WWE Raw Hitlist: The 2010 WWE Draft, Batista vs. Sheamus vs. Randy Orton, The Hart Dynasty beats ShoMiz to win the Unified Tag Titles, Jack Swagger vs. John Morrison, Chris Jericho vs. Christian

By Jason Powell

Dot Net Members are currently listening to over 90 minutes of audio on the WWE Draft and TNA Impact television show. You can hear my full breakdown of the WWE Draft and Rich's take on TNA Impact by signing up for $5 per month charter membership via the Dot Net Members' Signup Page.

WWE Raw Hits

The Draft: A minor hit. There were no major surprises so I understand viewers who feel let down by this year's draft. Likewise, I'm sure there are some frustrated viewers who aren't happy with Smackdown losing so much talent. One WWE insider noted prior to the draft that he didn't expect many major moves for Smackdown on Monday simply because they won't be getting as much attention from MyNetwork TV, and there are bound to be a number of preemptions due to the affiliates airing MLB games instead. The insider also noted that we are still five months away from Smackdown moving to Syfy, so WWE can still execute trades or claim contracts have expired if they want to beef up the brand.

The Hart Dynasty beats ShoMiz: The show got off to a hot start with The Hart Dynasty getting a chance to shine. It was nice to see these four wrestlers get ample time for their match, and it was really encouraging to hear how much the fans got behind Hart Dynasty. Show's post-match knockout of The Miz made it very obvious that one of them was changing brands. I guess this means Miz goes back to defending the U.S. Title, which is a nice consolation prize.

Batista vs. Randy Orton vs. Sheamus: A good Triple Threat match albeit with a predictable outcome. I understand why they're keeping Cena vs. Batista going, but I'm bored with the feud because the outcome seems so predictable given Batista's contractual situation. That said, the masses have no clue that his contract is on the verge of expiring, so they're probably enjoying the feud more than we are. Did anyone else find it odd that Sheamus was spot on with his comments regarding Orton and Batista not belonging in the title hunt since they both lost title matches the night before? Sheamus is really coming into his own and will be a star for the company for years to come.

Michelle McCool and Layla vs. Eve Torres and Maryse: A rare hit for the Divas. They got a little more time than usual and told a basic story to set up the rematch between Eve and Maryse. Does anyone know why McCool and Layla have formed a tag team even though there's no such thing as Divas Tag Titles?

Ted DiBiase wants his own Virgil: A fun segment that concluded with a rightful slap in the face from R-Truth. Now that the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony has come and gone, it would be nice if they'd have Ted Sr. endorse his son's new heel persona. There's just something about Ted Jr.'s daddy issues that makes it hard to take him seriously as more than just a mid-card act. Believe it or not, I'd have an easier time accepting him if he just acknowledged that he was trying to walk in his father's footsteps.

C.M. Punk vs. Evan Bourne: Fun while it lasted and it was cool to see the mystery man (Joey Mercury) factor into the finish again. Here's hoping Evan Bourne's name is called in the WWE Supplemental Draft today because he'll be lost in the shuffle even more if he's left on the deep Raw roster.

Chris Jericho vs. Christian: A good match that gave Jericho his heat back after losing to Heath Slater on NXT and to Edge at the pay-per-view. I thought we might be getting a Jericho losing streak angle, but obviously that's not the case.

WWE Raw Misses

Overall show: I was okay with the draft even though there were no major surprises and I liked seeing longer matches, but there's no denying that this three-hour show really dragged at times. I don't think WWE did themselves any favors by giving away three picks all at one time, and I really didn't care for the decision to have the final draft pick made with so much time left in the show.

John Cena: I've been enjoying most of Cena's work lately, but his mic work on Monday was overly cute to the point that he was annoying. I also despised the video footage of Cena hanging with the troops. It's great that Cena does so much behind the scenes for Make-A-Wish and takes part in the Tribute to the Troops specials. I sincerely admire that. However, this is another case of it coming across like WWE is trying to use the military to get Cena over.

Jack Swagger vs. John Morrison: It was good to see Swagger avenge another of his three non-title losses. The match had it's moments, but it also drained the live crowd with the long rest holds. That said, I'm really enjoying Swagger as the World Hvt. Champion and I hope WWE sticks with him for more than just a couple months.

Christian drafted to Smackdown: This is probably a good move for Christian from the standpoint that he'll get more love from the Smackdown creative team than he received on Raw. The only problem I have with the move is that Edge and Christian once again find themselves on opposite brands. There appears to be a lot of interest in the two of them reuniting and/or feud, but it looks like we'll be waiting even longer for that to happen. That said, if the idea is to build up Christian on Smackdown for a year before booking them together then it will be worth the wait.

Michael Cole, Jerry Lawler, and Matt Striker: A reader mentioned yesterday via email that I should have given this team a miss in the Extreme Rules Hitlist. I mentioned to him that I could give this trio a miss every time they work together. The friction between the two color commentators is very noticeable and their verbal exchanges make for more uncomfortable moments than compelling television. It amazes me that the announcing is so bad, yet WWE has apparently decided that they're not going to use Jim Ross on weekly television even if they do re-sign him.

Hornswoggle vs. Dolph Ziggler: Ziggler was made to look like a goof and then he beat the hell out of Hornswoggle. I can live with what took place last night, but please tell me they're not going to end up on the same brand and continue the silliness. I love what WWE has been doing with Ziggler on Smackdown. His new sleeper finisher seems to be getting over and I don't want to see his character watered down in a comedy program.