By Ryan Kester

Daniel Bryan and Randy Orton

This was a very solid chapter in the Daniel Bryan and Randy Orton story, and one can only hope the two men gain a bit of separation between last night and Money in the Bank. Daniel Bryan got a great submission win on the main event of Raw; I think anyone still fretting over his position on creative's priority list can rest assured that he's one of their top players.

It will be interesting to see where these two men go once Money in the Bank arrives. They've both showed heel and babyface traits in the past few weeks, and either one could easily go full heel in the Money in the Bank setting. WWE has certainly been on a kick of making old acts fresh again, and Orton could use a change of pace.

CM Punk and Paul Heyman

The exchange between Punk and Heyman was easily one of the biggest highlights of last night's Raw. Between Punk getting a bit emotional and Heyman breaking out an "I love you," the two really put their all in an uneasy reconciliation. I'm glad that WWE is showing some restraint with the story and allowing things to simmer a bit. Instant gratification often rules the wrestling industry, and a little bit of a delay goes a long way.

I enjoyed the addition of Curtis Axel to the mix. It made sense given that he's Heyman's latest investment, and it allows Punk to show some hesitancy and distrust with Heyman and work with another wrestler in between Lesnar's appearances.

John Cena and Mark Henry

We didn't get the hottest follow-up to last week's surprisingly compelling promo from Mark Henry, but I'm not sure much would have been able to follow that moment effectively. Keeping the two men separate was a wise move, and both held their own well enough on the mic. I feel like Henry really shines when he has another person to play off of so he felt a bit off in his delivery this week, but he held his own.

This feud is one of the rare instances where I would normally have no desire to see the two men wrestle, but the storytelling involved with the angle is enough to make me want to see what they'd do with their showdown. That could easily change in the coming weeks if they don't maintain some of the momentum from last week, but for now this feud is fun to watch.

Overall Show

WWE produced another solid three hours of wrestling television. The most recent turns have really helped to shake the product up, and the storytelling overall has improved to the point that the usual filler is falling by the wayside.

If you have any questions or comments or just wish to chat with a fellow wrestling fan about whatever, then feel free to email me at ryan.kester@gmail.com or follow me on Twitter.

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