Just a minor correction:
"I think that’s more important that Hart outsmarting McMahon."
I think you mean "...than Hart outsmarting..."

Another minor correction:
I believe its time that Triple H either turns heel or turns antihero. His act as a face in the PG Era is just lame, boring, and excruciating to watch. Hornswoggle a member of DX?... nuff said.

I find it interesting that since Edge and Orton are now babyfaces, Jericho and Batista are now the top heels. I would've laughed at the thought back in 2005 when I became a proper fan. Jericho had no credibility whilst Batista was the top face.

About Ryder, it is sad but Ryder's career is over now that he is Raw. I expect maximum one year before he is turned to a jobber and "future endevored".

PS. I've not been able to properly follow wrestling for the past couple of weeks or so. Could you tell me what happened to Christian, I know he was transferred to Raw and is in the MITB but not much else.

I'm with you on not wanting to see HHH turn heel, the only way for it to happen would be for HHH to cost HBK his match at wrestlemania, the obvious flaw here is that HBK has acted (character wise of course) like a douche in the past few months just to get his rematch, so HHH costing him would be even stevens.

TREMENDOUS promos on Raw. Simply great.

The Michaels/Trips promo in the beginning was breathtaking. Well-acted by both men, and told a good story. Maybe it's all the fooling around with the midget that makes serious promos cut by Michaels and Hunter that much more intense.

But nothing tops the Batista and Cena promo. Cena can be over the top at times, but this time, he was pitch perfect. Not too dramatic, not too goofy. And Batista was downright believable. That's the first time i've ever seen him be a natural on the mic. Most of the time, Batista's good guy act seems forced, but his "i dont care about anyone but me" act is great. And his motivation really does come across as sincere. I've never seen Batista with as much heel heat and Cena with as much face reaction.

Remember the story about WM 24. And how Taker and Batista were peeved that they didnt go on last... then tore the house down... and once they got to the back, they yelled to Cena and Michaels to "TOP THAT!!"... I was definitely thinking of this story when Batista was voicing his grievances. How interesting now that two of the main events for 'Mania once again pits those 4 men together.

Sucks for Trips. Once again in a WM match that no one will care about. I dont think he'll ever get his Wrestlemania moment. (At least he'll set the record for Title reigns someday)

You should never talk down about LEGENDS CHECCH AND CHONG!!! ( LOW RIDER ) They rule even at their age and the crowd loved them man.

"I kept waiting for CM Punk to show up and cut a promo on them"

Now THAT would have been entertaining rather than the total riduculous waste of time that actually occurred.

Hmm, a pillow fight?

Maybe WWE is softening up already on its family friendly stance in response to TNA moving to Mondays? We'll see

I think I even heard Lawler start to sneak in a few off color remarks last night!

Even though i think Vince is the top star of raw and i love watching him walk to the ring and speak in his "you're fired" tone once or twice a night, i can't stand to watch him and bret hart go at it. bret brings down the segment everytime, i feel like ite 1996 all over again. best line of 2010 so far was batista telling cena about kissing babies and hugging fat girls--an instant classic!!

Totally agree on the Cheech and Chong stuff. The only thing that would have made it worthwhile would have been a CM Punk promo.

With a likely Sheamus/HHH match on the card for Wrestlemania, it is almost enough to make me not want to buy it. I worry that it will end up like the match that HHH and Kozlov had for a while at the PPV when Jeff Hardy "fell down the stairwell" and Edge showed up after 10 minutes. This will likely be very slow and plodding.

I thought Batista's promo started poorly but really improved as the segment went along. Batista's character really works well as a heel.

Just wondering what your thoughts are on the rumors that RAW will ditch the guest host after Stone Cold Steve Austin's appearance in a couple weeks. I would be very disappointed if The Rock never gets a chance to host.

All I know is that in regards to a heel HHH....I think I speak for every single member of the "IWC" that we don't care whether he's the 15 min promo heel HHH or the lovable HHH...

We now just wanna see him wrestle and hear less of him.

And if he does turn heel, then please, if you're reading this...no more "I...AM...DA GAYME (AH)" like back in the day after the horribly long rant to begin the show

I thought the show was watchable,the Cena/Batista segment stole the show.In the past Batista mic work was just bad,but his heel stuff comes off well nad believable.Just one man's thought here ,but the MITB match looks to be the weakest match in history..How can anybody but Christian win this?I am hoping the Hart accident was a set-up from the jump.I like the whole HBK angle and as a HBK mark,I hope he wins at WM because Raw is just better with him on it.Thanks Kevin and as always God Bless.

