By Jason Powell

Dot Net Members are listening to my 55-minute audio review of Monday's WWE Raw, and my 59-minute review of the TNA Victory Road pay-per-view. Join us on the ad-free version of the website by signing up for membership via Prowrestling.net/amember/signup.php.

WWE Raw HIts

Undertaker, Triple H, and Shawn Michaels: This was my favorite segment of the hype for the Hell in a Cell match, and that's really saying something given how high I have been on the previous installments. The build to the HIAC match has been spectacular storytelling. They've done such a good job of teasing that Triple H didn't want the match initially, and that Michaels may have reasons to side against both men. The story they've told has been structured perfectly when it came to building anticipation for the match and building a case for why Michaels could side with one wrestler over the other. What a difference a smirk makes! As much as John Cena's smirking through Rock's recent promos annoyed me, the HBK smirk after Taker said he was better than Hunter was awesome.

The Rock: He came through with a gem of a promo while standing in front of the Rocky Balboa statue. Rock did a great job of hyping his match, explaining what it means to him, and including some nostalgia that helps remind viewers of the WrestleMania tradition. This was my favorite Rock pre-tape segment of the WrestleMania season. Excellent work.

John Cena vs. Mark Henry: WWE took their time telling viewers about Cena's accident. I thought they would make that a big hook during the first hour to keep viewers engaged. They ultimately told the story and then had Henry dominate the match only to have Cena get the win. I wouldn't have Cena wrestling on television at this point, but they told a good story. Rock's post-match Rock Bottom on Henry was a surprise and Cena flashed great facial expressions in response.

Chris Jericho and C.M. Punk: An excellent followup to last week's angle. Jericho played his sleazy part to perfection by apologizing for bringing up Punk's father only to twist the knife while bringing up his sister's drug addiction. Punk was a bit over the top with his reaction late week, but he did a fabulous job of getting across his frustration and anger with Jericho via his reaction last night. The build for the match started a bit slow but it's really heating up down the stretch as it should be.

Overall show: I expected to see more with John Cena and The Rock together. Rather, we got a strong Rock pre-tape that was memorable, yet didn't overshadow the strong hype for the Hell in a Cell match and Punk vs. Jericho. There were some things that didn't work for me last night, but the overall show was strong and offered top notch hype for the big three matches at WrestleMania 28.

WWE Raw Misses

Daniel Bryan vs. Zack Ryder: I liked the finish of the match. The issue I had with it is that the World Hvt. Champion is just being thrown out there on television. Granted, he got the win, but the hype for his WrestleMania 28 match with Sheamus has taken a turn for the worse.

Kane vs. Big Show with Cody's attack: The match was short and forgettable, but the Cody beatdown on Show didn't do much for me. The boxing gloves let Cody hit Show repeatedly, but they also made the attack look more comical than serious for this viewer. Fortunately, they've done a good job of making Cody look like a pest and making viewers want to see Show finally get his hands on him.

Sheamus vs. The Miz: This was just too brief to be effective. I'd like to see some actual verbal exchanges involving Sheamus and Bryan on Raw rather than just brief matches that feel too random to serve as good hype for their WrestleMania match. I still believe they can have a hell of a match, but the hype for it has made it feel like a distant fourth on the card's pecking order.

Dolph Ziggler and Jack Swagger vs. Kofi Kingston and R-Truth: The 12-man tag match isn't doing anything for me. There are some talented performers involved, but it feels like there's more focus on the non-wrestlers outside the ring than there is inside the ring. I realize the match is about which general manager controls both shows, but now they seem to be focussing more on Aksana and Vickie Guerrero's new feud than the wrestlers in the match as well.

David Otunga vs. Santino Marella: When WWE does focus on the wrestlers involved in the 12-man tag match, it seems like they are shining the spotlight on these two. Santino generally gets a great reaction from the live crowd, whereas they're trying hard to get Otunga over. I'm just don't feel that the Otunga push should overshadow some of the bigger names in the match. That said, I suspect these two will play a prominent role in whatever happens in the 12-man tag, so perhaps this approach will make more sense when it's all said and done.

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