-- WWE Raw Reax 4/23

Jerry Roth, PWTorch reader (8.5): Best: Jericho vs. Kofi. Worst: Beth vs. Bella. I thought this was the best three-hour Raw in a long time. The worst part was watching Beth get injured and I'm not sure if Beth was supposed to lose to a Bella as if the rumors are correct that their contracts are up soon. It was also nice not to have David Otunga pushed down our throats. However, that last segment bombed worse than GTV. John Cena's character evolution is he adds a freaking chain. Other than that, a good show.

Joe Ward of Raleigh, N.C. (5.0): Best: Edge promo. Worst: Nikki Bella title win. The show was what I fear with a three-hour Raw - too much filler and not enough substance. The highlight was Edge. WWE could have something here if they went all in Rocky III - Cena gets destroyed by Lesnar on Sunday, disappears from TV except for vignette of Edge training him in Canada, and Lesnar runs over the entire Raw roster in the interim. Eventually, Cena (with Edge in his corner) comes back and wins decisively... Nikki Bella as the Divas champ? WTH? Hopefully Kharma is back Sunday and this was nothing more than a transition... Jericho and Punk - they are doing the best they can with this angle... Orton-Kane does nothing for me, and why bother with Paul Bearer? ... Santino - why is the U.S. Champ wrestling tag matches instead of defending the title? The whole show just seemed off to me.

Ryan of Long Island, N.Y.: Best: Jericho-Kofi by default; Edge coming out. Worst: Throw a dart and pick. Can I give Raw a negative number? For a PPV lead-in show, this Raw was a major disappointment. It was probably one of the worst Raws I have watched in a long time. They seemed to have killed any and all momentum they had going for them. Edge is always a welcome sight on WWE programming and I was truly surprised to see him come down. Edge's plea to Cena was passable, but it seemed to lack logic. Edge is not an active member of the roster, so it felt out of place. I think it would mean more if another main event star came out to smack some sense into Cena, but since WWE refuses to pull the trigger on creating meaningful main event players, I guess they had no other options. Plus, if Cena wants to get his fire back, maybe he should pander less to the camera about his birthday... The Jericho-Punk storyline progressed with another drawn-out segment. I think it would have been better if they had a "drunk" Punk escorted from building, leaving us to wonder what Punk (if any) would show up on Sunday. It was obvious he wasn't going to be drunk and was going to get the upper hand on Jericho... Orton vs. Kane was just kinda there and apparently no one on the WWE staff minds the murder of Paul Bearer...again. They shoulda called those cops in earlier... The final segment had the chance to be gritty and "legitimate," but they gave Brock too much mic time. If he's concerned about ass kicking, he shouldn't be concerned about money and his name on the show and all the other ridiculous demands. This is exactly what C.M. Punk did a year ago (minus the ice cream bars). It did not feel fresh or new. I think this segment would have been enhanced if WWE signed Paul Heyman. Then he could have handled the demands, Brock could have stayed silent throughout the segment, and then not bored the crowd... Overall, the show just didn't click with this viewer. I know a lot of people may have enjoyed the episode, but it lacked the passion and emotion needed for the last Raw before a PPV. WWE needs to take a long look at slowing down angles and pacing them to get viewers committed to believing in these Superstars and their storylines. The Raw after Mania was insanely good, and they have derailed themselves more and more since then... P.S. Taco Bell sponsoring a match...a new low even by Vince's standards.

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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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