Just so you guys know, Lashley apparently has a torn-rotator cuff which explains some of the booking moves last night.
The opening segment was among the best of the year, it was actually among the best we've seen in a while. All three men (Cena,Kennedy and Carlito) were on fire on the mic and got the fans (and viewers) pumped up for the show.
The women's match was sloppy and JR couldn't tell the difference between Jillian and Beth Phoenix. I did enjoy the segment after the match with Umaga destroying Santino again. Umaga a face? It seems by default he is, and as we all know, the two sweetest words in th English language are de-fault.
Booker continues to deliver on the mic with yet another promo and I'll admit.... Everytime he calles Lawler, Jerome, I have to bust out laughing. The Rhodes promo was there to set up his match and so far Cody continues to impress on the mic and in the ring. The Orton promo was also done to set up his match against Slaughter. And who did Orton beat at when he won the WHC? I can't remember for the life of me.
Rhodes vs Daivari was a good match. I don't want to assume anything, but Daivari looked.... well, to say the least. Cody looked good in the ring and he got the fans behind him. I will sya this, as of now Cody's moveset seems about as generic as it can be, but that will change with time.
Kennedy vs Lashley was a good match, albeit a bit short, but now that we know of Lashley's injury, we know why the match went the way it did. For as much flak as the bookers get (including a ton by myself) I have to give them some props for putting Kennedy over strong and giving Bobby a ready-made feud until his return.
Snitsky..... Next!
Apparently HHH will return better than before and we know what that means... (CoughSTEROIDSCough). Booker vs Lawler was what it was and Lawler got the win via DQ which doesn't hurt Booker all that much. My guess is that this is settled at Summerslam when Lawler wins due to HHH's help.
The Cryme Tyme squash was just that and although their "auction" was entertaining it went on waaaay to long.
Orton vs Slaughter... *Sigh* Chinlock, RKO, Punt to the face. Guess who won the match? (Hint:It was Randy Orton).
Carlito vs Cena was good and I liked the story about Cena not taking Carlito as a serious threat... Until Carlito got the win (thanks to Randy's sissy fit on the apron) and spat on Cena's face. Now all of a sudden we have Orton, Carlito and Kennedy all with a case to wrestle Cena for the title. They managed to give a good rub to two young guys in one day... Why don't they do this all the time?
Before the Lashley injury, I was thinking Orton was going to beat Cena for sure. Now, with Carlito and Kennedy seemingly in the title hunt... maybe Cena won't lose the belt just yet. And a random thought. Make a stable with Orton, Kennedy and Regal and have them go around kicking people in the head. Their name.... RKO!
Since I'm a lazy bathturd, I'll just "borrow" Montana's little rating system.
Action:4 out of 5
Promos:4 out of 5
Entertainment:5 out of 5
Overall:4.5 out of 5
One of the best RAW episodes since the buildup to Wrestlemania. Makes you wonder why RAW isn't this good all the time.