-- 7/2 WWE Raw Reax

Dave Harlequin of Charlotte, N.C. (6.5): Best Match: Punk/Cena vs. Bryan/Jericho. Worst: Katy Perry commercials vs. my mute button. Overall, I enjoyed Raw this week, although it was nothing special. The Punk-Bryan-A.J. story continues to be the best story arc in WWE right now; it's just a shame Punk can't see the main event as champion without Cena involved... It was great seeing Tyson Kidd get a well-deserved win, and when was the last time a "currently in the ring back from commercial" guy actually won? That was cool. I must admit - Heath Slater is really starting to grow on me, and I'm really glad he didn't take a loss to Doink... I'm not sure I understand what WWE is doing with MITB - is the Raw MITB match just a Fatal Four-way ladder match now? And, seriously, what was up with the constant barrage of Katy Perry Pepsi commercials? I'm just saying, it's pretty annoying to have to sit through the same commercial at every break.

Steve in Pompano Beach, Fla., raconteur & bon vivant (6.5): Best: Punk/Cena vs. Bryan/Jericho, A.J., Heyman. Worst: Eight-man tag. Though not a candidate for Best Raw of 2012, this week's offering was far from bad. I thought the opening segment starting with Cena was going to be more of his usual schtick, but the segue into including Bryan, Punk, and Jericho was pretty good; Jericho's chastising of D-Bryan's catchphrasing before falling back into his classic lines had me cracking up. Then, that eight-man thing happened, and another promise of a Del Rio-Sheamus World Title match. It doesn't seem any more interesting this go-'round than it did the first time... The mixed tag match was decent for what it was, but if Big Johnny got intro music, then doesn't Vickie Guerrero deserve some?... I figured that Lesnar wouldn't be at Raw, but seeing and hearing Paul Heyman flesh out what I hope is the scenario and end result for Lesnar-Triple H at Summerslam was very slick and well done. Maybe Hunter will be like Randy Couture before Cena's second go as a Frank Mir substitute... In case you didn't know that A.J.'s cute-like-a-Skitty self has arrived, this week is your proof. Layla may have the belt that looks like it was designed by Lisa Frank, but smiling little A.J. is the top Diva in WWE right now. She proved it on Smackdown when she took the "Yes!" chant and made it her own that night. And, she did so again on Raw, making every other Diva look like an afterthought standing over a fallen Punk, a fallen Bryan, and the table she put them both through. The WWE Championship match at MITB just got a lot more interesting. #RawIsJerichoA-GAIN

Mike Booble of Springfield, Ore.: I thought this was the best Raw in a while. The opening segment was spot-on with Y2J channeling his '99 self in an awesome flashback. Even Kane'a one-word answer to Jericho worked. I thought the only thing wrong was Big Show. He kind of killed all the momentum that had been built... The whole show was built around A.J. and I feel like it was the right decision. During the Attitude Era, when Stone Cold Steve Austin was on segment after segment, the crowd ate it up. And, that's what it feels like now. When her music hits, people go crazy. The ending of Raw set up a nice couple of weeks and some serious intrigue at the PPV.

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 photo credit Wade Keller (c) PWTorch.com]

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