WWE Raw Hits

WWE Raw Hitlist: Batista, John Cena, C.M. Punk, Chris Jericho, D-Lo Brown, Santino Marella, Lance Cade, Beth Phoenix
By Jason Powell Jul 22, 2008 - 10:55 AM

WWE Raw Hits

John Cena and Batista mix it up: I know there are some jaded internet fans who couldn't care less about this feud, but this is a major happening for casual fans. It's a battle between two of the company's top babyface performers who have been kept away from each other for the most part. My guess is that casual viewers who were disappointed by the C.M. Punk vs. Batista finish moved on quickly and felt the show ended on a high note with Cena and Batista fighting briefly.

Chris Jericho promo: Damn. This guy is sensational. His promo about retiring Shawn Michaels and not feeling any remorse was tremendous. He's arrogant, self-righteous, and obsessed with Shawn Michaels. Brilliant.

Lance Cade vs. Paul London: Cade looked aggressive and I thought London did a nice job of selling for him. It was also good to hear Cade get some mic time. I dig the new look and I think he's well on his way to getting over as Jericho's sidekick.

D-Lo Brown vs. Santino Marella: Nice to see D-Lo back. The live crowd didn't remember his old spots and I thought he wasted too much time looking for their approval, but I'm sure he'll get those moves over again quickly. I don't think anyone forgot the frogsplash finisher and he nailed that. I was also pleased to see Santino hook up with Beth Phoenix afterward. Perhaps she holds the key to him actually winning a few matches.

Paul Burchill and Katie Lea vs. Kofi Kingston and Mickie James: A good television match that furthered two feuds.

WWE Raw Misses

C.M. Punk: I'm worried about Punk. WWE seems very reluctant to let him beat any true main eventer. There's only so over that Punk can get if his biggest wins are against guys like JBL and Kane. I'm fine with Punk playing the vulnerable champion role early, but eventually he needs to get credibility building victories over people who matter or this title reign will be a wasted opportunity.

C.M. Punk vs. Batista finish: WWE was in a tough spot here because they couldn't really give away a clean finish and risk upsetting the fans who paid $40 to watch the pay-per-view the night before. It could be cool if the idea is to build toward a match where there must be a finish and there's no outside interference allowed, but it looks like Batista is moving on to Cena.

John Cena dominates the tag champions: I guess WWE felt the need to have Cena redeem himself after losing to JBL at the pay-per-view. It's just too bad it came at the expense of the young tag team champions. It would have been different if one of the Cryme Tyme members had pinned Ted DiBiase or Cody Rhodes, but watching Cena dominate them and ultimately pin DiBiase was frustrating. By the way, does Cryme Tyme ever get to talk?

Source: http://www.prowrestling.net/