-- WWE Raw Reax 7/9

Richard H. of Wilmington, Ohio: Last night's Raw wasn't too bad for a tag team edition of Raw, especially leading up to the MITB PPV. There were a couple of rough spots - A.J. and C.M. seemed to be having issues with their pacing and almost lost the arena sheep several times, there was Slater and Backlund's "match," and Hornswoggle as the Anonymous GM. Really? After ignoring this "issue" for months, that is how they close it? Overall, I thought they did a good job setting things up for the PPV this Sunday, tidying up a few feuds, and filling out the card. The best match, with almost all of the matches being tags, was probably the mixed tag with A.J., Punk, and Bryan. Also, continuing VKM's tendency to insert truth into the promos, how much does it hurt that A.J. was right about Punk being overshadowed by so many others? As for using just facial expressions to sell things, how about Vickie showing interest in AlberTensai? Overall, I thought it was a solid show that actually pushed interest in the PPV, mainly thanks to Cena stressing it in his promo. If they had shown the same zeal in promoting this PPV that they have shown in pushing Raw 1K, they might have done a million buys.

Mike Booble of Springfield, Ore.: Once again, the only compelling bit of TV on Raw last night was A.J. She continues to be the most consistantly compelling figure, and they really have positioned her well for a climactic ending at MITB. However, I thought the show as a whole was rather dull, which presents a step back from last week. It has that Summer of Punk feel again where they know they have a storyline everyone wants to see, so they throw everything into that one and completely forget the rest... Raw had yet another Cole-Lawler match which, next to Savage-Steamboat, might be the greatest rivalry ever, and a very weak explanation that Hormswoggle was the mystery GM all along. That is just ridiculous. That's like saying the great and powerful Oz was a dwa...oh wait, he was. So, apparently Dorothy is now part of Creative. Look out for Toto to be a surprise entrant into the 2013 Royal Rumble.

Patrick Ackerman of Chicago, college student (3.0): Best: A.J./Punk/Bryan segments. Worst: Anonymous Raw GM reveal/Cole vs. Lawler. Is it weird to say I popped when I heard the familiar blip of the Anonymous Raw GM? When it was big, I actually enjoyed the angle and was excited for a big pay-off. When Santino started sleuthing for who it could be, I was hoping it would be good, but a big part of me felt I would be dissapointed. And, yet, I watched. After the filler Cole-Lawler match, when they revealed it was Hornswoggle the whole time, I thought it to be one of the most anti-climactic payoffs in wrestling history and a slap in the face to fans as well as an insult to their intelligence. It reminded me a lot of when McMahon was revealed to be Undertaker's "Higher Power." It just didn't make sense, and I hate the Hornswoggle character. I didn't like him during his feud with Chavo, I didn't care that Santa gave him a voice, and I'm not happy they made him the Anonymous GM... In general, I don't feel this was a good show to hype the Money in the Bank Pay-Per-View. However, I have liked the build-up of Punk vs. Bryan; A.J. has been fantastic in her role. There is a certain sense of unpredictability (e.g. slapping Punk, then slapping Bryan), and even though the prestige of the WWE Championship has taken a bit of a tumble, I believe this feud is very entertaining... The build-up to the Raw MITB match has been confusing. To begin with, weren't Kane and Cena feuding over "embracing the hate" a while back? I didn't like that they were teaming without explanation and I felt the match itself was kind of boring. Sin Cara vs. Heath Slater was all right, but I'm not sure if the crowd really responded well when Backlund came out. But, they were certainly all over him when he put Slater in the Crossface Chickenwing. Overall, Raw this week was not memorable.

***

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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