-- WWE Raw Reax 4/2

Dan Christenson of Aurora, Ill. (9.0): Best: Brock’s return. Worst: Kofi-Cody. A very good follow-up to Mania, helped in part by the awesome Miami crowd. I was at Money in the Bank for Punk’s title win last July, and Monday night’s crowd had the energy and responses to rival even Chicago’s... Rock’s promo was the best since he’s been back. It had humor, intensity, and the pay-off of a WWE Title vow... Lord Tensai is one imposing dude. Squashing Riley was necessary to establish him as a monster, but time will tell if he remains as such or becomes a back-up dancer to Clay (the Hip-Hop Hippo returns?)... Decent match between Henry and Punk. I liked how it ended with a count-out so these two can re-match once Punk-Jericho is finished. Did I really see a wrestler coughing up blood and taking a bottle over the head in the same segment? Attitudinal, indeed. Jericho was great during this, but should watch his step around liquids... The Sheamus-Del Rio exchange played second fiddle to the crowd’s pro-Daniel Bryan fever, and the “Si, Si, Si” chants were brilliant. I have a feeling Bryan was originally supposed to be the third guy in the ring for this, but the crowd would have heeled the first two, which isn’t what WWE is striving for, and rightly so... Miz may have gotten a little bit of his mojo back with back-to-back pins on Ryder in consecutive days. It appears Ryder's push is winding down, broskis... Cena’s show-closing promo started out well, but ran on a little long for me. I’ll give him props for acknowledging the Bryan and Lesnar chants instead of acting like they weren’t happening. As hot as the crowd was all night, you knew the pop that Brock was going to get would be incredible. It was. Lesnar lost some size and seemed a little off with some of his mannerisms, but I think it'll come back. When he walked through the curtain, soaked up the applause, took in the chants, and stuck Cena with the F5, I totally forgot about him leaving WWE on bad terms in the first place. A return like that and the expected attention for pro wrestling to follow means all is forgiven.

Aaron of Spokane, Wash., DJ (9.5): Best: Punk-Henry. Worst: None. This was the best Raw in years. The crowd was red-hot and made this show feel special. The opening segment could have ruined the feel of the show, but it didn't and that says a lot. Rock's promo was great and set the tone for the night. I wish he would have mentioned how much beating Cena meant to him, but it overall satisfied the fans and he left with a great cliffhanger... Punk vs. Henry was a great match and re-established Henry as a monster heel, but I'm glad they're continuing with the Jericho vs. Punk feud. It kind of reminds me of the Jake Roberts vs. Jerry Lawler from the '90s, but with bigger players... Eve is a great heel, but I don't like that they seem to be knocking down Ryder at the same time. I hope Miz gets a push, and I don't think they've booked Miz to his strengths... I liked the live crowd not accepting Sheamus, as I think his push is undeserved. Also, Del Rio was clearly frustrated with the live crowd, but I loved the "Si!" chants. I hope this feud moves fast and they get D-Bryan back in the World Title picture... Cena's promo was solid - nothing special - but the crowd made it feel better than what it was. Personally, I loved the Lesnar chant for the sole reason that Cena had that "What do I say?" look, then Brock came out and I had that feeling I had when the Attitude Era began... The MVP(s) of the night was the Miami crowd and I hope other crowds follow their lead. I also hope WWE doesn't screw this up. Yes! Yes! Yes!

***

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.

[Photo Credit: Andrew Weber-US PRESSWIRE ]

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