WWE Raw Hits

Hell in a Cell image: There's no better image in pro wrestling than two wrestlers fighting on top of the Hell in a Cell structure. There were elements of the gauntlet match that I despised, but the shot of John Cena and Randy Orton fighting on top of the cage was a great way to close the show. It's just too bad it didn't end there.

Chris Jericho and Big Show vs. MVP and Mark Henry: A fun way to open the show. A quality 18-minute match with more Jericho greatness. We've seen the Big Show knockout punch from the floor finish a few times, but they come up with new variations that keep it fresh. By the way, I'm all for putting MVP back in the singles mix and giving him the long awaited big push.

Shawn Michaels and Triple H: A good closing promo heading into their Hell in a Cell match. Both guys were strong on the mic and established the "there's nowhere to run" for Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase theme. Unfortunately, I didn't care for the other end of that exchange. More on that in the section below.

Ben Roethlisberger as the guest host: It seems odd to have a football player host the show opposite the biggest NFL game of the season to date (Packers vs. Vikings). However, how many of those NFL fans will keep a closer eye on Raw during commercial breaks or when the Vikings jump out to a 42-0 lead? Okay, so that last part is wishful thinking for this diehard Vikings fan, but it's actually a logical move if you think about it.

Plus, WWE will get a ton of mainstream publicity as the sports media questions Big Ben for appearing on the show the night after his game. You know, because NFL players are supposed to think about football 24/7. By the way, my apologies to a personal favorite Mike Florio of the great Profootballtalk.com. for Twilling referring to him as an idiot last night. Just ignore Twilling when he gets his black and gold panties in a wad.

WWE Raw Misses

John Cena and Randy Orton final hype: The gauntlet match was well on its way to earning a hit with the basic story that Chris Jericho and Big Show were willing to get disqualified to continue punishing Cena. Then it happened. After taking all that punishment, Cena just popped up like nothing had happened. He took everything Jericho and Show could throw at him, only to throw all logic and psychology out the window when Orton came out to face him.

Al Sharpton: I received several emails from readers who were taking the night off from Raw because they were so bothered by Sharpton serving as the guest host. No matter where you stand on Sharpton, you have to question why WWE would feature a guest host who drew minimal mainstream media coverage and turned off so many viewers, especially six days before a pay-per-view.

Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase: Shawn Michaels took the words right out of my mouth when he chimed in with a pair of "boring" taunts. Cody spent too much time kissing DX ass and not enough time getting heat from the fans. DiBiase was okay here, but these two just haven't made the most of the mic time they've received during this feud. By the way, I praised Shawn and Hunter for their execution of the "nowhere to run" theme, but I would have preferred final hype that made it seem like Cody and Ted wanted this match as much as DX does.

Jack Swagger vs. Evan Bourne: I've been saying for weeks now that they need to get Bourne off the Raw show because it's obvious that the Raw creative staff has no intention of showcasing him. I'd rather have him play the big fish in a small pond role on ECW than see him wasted on Raw. Don't get me wrong, the match was fine for the forgettable three minutes they were given, but I also hated the silliness with Kofi Kingston taking his title back while Swagger and Miz fought like morons.

Mickie James vs. Rosa Mendes: A couple of sloppy spots. I can overlook that, but it's a recurring theme in Rosa's matches. Let her work out the kinks on the house shows while keeping her out of the ring on TV.

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