Raw

I missed some major swaths of Raw last night admittedly - it doesn't sound like it was an especially bad show to be semi-tuned out of however; the few things that made an impression on me through what I saw and recaps later:

1. Props to Seth Green for surprising me. The guy was game, worked with the right people in John Cena and Triple H (the two of whom, along with Green, created some awesome promos and a surprisingly decent match over the course of the night, by the way), and was enough a part of the show to justify the payday he no doubt got, without overwhelming the rest of it. That applies to his role in the show as a whole, and also the main event where he teamed with Cena and H to face the Legacy; he was there enough to be funny and do what he does without being too much. Well-handled, which was a pleasant surprise.
2. Most worthwhile segments involved Green, or else the main event players; sorry, I'm just not fascinated by a 6-Diva bikini match amazingly enough (although the live crowd always seems to enjoy such things), and while MVP vs. Jack Swagger was a good match, it deserved either some PPV time, or at least some hype as an above-average TV match.
3. I didn't mind how Chris Jericho addressed Edge's injuries, and his referring to Edge as the 'weak link' of the team and photos of Edge in hospital might hint at the face turn I suggested upon the Rated R Superstar's return; I also am digging Mark Henry's face turn as he comes out to be propositioned by Jericho to be his partner, only to reveal he's Jericho's opponent. I'm not however a fan of Jericho just being able to pick a replacement partner; I was more excited by the idea of a tag title tournament at Night of Champions. People shouldn't just be *crowned* champ by someone's choice, and I never like angles involving such.
4. Otherwise, besides the show being mediocre, my main complaint is the couple of dropped ideas put out over the course of the show; first Jerry Lawler suggested there might be a tag title tournament at NOC, but Chris Jericho put the kibosh on that idea; then Cody Rhodes suggested his dad might be the guest host next week, only for it to be revealed that ZZTop would be. I get red herrings; but such a quick turnover on them? I don't quite get the point of the misdirection then.

Anyway overall mediocre show; some very weak moments, some strong moments which should have received more hype, and a pleasant surprise in the show's guest host. A run of the mill Raw for one involving stunt-casting but at least they addressed the 'injured Edge' issue and had some decent action in Jack Swagger-MVP and the six man main event; just wish they'd held off on the former until they'd had a chance to build and maybe even (gasp!) promote it.

We'll be talking about this and much more on Thursday night on our weekly podcast of "In This Very Ring". Be sure and tune in then! :) Peace.