By Jason Powell

Dot Net Members are listening to my 45-minute audio review of Monday's WWE Raw television show. Join us on the ad-free version of the website and access all the perks of membership by signing up now via the Dot Net Members' Signup Page.

WWE Raw Hits

C.M. Punk vs. Dolph Ziggler: Another strong showing for Ziggler despite losing the match. This guy is going to be a main event star for WWE if he gets the right push and continues to progress as a performer. Punk was great last night, but the one thing I didn't care for was the way he told John Laurinaitis that the two matches that he announced for this show were not the matches that people want to see. Punk is the cool barometer for a lot of viewers, and if he rolls his eyes at the two advertised matches, I assume there will be viewers at home doing the same and potentially turning the channel.

C.M. Punk and John Laurinaitis: Punk did a terrific job of defining the Laurinaitis character as a middle management stooge. The Office Space reference was a gem, and now viewers have a better understanding of why they should dislike the Laurinaitis character beyond the bad promos, awkward voice, etc. Just as fans could relate to Steve Austin during his feud with his boss, they can also relate to Punk feuding with a suck ass management type.

The Miz and R-Truth: They looked like dopes who were played by John Cena. Truth looked like an even bigger dope when he punched out Miz and then walked up the ramp allowing Miz to walk behind him. His character was the only person in the building who didn't know what was going to happen next. Nevertheless, they needed to do something with these guys given how horribly they were pushed going into Survivor Series. Truth is out of the picture for the next 30 days due to his Wellness Policy suspension, but I do believe he can get over as a babyface more than he did in the past. The character is entertaining and his humor should play well now that he's a face.

Cody Rhodes and Booker T: Obviously, anything that will get Booker away from commentary is fine by me. That said, I like Booker as an in-ring performer, and he and Cody have the potential have a good program together. Cody looks much better, but his pre-match promo showed that he's still trying to find his character. More than anything, I was just happy to see Cody get a squash win over Santino Marella rather than giving Mason Ryan his win back after eliminating him at Survivor Series.

It Begins video: I don't know whether this was a setup for Undertaker, Chris Jericho, or someone else, but I love it when WWE throws out Easter eggs. I'd like to see more of this from the company, as it will lead to viewers watching the show more intently, rewards them for doing so, and creates good viral buzz.

Kane video tease: An intriguing tease for the return of Kane. Is he bringing back the mask or introducing a new version? The face that the announcers referred to the video as disturbing leads me to believe that he might be coming back as a heel. I actually hope that's the case, as I really don't have any desire to see Kane go after Mark Henry to avenge his injury.

Overall show: A good night of television with some good in-ring action and some solid teases for the return of Kane and the mystery person in the "It Begins" video. They gave us a break from pay-per-view hype, which gave viewers a chance to breathe and made Survivor Series feel more important. It was not a home run show, but it was better than most of the Raw shows the company produced heading into Survivor Series.

WWE Raw Misses

John Cena promo: I really liked the way they teased his first comments since Survivor Series consistently throughout the show. Unfortunately, the promo didn't live up to the hype. He didn't really say anything noteworthy, and continued to give us the same old smirk that sends the message that he's unfazed by anything that happens to him. If nothing bothers him, then why should anything that happens to him bother his fans enough that they will keep watching to see him get his revenge? I also hate the way Michael Cole keeps telling us that Rock fired the first shot in the Cena feud at Survivor Series. It's like they want us to forget that Rock and Cena have used their finishers on one another in the past.

Jonah Hill, Brodus Clay, and Triple H: The first two were hyped for this week's show, yet WWE couldn't even be bothered to explain their absence. I can live with the lack of explanation for Clay given that it's become so routine, but you can't advertise a Hollywood guest star and not offer a brief explanation when he doesn't appear as advertised. Meanwhile, WWE advertised Triple H in local advertising, yet he never appeared in front of the live crowd. I'm not saying he had to be on Raw, but if WWE is going to advertise a guy at Hunter's level, they owe it to the fans to deliver.

Alberto Del Rio vs. Zack Ryder: Del Rio needed to go over strong on someone, so this was a hit as far as his character is concerned. However, I have no idea why Ryder had to be the bounce back victim. He was one night removed from getting a great reaction at MSG. Yes, it was a home state reaction, but how is his popularity supposed to grow when he's positioned as a scrub? What was the point of showing The Rock acknowledge the Ryder chants in the video segment only to have Ryder play a jobber? Keep in mind that this is coming from someone who isn't onboard with the Ryder babyface character. I prefer him as a heel, but if you're going to give him that type of buildup, then don't have him lose a squash match.

Sheamus vs. Jack Swagger: I had a hard time caring about the match simply because Swagger has been branded a glorified jobber to the stars. Sure, he might beat an undercard wrestlers such as Santino, but we've been given no reason to take him seriously when he's working with a top talent. It's a shame because he has talent and could mean so much more. I enjoyed the match, but I didn't even buy in when Swagger applied his ankle lock finisher.

Wade Barrett vs. Kofi Kingston: Evan Bourne's suspension can't end quickly enough. Kingston means as little as Swagger these days. They showed us that Barrett was on the verge of beating him only to have Randy Orton show up, which merely prolonged the inevitable. The Orton and Barrett confrontation was well done and I liked the way they held off on having Orton go for his revenge after losing at Survivor Series. However, I didn't care for the way they had Orton do the head fake only to have Barrett flinch. Does every heel not named Mark Henry have to be afraid of the babyfaces?

Smackdown teaser: Are we being subjected to an inside joke? It feels like the teaser for most editions of Smackdown is nothing more than a plug for viewers to tune in to see what's next for Mark Henry and his latest challenger. I feel like I've seen the "what's next for Mark Henry and Big Show" tease at least a few times before.

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