Please keep Mae Young out of the ring .. if anything they should have had her in the dance off but not wrestling .. speaking of the dance off - why waste air time with that I know this was a celebration of Raw but why celebrate some of the most ridiculous characters ever.

I definitely disagree about the right calls being made in regards to the title changes at Cyber Sunday and RAW. Was it really so important that Batista have another title reign that they basically gave him the belt for a week? Guys like Jeff Hardy come up short forever in their quest for the belt, but guys like Batista, Cena and Triple H are basically obligated to have title reigns after X number of months. With Punk ending his reign after a couple of months to Jericho, the WWE need to keep the belt on someone for awhile before they start reaching the final years of WCW territory.
And why is it that Triple H and Michaels "should have" beaten Miz and Morrison? Like them or not (and I really don't) MizMo are probably the best tag team in the WWE right now. Was it really necessary to reform D-X again so soon for that purpose? Was it so important to trumpet this idea that DX was one of the greatest tag teams of all time? Realistically , Michaels and Triple H weren't even the all-time best tag team in DX (that would be the New Age Outlaws).
And wow, Adamle was really, really bad last night. He was stumbling over his words so severely that I was starting to wonder if the Wellness Program might need to step in.

RESPONSE FROM KEVIN ECK: Personally, I think it would have been absurd for Miz and Morrison to beat DX. But, like I said, Triple H and Michaels sold enough for them that I think it have Miz and Morrison a rub/+

I think they gave the title to Batista, so they could give Cena a title match, without making him "qualify". since Batista having just had a title reign he wont spend the next 3 weeks begging for a title match at survivor series

Is the WWE creative team sleep-walking? Two rematch steel cage matches on TV? Okay, fine, I guess. But to use the same finish two weeks in a row in matches (ref misses a tag in a match) is just lazy.

Was the Lillian-horse comment a reference to something that I don't remember, because I was really confused?

Kevin , since I'm not much of a WWE fan these days but a former fan , I do say congratulations on the milestone .
One item you raised that I'd like to comment on was regarding Scott Hall and Sean Waltman . I remember Waltman as literally a baby faced kid when he broke into wrestling as the 1-2-3 kid . Re: Hall , I've always been a big fan of his going back to his AWA career as a mutton - chopped mustachioed good guy , to my favorite in the NWO .
I've followed Hall's ongoing fall from grace including his (drunken?) appearance at the Shiek's roast . In a subsequent interview he said he'd have acted the same way regarding the "incident " that occured there , stating "he's too old to change his ways".
That's his problem .
Sorry for the off-topic ramble !

I agree about the selling of Mae Young—although I thought it was the other women, not Mae, who came off looking stupid. Mae just looked silly.

I didn't think The Great Khali sounded particularly over. I heard the crowd booing for the attack on Rey Mysterio, but I didn't think there was all that much cheering for Khali.

For that matter, I thought the crowd reaction to DX was underwhelming, and the crowd reaction for the old-timers' dance-off was nonexistent. It speaks to WWE's need to feature younger performers (which they have been, lately) that the old stars are getting progressively less crowd reaction. (Heck, I even thought Steve Austin's pop at Cyber Sunday could have been stronger...)

I'd have to say I agree with Kevin about the title picture on Raw. How many times do you watch Raw and think the only surprise coming is how the favorite would have found a way to retain rather than the winner being up in the air? Sure one week is hardly a reign, but it does whet the appetite for those wanting a long Batista title run.

The Diva's match wasn't pretty, but are we all so jaded that you couldn't appreciate the fact that Mae was given what could have been one last hoorah in a WWE ring (if you believe the announcers)? She was beaming and in a show of mostly fluff, it stood out to me. Though I do cringe at every bump and really do hope she calls it a career.

Anyway, all of the skits kind of saddened me. Showing the Tyson segment and the Mayweather segment in the same show really shows the slide of the product. I've said it before, but the spark is gone. The same could be said for the segment when Shane took over WCW and how his big announcements tonight that included accepting a botched resignation (I felt bad for Adamle there, that was just brutal) and a title match announcement that was no bombshell (wasn't he going to march to the ring to make that announcement?) paled in comparison.

Wow shots at Bret Hart, how original. From a Shawn Michaels lover as well...gee, I'm so shocked. As you like to say about Bret, "get over it and move on" as you should. It is about the only part I don't enjoy of your otherwise very good blog

I did like the episode overall though.

The DX segment was hysterical. The joke about the Morrison picture, and how he assumes that position at rest stops cracked me up.

I'm so glad Adamle is done as GM. I guess they are about to have some sort of Steph v. Shane storyline.

Orton has been one of the best performers on Raw the past few months., Its good to see him back in the ring. The Undertaker-esque tattoo sleeve he has now is pretty strange looking though.

I really don't think it was necessary to have Beth Phoenix sell the offense of a 100 year old woman, like she had just been shot in the face.

Usually its a mere formality that the champion will win, when they have the re-match on Raw.

Haven't seen the belt change that fast since the SCSA, Mankind, Rock, Kane days.

In my opinion the Batista Win at Cyber Sunday was to build credibility for Jericho who did kind of sneak his way for the title. This way we have Batista lose to Jericho thanks to a steel pin, Jericho goes on to face Cena, which in a couple months Cena can win the title and set up Cena vs Batista at Wrestlemania, leavin the belt on Batista now would be giving what they want for Wrestlemania at survivor series, so Jericho had to get it back.

The "longest running episodic television series" as Michael Cole so obnoxiously points out after every commercial break sure looks more like a constant rerun when the thrilling team of Kane and Mark Henry wrestle Mysterio and company every single week for the last month and a half. It's a running gag with my brother. He's told me that the last 3 weeks he turns on Raw, Kane and Henry are wrestling Mysterio.

Maybe I'm in the minority here, but Team Priceless, most notably Ted Dibiase bores me to tears.

DX are entertaining and all, but they are becoming almost Hogan like. They need to elevate other talent and the Miz/Morrison thing could have been a much bigger angle than it was.

Maybe I'm in the minority here, but I think Beth Phoenix gets hotter week by week. I will one up that by saying that she is currently the most beautiful diva currently on the roster.

It's funny what kind of reaction I have with my remote after hearing a certain wrestler's theme music. JBL's music makes me turn the channel instantly while Santino Marella's theme keeps me glued to the tube to see what he comes up with next. And don't get me
started with Hornswoggle and Funaki.

Randy Orton currently has the most entertaining act going. He's becoming a throwback "attitude era" character that doesn't have any allies and does what he wants. He's the most unpredictable character they have now.

Maybe I'm in the minority here, but if Michael Cole says "Welcome to the longest running episodic series on television today!" one more time, I'm going to puke.

What's up with Manu? Has he even wrestled - on TV - yet?

And I thought Jericho winning was telegraphed as soon as Shane announced Cena wrestling the champion at Survivor Series.

Santino stealing Lawler's sub was one of my favorite moments of all time! I still laugh about that with my friends.

I think Raw was pretty good. Have you been reading Jake the Snake's reviews of raw? I don't think he's done one since his "incident," but I wanted to know if you had any thoughts about that.

All is well in the WWE universe now, Jericho has the title back. I agree with Eric here that this is probably going to lead to a Batista-Cena match at Wrestlemania which is probably going to be just as boring as their last one.

I also agree with Chris about Beth, she is the hottest diva out there and the only one you can actually buy as a wrestler which only adds to her hotness...

David,
Put Lillian and Sarah Jessica Parker side by side and take a long look. It may not even take a long look. A brief look works for some.

Hi Kevin. as I have mentioned before I live in England and Monday's Raw was the first ever one I have watched live and i think it was a good show, and like you said i loved seeing the flashback of the rock and hogan.

I just want to ask you about your thoughts on the rock and where he stands in the industry? In my mind, and many people who i speak to, he is possibly the most popular wrestler ever(in the UK at least.) Do you think that if he decided to stay in wrestling and not go to hollywood he would be the biggest wrestling star of all time? And how do you rate the legacy that he has left behind?

RESPONSE FROM KEVIN ECK: I do think he would have been the biggest star of all time. As it is, he still is one of the biggest. He just doesn't have the longevity. His legacy is that he has gone where no wrestler -- not even Hogan -- has ever gone as far as being taken seriously in the mainstream.

I thought the show was largely a 3 hour waste of time, almost unwatchable for much of the 180 minutes spent with little of consequence happening until the very end.

They should keep these special Raw editions short and sweet rather than long and blooaateed.

I've watched wrestling since the seventies and do not recall much about Mae Young, only Moolah.

When did she wrestle in her prime exactly? Other than her more recent assocation with Moolah, was she ever really much of a big deal

RESPONSE FROM KEVIN ECK: From what I understand, Mae became a much bigger star in WWE over the past 10 years than she was in her prime as a wrestler.

One more comment on Bruno Sammartino regarding his son that I wish you could have asked him about in your interview:

It soon became clear to Bruno that Vince McMahon was only using David's career as a lure to get his famous father to wrestle and draw huge crowds. When Bruno was involved, David was in the main event; when he wasn't, it was back to the prelims. Frustrated, David quit the WWF several times and was only brought back with the assistance of his famous father. Finally, David Sammartino was fired from the WWF after he was arrested for punching a fan who spat at him in New York. Bruno Sammartino later speculated that the fan was a plant hired by WWF owner Vince McMahon to provoke Sammartino in order to give the WWF an excuse to terminate his contract.

Kevin, have you heard this story before? Thanks.

RESPONSE FROM KEVIN ECK: The part about using David to lure Bruno back into the ring I have no trouble believing, and that it was Bruno has said.

"I also agree with Chris about Beth, she is the hottest diva out there and the only one you can actually buy as a wrestler which only adds to her hotness."

Mickie James, Victoria, Nattie Neidhart, Melina, Jillian Hall, and Katie Lea have all been wrestling longer than Beth and are just as good. To say Beth is the only who's believable as a wrestler is laughable.

According to those internet wrestling sites, one WWE superstar has failed a marijuana test 11 or 12 times! This star (reportedly not MVP) was receiving a push but the push is now to be stopped. My guess is Kennedy, whats yours?

"Mickie James, Victoria, Nattie Neidhart, Melina, Jillian Hall, and Katie Lea have all been wrestling longer than Beth and are just as good. To say Beth is the only who's believable as a wrestler is laughable."
Agreed.

OK I stand corrected on Beth being the only Diva who can wrestle. But she's the only one who's hot and a good wrestler. Victoria and Neidhart are pretty good but I'm not sold on Mickie or Katie and I've never seen Jillian wrestle. And Melina... where is she?

Watching RAW makes me appreciate Jericho that much more. He made a physically beautiful effort to avoid landing outside the ring too early and worked hard to put Batista over in victory with the 'wounded knee' excuse. Super good all match long.

Keep up the good work, Kevin.

Jon G.S.: I think Kelly Kelly has improved leaps and bounds as a believable wrestler. Also, Mickie has overtaken Candice as their top face Diva. I think her skills are very good.

And as to where Melina is...she's on the injured list. She broke her heel a few months ago when she was thrown or fell out of the ring. I think she's still a few months away from returning.