Pruett's Pause: WWE Raw - Chaos is the word of the day on a mixed show that never slowed down, final build for Ryback vs. C.M. Punk, and more

By Will Pruett

This is an attempt at figuring a new format for my "Pause" reviews of Monday Night Raw. Please feel free to let me know what you think of it by emailing me at itswilltime@gmail.com or on Twitter at twitter.com/itswilltime.

- One word was on my mind as last night's Raw ended: chaos. I'm assuming this was the desired effect. The show never seemed to slow down. Segment after segment, it flowed, but not in the best way. It was clunky at best and hard to watch at its worst.

Was the chaotic nature meant to signify the change in authority figures? Vickie Guerrero as the new assistant feels like a temporary band-aid as WWE works towards another story with A.J. Lee. That's not necessarily a bad thing. Vickie can fill a role that WWE seems to rely on heavily, while A.J., who we know can be compelling, is prepared for her next chapter.

So much of the chaos from last night also seemed to develop from the deluge of "first time ever" and "biggest ever" matches and moments. WWE seemed desperate to make us feel like something special was happening. The best example of this was the "biggest lumberjack match" that was heavily promoted all night. I honestly wished it would have figured one really big lumberjack instead of nearly forty smaller lumberjacks combining their forces.

WWE seems afraid of slumping business and instead of telling stories with consistently and allowing their show to have a sense of order, they are producing a three hour car crash and hoping people can't turn away. For me, three hours of that is too stressful to enjoy.

- Ryback and C.M. Punk are not set for a collision at (and in) Hell in a Cell. I've said before that I have no issue with this match happening and have loved the build. The only issue I have is the structure itself. We all know it is too soon to have Hell in a Cell involved. That is a serious bummer. It also means that there must be a winner between Punk and Ryback without a super shady finish. This match could have used a super shady finish.

Punk continues to be compelling and creatively successful in his role. The separation from John Cena may help him in the long run, especially if the Ryback match is decent. The Cell could actually assist in making Ryback look good and provide him with quite a bit of cover for his loss.

- As I reflect on Raw the next morning, it is actually difficult to find more to write about. The show all seems jumbled together. I know I watched it all and I probably felt things about the different matches presented, but I can't remember a single one of them. Three hours is exhausting (in fact, it has actually lead to me changing the format of these reviews).

So, what did you think of the show? Agree? Disagree? Either way, feel free to email me at itswilltime@gmail.com or to follow me and interact on twitter at twitter.com/itswilltime.