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WWE Raw Hits

Randy Orton punt kicks Vince McMahon: I have mixed feelings on this angle. On one hand, it was a hot angle delivered at a time when they expected high ratings for Vince's return. On the other hand, the angle overshadowed the Royal Rumble. I assume there's a reason the angle took place this week rather than next week, but I still don't understand why it took place at the end of the show on the go-home edition of Raw heading into the Royal Rumble.

I'm surprised they didn't use the final minutes to push the Rumble in some manner. In their defense, it's possible that they feel the Rumble sells itself or they'd already done enough to push the show. I guess we'll find out. I was also surprised to see Orton flash a look of regret after he attacked Vince. I realize he attacked his boss, but since when does Randy Orton show any remorse for his actions?

John Cena and JBL contract signing: Standout performances from all three men. Cena especially shined in his role of trying to get through to Michaels. I'm blown away by how they've managed to take what looked like a throwaway title match on paper and turn it into a major selling point of the Royal Rumble pay-per-view. I guess I shouldn't be too surprised. HBK has the Midas touch.

C.M. Punk vs. William Regal: This is the match we've been waiting weeks to see. The two short matches they had over the last two weeks backfired in the eyes of this viewer. They were so short and meaningless that I lost interest in the feud. Had those matches been longer and more intense, it would have generated more interest in the feud and left people wanting to see a real finish. Unfortunately, they just felt like cheap finishes to throwaway matches. That being said, I really enjoyed this match and the celebration with Punk winning his hometown was great. The Chicago fans haven't been this responsive to Punk in the past, so their overwhelming reaction to everything he did last night shows that he's gaining popularity.

Mike Knox: There were plenty of memorable lines on this show, but none stood out to me more than Knox saying he's not sure why he keeps attacking Mysterio. I didn't see that one coming and I thought it was a great way to show that he has a screw loose without resorting to the typical screaming promo. Great delivery from Knox. They have to protect this guy because he has tremendous upside as a monster. As much as I enjoyed the line, I still believe James "Sinister Minster" Mitchell would be the perfect mouthpiece for Knox.

WWE Raw Misses

Vince McMahon meets Dolph Ziggler: Why put a damper on Vince walking through the curtain for the first time in months by having his first appearance take place in a silly backstage skit? Strange.

Battle Royal: Horrible Royal Rumble preview. At least they established that the Legacy members are on the same page and will be a threat in the Rumble. I just wish they would have given them more than two minutes to tell the story and get people excited about the Rumble.

Match length: There were four matches that lasted less than two minutes on last night's show, and only one match that lasted longer than two minutes and 30 seconds. They accomplished little or nothing in most of those short matches and it's frustrating that a show that lasted roughly two hours and 20 minutes featured roughly 18 minutes of actual in-ring action.

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