Yesterday, I wrote an entire article on the ending of this show. It was a moment for the ages, and one I'm still coming down from. The pop that man received was probably the biggest I've heard since Triple H's return from injury in 2002. With all that in mind, is it even possible to think that someone else could be #1 on the HOT list?
Had the show ended at 10:50, there would have been quite a few candidates for that top spot as this edition of Raw was very solid even before the electrifying conclusion. There were two excellent singles matches and the show worked very well to hype up the upcoming Elimination Chamber Pay Per View. Still, some had to be HOT and others NOT. We know of one spot for sure, but who held down the rest? Let's take a look:
HOT
1. The Rock - DUH. This is probably the best wrestling moment in years. All the times where people complained that this man wasn't giving back enough to wrestling and that he turned his back on the business that made him were erased within moments of his arrival. It was epic, and I don't think anything in the coming weeks, months, and maybe years can replicate that moment when the music hit and The Rock emerged from behind the curtain. Simply incredible.
2. The Miz - A lot of people have been complaining that Miz doesn't beat anybody cleanly and is a weak champion. Now, they obviously don't understand that he is a perfect heel champion in that manner, but it still would help to know that Miz could beat at least midcarders. He did just that Monday night as he beat his former NXT rookie and thorn in his side, Daniel Bryan. Not only that, he did so without the use of bachelors #1 and #2, Alex Riley and Michael Cole. It looks like The Miz character now has a base of being better than midcarders but vulnerable to main eventers, thus resorting to "any means necessary" to keep the WWE title. Perfect booking if you ask me. Oh yea, the match with Daniel Bryan that he won was the match of the night, so can everyone shut up about Miz not being capable of working a good match? It's not 2007 anymore, the dude can wrestle.
On a side note, the fact that Miz's promo about Jerry Lawler's absence stayed classy yet still obtained heel heat was perfect in my book. I'm glad that Miz and whatever writers worked on that thing didn't go for the low blow. I know wrestling used to be low-brow and would have no problem poking fun at death, but it's nice to see a touch of class every now and again. I commend them for this decision.
3. William Regal/Zack Ryder - They say you have to make the most of your opportunities in this business. These men have not exactly been regulars on Monday Night Raw lately, though admittedly for different reasons. While Regal is winding down his long career, Ryder has simply been shoved aside, and unfortunate circumstance in this writer's opinion. Still, both are talented men and not just in terms of ring prowess. When you can steal the show with just 10 seconds of airtime, you got talent baby! When Regal kissed Ryder on the cheek due to the Khali Kiss Cam being on them, I nearly lost it. Regal's facial expressions and camera presence are top notch and he's always had a great sense of humor. The comedy segment actually went over pretty well with me and that part of it was easily the best. Now if only Ryder can use this for a push...........
NOT
1. Edge - I was tempted to put Edge on the hot list as I watched his performance on Monday, but that was until the end of his segment. He owned Alberto Del Rio, further proving my theory that ADR is not nearly on main event level despite a well developed character. After disposing of the Mexican aristocrat though, Edge's nemesis and ex-wife had a shocking revelation. Apparently his rule breaking was actually caught this time (as he used the banned spear) and Clay Matthews counting him victorious doesn't count as a result. He was disqualified from his match on Friday and as a result, Dolph Ziggler is the new World Heavyweight Champion! It's never fun to lose your title, but especially not when you lose it by nefarious means. This lands Edge in the "it sucks to be me" spot for the week, though there is an upside. With this loss and the inevitable winning back of the title, Edge becomes one reign closer to the all time record. Whether it means anything due to Edge's reigns being shorter than Hornswoggle remains to be seen.
2. Nexus - Remember when the utterance of that word drew the ire and fear of most in the WWE locker room? That's but a distant memory at this point, as the group that almost destroyed the WWE and John Cena is now easily overwhelmed by John Morrison and R-Truth. With all due respect to the ever rising Morrison, he basically detroyed the three non-Punk members of Nexus on his own. CM Punk is preaching faith with this group, but I have faith that this group is the worst backing for a superstar since Immortal. They better regain some credibility and fast.
3. Hornswoggle - I'm not one of those blind haters of the resident leprechaun of the WWE, but Monday night was a bit of a stretch. I mean, I can deal with the little guy doing some comedy and I can even deal with him being a ladies man among the divas, but a 14 year old girl? I know we don't talk about this in the kayfabe world, but Hornswoggle isn't actually a child. He's 24! Thus, showing interest in and romantically engaging a 14 year old is pedophilia. This is not the Attitude Era and we do not need this risque stuff clouding our programming! Pedophilia is wrong as I backhandedly learned recently from watching the movie "Hard Candy" starring Ellen Page. The Canadian actress proved that there can be dire consequences to pedophilia, so I'd advise against it on WWE programming.
Even without The Rock, this was an excellent episode of Raw. With him, it's one of the best I've seen in a long, long time. Couple that with the fact that Rock may be back in the coming weeks to hype Wrestlemania, the 2/21 vignette stuff will be revealed next week, Triple H should seemingly be returning soon, and the fallout from the Elimination Chamber is coming and you have some very exciting TV moving forward. Wrestlemania got a much needed shot in the arm and I now am incredibly excited for the event. Some new top talent coupled with my favorite talent of all time? Count me in!
Written by:
