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WWE Raw on the USA Network
Live from Detroit, Mich.

[Q1] The opening montage aired... Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler introduced the show and hyped the four-way match for the U.S. Title. Lawler explained the basics rules of the match. Cole hyped Mark Henry vs. Big Show...

Powell's POV: I'm not checking email tonight so that I can enjoy the rest of the Vikings game after Raw. So those of you who like to send me 200 emails during Raw would be wise to just save them tonight. Yes, I know it's only preseason. Shut up.

Lilian Garcia introduced special guest host Dusty Rhodes, who walked onto the stage to a nice reaction. Rhodes walked to the ring and a loud "Dusty" chant broke out. "Hello, Detroit," Rhodes said. He said he's the American Dream and he's the host of the show. He recalled being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame not too far down the road.

Rhodes praised Detroit as a blue collar city that never quits. Dusty said he's proud of his son Cody. Dusty said he realizes Cody is running with Randy Orton, but "there's nothing that a father wouldn't do for his son." Rhodes said he hopes that Cody will see the light someday. He said maybe that light will shine tonight.

Dusty announced that Cody will challenge Randy Orton for the WWE Championship. He said he would be in Cody's corner for the match, and John Cena will be the special referee for the match. "What in the world?" Lawler asked.

Randy Orton's music played and he walked out and walked slowly to the ring while glaring at Dusty. He said Dusty is jealous because Cody looks up to him more than he's ever looked up to his own father. Randy said Dusty is trying to win back Cody's love by granting him a title match.

Dusty said Cody is a little hungrier than Randy, who responded by asking Dusty what was stopping him from punting him in the head like he did two years ago. Cody came out and said the man Orton threatened to kick is his father. He said the title shot is a golden opportunity that he can't pass up. He said he has a chance to become the youngest WWE Champion in history.

"Randy, it isn't personal, it's strictly business," Cody said. Randy recapped the details of the match and said, "Obviously, the fix is in." Dusty replied, "You better believe it, Randy, the fix is in." Orton left the ring while Cody stood in the ring with his father...

Backstage, the referee gave instructions to six Divas for a battle royal... [C]

Powell's POV: Fun segment with Dusty, Randy, and Cody. Wow, they sound like a boy band. Anyway, I like the creative main event because it's different from the norm. Nice hook to keep viewers watching to see how it plays out. As for the Divas, I guess we can cross out the "smart" part of the catchphrase Cole always uses to describe them if the referee actually had to explain the rules of a battle royal to them.

[Q2] An ad for ECW teased that viewers would "relive" the Shawn Michaels vs. Undertaker match from WrestleMania 25...

Powell's POV: This type of hype should have been given to the match right after it took place. I'm all for keeping it alive, but this would be a better fit on the WWE Superstars show. Really, what the hell does HBK vs. Taker have to do with ECW?

1. Beth Phoenix won a six-Diva battle royal in 4:00 to earn a WWE Divas Championship match. The participants were Beth Phoenix, Rosa Mendes, Kelly Kelly, Gail Kim, Jillian Hall, and Alicia Fox. Cole said the winner of the match would challenge for the Divas Title later in the show. Beth was working over Kelly early when Rosa bumped into her. Beth got pissed and tossed Rosa over the top rope less than a minute in. Gail eliminated Fox moments later. Kelly went flying less than five seconds later.

The match came down to Beth, Gail, and Jillian. They actually went a couple minutes without an elimination as Gail and Jillian had a forgettable fight. The fans booed because the action was forgettable and sloppy. Gail finally eliminated Hall, only to have Beth recover from selling in the corner. Beth walked over and booted Gail out of the ring to win the match. Beth will challenge Mickie for the title later in the show...

Powell's POV: Wow, Gail is really struggling. That match with Mickie James a couple weeks ago was really bad, and her battle royal exchange with Jillian wasn't much better. The fans were into the match until Gail and Jillian squared off. They lost interest quickly.

Chris Jericho made his entrance and the show went to break... [C]

[Q3] The announcers recapped highlights of MVP and Mark Henry beating JeriShow with help from Floyd Mayweather Jr. on last week's show...

2. Chris Jericho pinned MVP in 8:50. Jericho took control of the match and yelled, "Where are those knuckles now," in reference to the brass knuckles MVP used to win the match last week. Nice touch. MVP came back with a big boot to Jericho's head for a nice near fall. Jericho came back with a kick of his own that knocked MVP off the ring apron. [C]

After the break, Lawler hyped Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s boxing pay-per-view. MVP started a comeback, but Jericho cut him off with a one-handed bulldog. He tried to follow up with a Lionsault, but MVP moved. MVP came back with a low dropkick and the Ballin' elbow for a near fall.

MVP went for the horrible Playmaker, but Jericho countered with a Liontamer attempt, which MVP turned into a rollup for a good near fall. Jericho hit the Codbreaker moments later and scored the clean pin...

Powell's POV: A decent match. It wasn't the gem I was hoping these two would have, but it was solid. Words can't describe how much I dislike the Playmaker as a finisher. It's just so awkward looking and it can't be hit out of nowhere like most good finishers.

Backstage, Triple H and Shawn Michaels approached Dusty Rhodes as he was looking at the cover of the Rise and Fall of WCW DVD. They told him that they know he loves his son, but Cody and Ted are disgraces to their fathers. Rhodes said he'd give one of them a title match if Cody won. Shawn and Hunter playfully bickered about which one of them should get it.

Dusty asked if there was anything else he could do for them. Shawn and Hunter joked that they were bored and had nothing else to do. Dusty invited them to watch the WCW DVD with him. Shawn pitched the WCW DVD, Dusty pitched his own DVD, and Hunter pitched the DX DVD. Shawn asked if they should watch Raw rather than one of the DVDs. Hunter and Dusty said no because Rhodes is the guest host and didn't need to see the show...

A shot aired of Hornswoggle dressed in cowboy gear backstage...

Powell's POV: Please move Chavo into the feud with Evan Bourne and end this misery! Same old stuff with DX. Cute, but nothing memorable.

[Q4] [C] A commercial aired for the return of Undertaker on Friday's Smackdown... Highlights aired of last week's Hornswoggle vs. Chavo match...

3. Hornswoggle defeated Chavo Guerrero in a bull rope match in 2:00. Horny was dressed like a cowboy, while Chavo came out wearing a cow-print outfit that looked like pajamas. Cole and Lawler forced themselves to laugh 1,000 times harder than anyone watching at home. Just as the ref was about the put the rope on Chavo's wrist, he stopped and said he had one more thing that Dusty ordered him to wear. He went to ringside and grabbed a cartoonish cow head. The ref said Chavo had to wear it or forfeit.

Later, Chavo took off the head and went to the top rope, but Horny rolled out of the way. Evan Bourne came out and distracted Chavo. Horny used the rope to pull Chavo down. Horny tied up Chavo. The ref deemed him the winner. After the match, Chavo hit Bourne from behind. Bourne quickly knocked down Chavo and then had Horny hit the Tadpole splash while wearing the cow's head. "What a moooove," Cole said while Lawler laughed like a jackass...

Powell's POV: Horrible. Most of the live crowd didn't seem amused.

The announcers stopped laughing quickly and ran through a tale of the tape for Big Show vs. Mark Henry... [C] Did You Know? John Cena has granted more than 140 Make-A-Wish wishes? Finally, something worth touting on those silly graphics...

[Q5] 4. Mark Henry defeated Big Show by DQ in 5:15. They had a staredown before the match. Show pie-faced Henry, who then motioned him to "come on." Henry applied a headlock. Show spent the next minute trying to escape it before he finally reached the ropes. The fans were getting restless when Show woke them up with a spear. Later, Show removed a turnbuckle and slammed Henry into it for the DQ. He followed up with a knockout punch and left Henry lying...

Powell's POV: Very slow match. Hell, very slow and dull show so far.

Backstage, Ted DiBiase walked into Cody Rhodes's locker room and asked if he's ready. Cody said he wants to make an impact. Randy entered the room and asked if Cody really wanted to go through with this. "Absolutely," Cody said. Randy delivered the same line that Cody did earlier in the show when he said whatever happens in the ring "isn't personal, it's just business"... [C]

A shot aired of Hulk Hogan tapping Kevin Nash with his finger and then pinning him in a horrendous WCW Nitro low-light. Dusty said that was what started the fall of WCW. Shawn asked how Dusty could let that happen. Dusty said "Big Sexy" was in charge then. Shawn and Hunter said they never would have let him pull that if they had been there. They said Dusty and others shouldn't have either.

Dusty said there was a time when WCW kicked WWE's booty. Shawn said it's because they used former WWE wrestlers. Dusty had Shawn admit that his WWE Title reign coincided with the ratings loss. Dusty also had Shawn admit that he took a hiatus around the same time WWE made its comeback in the Monday Night War. Shawn pretended to be upset.

After Shawn walked away, Hunter asked who came up with the idea of taking a "no talent, nothing happening guy like Marc Mero" and dress him up like Little Richard. He said the person must have been an idiot. Dusty took credit for it. Shawn came back into the picture throwing a fit about how everyone was rolling in the dough during the Attitude Era while he was sitting at home...

Powell's POV: Entertaining for those of us who remember the Monday Night Wars, but not so much for the target kid audience.

[Q6] 5. Kofi Kingston beat The Miz, Jack Swagger, and Carlito in a four-way to retain the U.S. Championship in 8:30. Kofi jumped out to an early advantage and laid out all three heels on the floor before they cut to commercial. [C]

After the break, they aired highlights of Kofi diving onto the heels, which took place right before the break. Back live, however, Swagger was working over Kofi's leg with a hold in the ring. Miz broke it up by attacking Swagger. There was a cool spot where Miz whipped Kofi into the corner and ran at him only to take a missile dropkick from Carlito.

Later, Kofi hit a high cross body block on Carlito and Miz and then went for a cover on Miz, but Swagger broke it up and went on the offensive. Lawler reminded viewers that the champion doesn't have to be pinned to lose his title. Swagger went for his finisher, but Carlito slipped out. Miz hit Swagger with the Skull Crushing Finale. Carlito hit the Backstabber on Miz. Kofi hit Trouble in Paradise on Carlito and pinned him...

Powell's POV: Good action in this match. The finishing sequence was similar to the way Kofi retained in another recent match, though. The announcers did a nice job of putting over Kofi escaping with the title again.

Cole and Lawler hyped the Orton vs. Cody match... [C]

[Q7] The announcers narrated highlights of the battle royal that was held earlier in the show...

6. Mickie James pinned Beth Phoenix to retain the WWE Divas Championship in 4:50. There was a nice spot early with Mickie lying underneath the bottom rope. Beth dropkicked her into the ring post. Unfortunately, the live crowd was silent whenever Beth was on offense.

Mickie started to make a comeback and went to the ropes for a move, but Beth cut her off by knocking her to the floor. Beth followed to ringside and ran Mickie into the guardrail. Beth rolled her back inside and went for a cover, but Mickie kicked out. Beth got pissed and removed her headband. Beth went for another move, but Mickie countered with her DDT finisher and scored the pin...

Powell's POV: The birthday girl keeps her championship. Mickie did a really nice job of selling an injured shoulder she suffered during the match. Great pissed off look from Beth afterward as she fumed while staring at Mickie. Sadly, the live crowd didn't give a damn about this match.

Backstage, Shawn apologized for flipping out and said people tells him he hides it well. Hunter mockingly called him "Psycho Boy." Dusty praised WCW wrestlers such as Ric Flair, Sting, and Magnum T.A. Hunter questioned why the greatest WCW moment of all wasn't included - The Shockmaster.

Hunter explained the character to Shawn. Suddenly, a voice called out in Shockmaster style. There was a pyro flash and someone wearing a Shockmaster helmet crashed through a wall and fell down. The voice continued. Hunter and Shawn pointed to Arn Anderson holding a mic. Arn ran off. "It should have worked," Dusty said after DX split. Shockmaster removed his mask and revealed himself to be Santino Marella, who said he loved the Shockmaster... [C]

Powell's POV: I'm sure there are some longtime fans who are enjoying the stroll down memory lane, but young fans are either bored or reached for the remote a long time ago. I lived through Shockmaster and the WCW era, and I'm not entertained by this. Isn't there a pay-per-view in less than two weeks? Maybe 10 years from now too cute babyfaces of the era (probably Hunter and Shawn) will stroll down memory lane and recall how awful this show was.

[Q8] Backstage, Josh Matthews interviewed John Cena, who said the main event could be the collapse of Legacy. He said it could be so embarrassing for Orton that it causes his career to crumble. Cena said that if he chooses a side it would mean the headlines would read that he gave Cody the WWE Championship.

Cena went into preacher voice as he spoke about Cody needing to win the title on his own merits. Cena turned the attention to himself and said repeatedly, "Yes, we can." Er, um, "I will not quit"...

Powell's POV: A passionate "Seinfeld" promo. By that I mean it was really a promo about nothing once he got finished plugging the main event. Good intensity and the Cena fans loved it.

The announcers hyped the two Smackdown matches advertised for the pay-per-view. No new matches advertised... Randy Orton made his ring entrance. A shot aired of Dusty giving advice to Cody... [C]

Cole and Lawler hyped Bob Barker as the special guest host of next week's show...

Powell's POV: Where's Carlito with a "Now that's cool" when you need him? Bob Barker is the man.

[Overrun] 7. Randy Orton vs. Cody Rhodes (w/Dusty Rhodes) for the WWE Championship never took place. John Cena was introduced last as the special referee. A new camera shot started in the ring and pulled back to the rafters. Cool shot. Before Cena could call for the bell, Dusty took the mic and said, "Hold it, hold it." He recalled saying earlier there was nothing a father wouldn't do for his son.

"John, I'm sorry, buddy," Dusty said. Cody and Randy attacked Orton. Ted DiBiase hit the ring and joined the attack. DX ran out and tried to save Cena. However, Dusty took his boot off and hit Hunter with it. The other heels worked over HBK. Cody hit Shawn with CrossRhodes.

Legacy and Dusty all raised their hands while they stood over DX and Cena. Suddenly, Orton hit the RKO on Dusty. Cody fumed while Orton stared straight ahead without acknowledging him. Randy turned and glared at Cody, who backed down in the corner. The fans chanted Cody's name to close the show...

Powell's POV: Great twist at the end with Randy hitting the RKO on Dusty. The Legacy turn on Cena was probably spotted by a lot of viewers, but I didn't see the RKO on Dusty coming. That was fun. Overall, though, a lousy show that did nothing to promote the pay-per-view that is only 13 days away.

This would have been a great night to kick off a big storyline that would play out over the next month or two given that Monday Night Football's regular season is only two weeks away. Thanks for watching along with me tonight. I'll be back with an All Access audio review and the WWE Raw Hitlist on Tuesday.

Dot Net Members are currently reading about Vince McMahon's reaction to Rey Mysterio's claim that he was "unjustly" suspended. The story includes some of the surprising ideas being pitched, including one that would be a shocker. You can gain access to this story and all the perks of Dot Net Membership for only $5 per month by visiting the Dot Net Members' Signup Page.

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