By Jon Mezzera, Torch Specialist

RAW HITS

Opening Segment: Raw got off to a good start with Batista and Bret Hart. If this is really the end for Batista, he went out very well giving another great performance on the mic. I loved how it started with him being helped into the ring by referees, then demanding the referees leave right away so he could have his spot light. I also loved how he threatened to sue not only John Cena and WWE, but also the WWE Universe too. Bret Hart was one of the top rumored candidates to become the new Raw General Manager. He is a pretty good pick. I have a feeling that he will continue to appear on the show only every few weeks and will be referenced as having booked the shows the other weeks (or perhaps appearing via satellite). Hart does have a ton of name recognition so keeping him around makes sense. On a bit of a side note, I was glad to hear later in the show the announcers question why Vince McMahon would allow Hart to become a GM. Whether or not we get an answer to that question, at least they didn't insult our intelligence by not having anyone ask what we were all thinking. Back to the opening, Hart's set up of the Fatal 4 Way qualifying matches was solid. It was an interesting way to get the injured Randy Orton into the match without having to wrestle yet. Batista's actual proclamation that he is quitting was very well done. It was a very newsworthy start to the show.

Miz vs. Truth: While I wasn't thrilled with this match being to crown a new United States Champion, I enjoyed the match between The Miz and R-Truth. Miz and Truth worked well together and put on a good match. It went 10 minutes and I wouldn't have minded seeing it go longer. They both looked really good here. I hope that this is the start of a feud over the US Title as I would like to see more of these two in the ring together. Plus, there is some potential for some good mic exchanges as well. After Carlito and Truth were missing from NXT last week, I was suspicious. When Carlito was then suspended and fired for a wellness policy violation, I was worried about Truth. Clearly, he isn't in any trouble after the PPV win over Ted DiBiase and this win to become the new US Champ.

Edge vs. Jericho vs. Cena: This was far from a great match as there were a few very sloppy moments. However, it was still just good enough to get a marginal Hit. I assumed Edge would be the fourth person in the Fatal 4 Way, but once Chris Jericho entered the picture, I had some doubts. The idea that neither would be in it was also intriguing as it would create an opportunity to elevate someone like John Morrison. That little bit of doubt (even though I was still pretty sure Edge would win) was enough to add to the enjoyment of the match since the outcome wasn't 100% clear. Also, despite the sloppiness, there were some really good moments during the match. For instance, it was very interesting to see Jericho apply the Walls of Jericho on Cena who had the STF on Edge. The match was well booked and had a lot of energy. I also appreciate that Edge got the clean win with his own finisher. He didn't push Jericho out of the ring to pick up the scraps on Cena after the Code Breaker like you see so often in triple threat matches. He hit Jericho with the Spear and got the win. It was a good ending.

RAW MISSES

US Title Determination: I was not happy to see the United States Championship determined in a simple one-on-one match. It could have been worse, it could have been a battle royal. But, vacant Titles shouldn't be determined like this. There should be more to earning the Title than just winning one match. I can understand The Miz as the former Champion getting into the match without qualifying for it (if they weren't going to do something like a tournament). But, it would have been better if at least they had a qualifying match for R-Truth to set up this match for next week. Of course, they are having qualifiers for Fatal 4 Way already, so that would be problematic, but they should have had something more than just this one match.

WWE Superstar Search: When WWE announced that the guest hosts would no longer have any power, I questioned why they should even be on any more. Clearly, the only answer is that WWE has to have celebrities on for these types of horrible sketches. This was terrible. It was not funny or in any other way entertaining. It was lazy writing. The fan pulling his eye out of his skull was just disturbing and in no way something I want to see on my tv. Ted DiBiase looked like a total fool for being a part of this. We don't take Santino Marella seriously at all, so you expect him to be in segments like this. However, how can I ever take DiBiase seriously again after this? I could say more, but I don't want to waste my time.

New Team Introduction: WWE seems to be actually starting to focus on the tag team division on both Smackdown and now Raw which is a good thing. I liked seeing a new team debut this week by taking it to The Hart Dynasty. I am a bit bothered by the fact that they are new and are already going after the Tag Team Champions. If there was another established popular babyface team for them to feud with first on their way to the Titles, that would be better. But, that isn't possible at this point and I don't mind it so much. But, what I did mind was the poor job the announcers did on making their debut feel like a big deal. They barely sold confusion as to who this new team was. They didn't make a big deal about the fact that they had destroyed the Tag Team Champions. They cut to a graphic of the main event almost right away after the new team had hit their simultaneous triple splash. They were never mentioned again. Just merely saying "who was that?" wasn't enough.

Jon Mezzera is PWTorch.com's WWE Hits & Misses Specialist, providing his point of view for Raw, Smackdown, NXT, and Superstars each week. Email him at jmezz-torch@sbcglobal.net.

For another view from the original Hitlist author, compare Jason Powell's views to mine by visiting prowrestling.NET's "Hitlist" section here.

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