Powell Editorials WWE Raw Hitlist: William Regal wins King of the Ring, Presidential spoof, Hornswoggle and Great Khali By Jason Powell Apr 22, 2008 - 09:49 AM CLICK FOR BIO Email This Article | Printer Friendly Page Send Us News & Results | Back to Main Listing WWE Raw Hits William Regal wins the King of the Ring tournament: I'm cool with Regal winning the match as long as WWE plans to follow up by moving him back to the active roster and giving him a push. I think he could be a solid contributor if he gets the right storyline support. Having said all that, I'm not sure how much he really gained by beating Hornswoggle, a wounded Finlay, and then C.M. Punk. The win over Punk was solid, although it's not like he's been promoted as an unbeatable wrestler in recent months. Ultimately, I'm just not sure how much momentum Regal gained by winning a few short matches in a tournament that will be remembered by many people as a big disappointment. Shawn Mchaels and Batista segment: Good final Raw hype for their pay-per-view match. I enjoyed the little tease of the superkick by Michaels and the reactionary smirk on Batista's face. Well played by both men throughout the month. This is feud has carried WWE since WrestleMania 24. That being said, it was an afterthought by the time Raw concluded last night, so one can only hope they'll do something else to keep the storyline fresh on Smackdown. MVP vs. Chris Jericho: What a great way to start the tournament. I really popped when both wrestlers were introduced because (a) it was a good matchup and (b) I had no idea which wrestler would win. I wish the match would have gone twice as long as it did, but it was entertaining and provided viewers with hope that WWE knew what they were doing with the King of the Ring tournament. Matt Hardy vs. C.M. Punk: Things were really looking up when these two were featured in the second match of the tournament. Unfortunately, their match was way too short. Even so, I was just excited to see four talented wrestlers and two unexpected matchups start things off. Unfortunately, my excitement for the King of the Ring didn't last long. WWE Raw Misses Presidential spoof: As I mentioned in a Mailbag article last night, there are probably some media members out there who tuned in last night for the first time since the Donald Trump and Rosie O'Donnell spoof match. No wonder the mainstream media thinks pro wrestling fans are all misfits who live in their parents' basements and set cats on fire for fun. Great Khali vs. Finlay: What the hell? Four excellent workers followed by Khali? OK, it's only one match. I'm not crazy about Finlay sticking around for the semi-finals, but it sure beat the alternative. William Regal vs. Hornswoggle: Hornswoggle? This is a bigger kick in the store than having a friend spoil an NHL Game 7 you recorded and were looking forward to watching (you know who you are!). Who thought it was a good idea to put Horny in the match? I don't even care if the storyline turns out to be that Regal booked his own opponent. This was just silly and I lost most of my enthusiasm for the tournament the moment I realized Regal or Finaly would be in the finals. It's not that I dislike either wrestler, it's just that I was hoping to see some younger talent worked into the mix. King of the Ring tournament: It started so promising, but it turned out to be a huge letdown in my book. Again, I'm cool with Regal winning as long as they have a plan to push him beyond this show. My beefs are with the Giant, the dwarf, the short matches, and the lack of younger talent involved in the tournament. This could have been something special. Instead, it felt like a series of rushed matches designed to save time for the hideous presidential spoof and the ring introductions of the eight guys who appeared in the main event. Overall show: WWE had three hours to promote Backlash, yet they dedicated most of their time to the Presidential candidates, the spoof, the King of the Ring tournament, and all those main event ring entrances. They crammed most of their big pay-per-view match hype into the eight-man tag, and none of those matches were properly showcased. The overall show was a huge disappointment and it can't bode well for the buyrate for Sunday's show or future Raw ratings. BOOKMARK DOT NET AND ADD US TO YOUR RSS • HELP DOT NET: TAKE OUR ADVERTISER DEMO SURVEY CLICK TO RETURN TO MAIN LISTING OR SELECT A LINK BELOW FROM THIS CATEGORY Powell Editorials Latest Twelve Articles TNA Impact Hitlist: TNA announces the most ridiculous title match in company history, bringing back the briefcase fiasco match and the Turkey Bowl, four on-air authority figures WWE Raw Hitlist: John Morrison and The Miz pull off a big upset over Shawn Michaels and Rey Mysterio, Stephanie McMahon takes wrestler questions, C.M. Punk, Randy Orton, Manu, Cryme Tyme TNA Impact Hitlist: Main Event Mafia attacks Christian Cage, Mick Foley's speech, Motor City Machine Guns, Samoa Joe and A.J. Styles vs. Beer Money, Sting vs. Jay Lethal ECW Hitlist: Matt Hardy defends the ECW Title against Finlay, Jack Swagger and John Morrison and The Miz vs. Cryme Tyme and Tommy Dreamer, Matt Striker talks politics WWE Raw Hitlist: Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho, Stephanie McMahon delivers bad news to Batista, the end of the Honk-A-Meter, William Regal wins the Intercontinental Title TNA Turning Point Hitlist: Main Event Mafia clean sweep, Kurt Angle and Abyss, Scott Hall shows up, Beer Money vs. Motor City Machine Guns, Sting keeps the TNA Title, Kevin Nash vs. Samoa Joe