Parts Unknown #12: Raw

After last week's ambitious "old school" Raw, I was expecting this week's episode to be a drab affair. It was anything but drab. We got two title matches, which is rare nowadays. Let's see what happened...

PROS

~ I liked Wade Barrett's opening promo. His brutal self-importance is commanding. At one point, I thought that the crowd was going to start throwing shit into the ring. That, dear reader, is what you call heel presence.

~ The Sheamus/R-Truth match. It was actually longer than five minutes. The High Cross is a horrible finisher, though.

~ Seeing LayCool denied entrance into the arena was quite amusing.

~ Whenever Alex Riley is clobbered by someone, it's going to be listed as a pro. God, I hate that fucking guy. I'm genuinely shocked that he's still employed.

~ I have to hand it to John Cena. His farewell promo was heartfelt, and I chuckled when he instructed the male members of the audience to chant "CENA SUCKS!" The WWE is doing a terrific job tricking children into believing that Cena is really fired.

~ CM Punk on commentary? Yes, please.

~ The match between John Morrison and Tyson "no future as a singles competitor" Kidd was alright, in my book. Morrison is my pick to win the King of the Ring tournament. I'm thinking that he'll be elevated to main event status in the coming months, and it won't be soon enough.

~ The ending. Randy Orton sold his knee injury well and Barrett looked competent. To be honest, I don't know how I feel about The Miz being crowned as the new heavyweight champion, but it was a great idea to have him cash in his briefcase. The crowd reaction shots were priceless.

CONS

~ Not even Natalya can make Alicia Fox look like a professional wrestler. CM Punk made this match bearable.

~ What's with all of the Diva's chasing after their male counterparts? Isn't one love subplot enough? Jeepers.

Believe it or not, those are the only cons I can think of. This was an excellent Raw all around. Next week, the King of the Ring tournament kicks into overdrive with another 3-hour special. I dig.