might not be popular, but I hated the crowd last night. They were too hip for their own good, and I thought it really hurt the storytelling of the show... The Rock was fine at the beginning besides the Cena fan comment. Lesnar at the end was interesting. The pop was insane, but I was scratching my head. I'm very interested in his reasoning for hating John Cena. It better be more than "Well, he is Cena." I think Lesnar was suppose to come back as a heel, which could give him a few reasons to hate Cena. I think this because The Rock showed Cena respect at the open and Cena was humbled and respectful to Rock at the end, only for Brock to take his hand and F5 Cena. That story just wasn't going to play for this crowd.

Eric in Michigan (7.5): Good Rock promo. Also, good to see Brodus move up the ladder. Jury is out on Lord Tensai. C.M. Punk looked weak; I hope he faces Rock at WrestleMania 29. Thank you, Brock, for the F5 to Cena.

Matt of Westbrook, Maine, auto detailer (9.8): Best Match: Punk vs. Henry. Worst: There wasn't one. What a great Raw. The momentum carried over from Sunday night and the crowd was hot all night. What a nice surprise to see Brock Lesnar come back, but the crowd somewhat spoiled it... The Rock was great and Cena still proved he's a face. Great opening promo from the Rock. And, Rock vowing to win the WWE Title again makes me believe that he loves the business more then people know... Brodus Clay became an instant factor tonight. They can take his character in so many directions... Lord Tensai looked strong in his debut, and good to see another super heavyweight on the roster... Punk vs. Mark Henry was a solid match. Henry is still a beast and Punk barely escaped with the title. Jericho's post-match beat down was good, and they are creating a classic feud with his one. I want to see them fight until Summerslam... Great to see Del Rio back on the scene and getting involved in the World Title picture with Sheamus. But, man that crowd was all over them. Good way to end it with the mic cutting out and the Brouge kick on Del Rio... Who would have thought Miz and Ryder would main-event Raw after Mania? ... Cena's promo was candid and showed of his character. He didn't have anything bad to say about Rock and he did not turn heel like people hoped for, but I'm not surprised by that. Then, Brock delivering the F-5 to Cena was a great surprise... Overall, Raw was awesome and kept the momentum from WM28 rolling into the "new calendar year." That's something that hasn't happened enough after PPVs recently. Great job by WWE tonight.

***

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.

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