The Big News: The quality of Raw did a 180 this week.

Show Analysis:

I’m feeling under the weather so this is going to be relatively bare bones. Shane McMahon came out to start the show. He didn’t get much of a reaction but at least he wasn’t booed in Randy Orton’s hometown. Shane said that Orton’s legal team approached him last week after Raw and wanted a no holds barred match between Shane and Orton at No Way Out. Shane agreed. He said he would take Orton out so that Orton won’t be able to compete at No Way Out.

Randy Orton came out to cheers and RKO chants. He said that he let Orton beat him up last week. He told Legacy not to fight back because the wrestlers would jump in and it would be 20 on 3. At No Way Out he said he will be able to do whatever he wants to Shane without consequences. Legacy tried to jump Shane but he fought them off with a Singapore cane. This was an effective opening segment.

William Regal and Layla beat CM Punk and Mickie James. Layla distracted Punk, but Mickie took her out. That gave Regal the chance to knock Punk off the apron to the floor and as Punk was reentering the ring he got a running knee to the head for the pin. Next week Regal and Punk will wrestle in a title rematch.

Cryme Tyme beat Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase via DQ for intent to double team. Seriously. The heels worked over JTG, who tagged Shad. Shad came in with a back drop, scoop slam and money money elbow. But Priceless was about to double team Shad, so they were disqualified. It’s nowhere to near the worst finish in Raw history because it did no harm, but this was most certainly among the dumbest. DiBiase and Rhodes gave Shad a double team implant DDT.

They ran a video package on Mickey Rourke. They showed Rourke saying that he wouldn’t wrestle Chris Jericho. Jericho came to the ring and said he respects Rourke for his acting and the fact he backed out of the match with Jericho in a cowardly fashion. Jericho said that the Wrestler is flawed because it focuses on legends hanging around for one last paycheck. He said the Ram character was based on Ric Flair. He bashed Flair for doing autograph shows in high school gyms and tell all interviews to low rent websites. How dare he talk that way about High Spots! He said these Hall of Famers should have their status revoked.

Cena interrupted Jericho, and called Jericho an idiot. He noted how Jericho is reprimanding wrestlers for holding on to their past when he is always bringing up being the first undisputed champion. Cena said Jericho is always violating things Cena respects and believes in, and that he would shut up Jericho in the main event of Raw.

This was an excellent segment. Jericho again cut a great promo. He’s so good at finding points about faces to criticize that feel very real but don’t bury the face and instead make you want to see Jericho get his. If I had one point of criticism it’s saying the Wrestler was based on Flair, when it’s been publicly stated many times that it was based on Greg Valentine. Even if people don’t know that, logically it doesn’t make sense since at the time the screenplay was written and the movie was filmed Flair was still wrestling for WWE and hardly doing the stuff that the Ram character was doing. Ric Flair will be on Raw next week, so we’ll see where they go with this.

Kane and Mike Knox beat Kofi Kingston and Rey Mysterio. The beard really does wonders for Knox. The heels worked on Kofi with a Knox big boot and Kane side slam. Kofi hit an enzuigiri and tagged Rey. Rey came in with a springboard leg drop. Kofi went for a pescado on Knox but landed into a back breaker, which was a cool spot. In the ring Rey went for the 619 but Knox caught him. Rey fought off Knox but was caught coming into the ring by a choke slam for the pin. This had a sloppy start but settled into a good match.

Shane and Stephanie were walking backstage when they were jumped by Legacy. Legacy beat up Shane. Orton was about to punt Shane but then he saw Stephanie and decided to punt her instead. Shane dove in front of Stephanie and took the kick to his body.

Beth Phoenix beat Candice Michelle. Rosa is now labeled an intern. Uh oh. Beth hit a slingshot suplex and applied an over the shoulder back breaker. Candice hit a springboard kick for two and went for the unprettier but Beth reversed into the glam slam for the pin. Rosa threw Candice out of the ring after the match.

JBL did a performance appraisal of Shawn Michaels. JBL said he fulfilled his end of the bargain, but Michaels didn’t fulfill his end in making sure JBL was champion going into WrestleMania. Michaels said that was JBL’s fault. JBL threatened to fire Michaels and asked Michaels if he wanted that. Michaels said that he wanted to kick JBL’s teeth down his throat. JBL said if Michaels did that he would lose a job and become a deadbeat. Really?

JBL offered a deal: JBL and Michaels will wrestle at No Way Out. If Michaels wins he will get all the money he is owed over the next year, but if JBL wins he owns Michaels’ likeness and name and he will work for JBL for the rest of his life and get nothing. Michaels accepted. JBL repeatedly poked Michaels and called him broken down, and then slapped Michaels. Michaels just left.

This was pretty much the JBL/Michaels feud in a nutshell. Both men performed very well but it made absolutely no sense. See, there’s this thing called the thirteenth amendment, and slavery is not in fact legal in this country any more. Even if you enter into a bet and lose it, a court is not going to force you to work the rest of your life for someone without pay.

Kane met with Stephanie backstage. They reached an agreement. Kane will get a spot in the Elimination Chamber and in exchange Kane’s brother the Undertaker will wrestle Randy Orton on Raw next week.

John Cena beat Chris Jericho in a good main event. Jericho brawled early and hit a bulldog and springboard dropkick. Cena used a belly to belly, Cena slam and went for the five knuckle shuffle. Jericho countered into the Walls but Cena escaped. Jericho hit a lionsault but Cena came back with the Cena slam and five knuckle. He went for the FU (now called the attitude adjuster), but Jericho escaped. Jericho went for the code breaker but Cena escaped. Cena went for the FU again but Jericho escaped into the Walls. Cena then reversed into the STFU.

Final Thoughts:

This was a much, much better show than last week. It was entertaining and built issues well.

Todd Martin
ToddMartin4L@aol.com
toddwmartin.blogspot.com