I'm a huge McMahon mark, so I still love any time McMahon is on the screen. But, with Hart's sporadic appearances, it's really killing the flow of the storyline. I was okay with him being gone a couple weeks after his initial guest host gig, but after that, it should have been a weekly thing...even though Hart or McMahon never step in the ring. They need to keep it fresh. It'll still be great though, everyone is dogging the storyline, but it'll have a good payoff.

Been following your blog for quite a while and I've been following the wwe longer than that, I must say that you're analysis are spot on all the time!

Bret and Vince should be a great match, but i can't help thinking that bret is going to have some 'unknown' help in this match

HHH & Shemus is lame. Batista and Cena should be good...will Batista be a transitional champ? He's too good for that, but who knows.

I'm most excited about the taker and hbk match though - i still think taker will retain his streak and HBK will mostly retire. others say otherwise, but i think taker will go for a 20-0 and then lose. i might be wrong though.

Kevin,
I DVR'ed RAW and watched it this morning in 12 minutes. I give you credit for sitting thru these every week. I think that both RAW and IMPACT are becoming unwatchable except for a few minutes on DVR. Smackdown is the only show I can bear for the whole time.
Keep up the great blog.

Can the WWE please stop with the Sheamus run-ins? He's supposed to be this big unstoppable force -- the Celtic Warrior, for God's sake -- and his #1 tactic is to storm the ring and beat up some semi-conscious babyface.

If we're supposed to take him seriously as a "warrior," he should be destroying all comers head-on (a la Brock Lesnar, for instance) instead of staging sneak attacks.

Hey kev, I'm struggling to understand why the miz has nothing going for WM. He's been awesome (unintentional) for the past year, and with so many titles round his waist too, it seems crazy that such an up and come-er is being overlooked for the 'grandest stage of them all'. Can you think of why he seems to have been overlooked?

Kevin, I'm glad you're not the only one into this whole McMahon/Hart matchup at Wrestlemania. Granted the two did amazing promo work last night, seeing Hart get constantly "beat up" at the hands of McMahon is getting old and fast. Someone on Twitter pointed out that they're looking forward to seeing Hart in a decent match (probably retirement match) and I hope that is so as well, but I have my doubts. I think he's not ready to be back in the ring. I hope I'm proved wrong.

I laughed out loud when Micheal Cole said the Divas' "Pillow Fight" match was one of the best. I long for the days when we had decent women's talent in the ring and thought that with RAW and the WWE going PG, we'd see that. But it is still a T&A show. Side Note: I still think the Bella Twins are useless and it bothers me that they kept them over Maria - insane. At least she tried in the ring.

I enjoy seeing Orton, Rhodes and DiBiase in the ring. However, this "ring around the rosy" game has been going on for quite sometime and it is getting old. I hope this feud will end after Wrestlemania and hope Rhodes/DiBiase keep the tag team thing going. They are a force to be reckoned with as a pair, not on their own.

Cena and Batista made RAW last night. Their promo was amazing and I couldn't help but be drawn into it. I've always been a fan of both (Batista being the stronger wrestler out of the two), but damn, that made for some great entertainment last night. Can't wait for their match at WM.

Shemus = Useless. And is in dire need of a tan.

I am glad Swagger is in the MITB but It would have been better that he defeated someone like maybe Mark Henry, Regal or even Zack Ryder. Maybe MVP could have “upset” Miz for a spot.

I do agree Cheech and Chong were(are) lame but they have always been idiots.

I really enjoyed the McMahon/Hart segment. There was one aspect of it that made it particularly enjoyable: in certain close-up shots of Hart, you could see Mr McMahon's reflection in Bret's sunglasses, adding this interesting sort of 1st-person perspective to the promo and making McMahon look like this evil tempter challenging Hart to one last duel with the devil.

...And now, we finally have the biggest grudge match in wrestling history.

No Christian Tonight?
Triple H won't even be in one of the top 6 matches at Wrestlemania. Rey-Punk and Orton-Legacy are going to be better than HHH-Sheamus

My Name is Sheamus and I love to fight.

I am one of the Batista detractors, but I have to admit that last night he had a convincing promo as a heel.

What are Kofi Kingston and John Morrison going to do come Wrestlemania?

I thought this was one of the better episodes of Raw. Batista (for once) impressed me with his promo. His line about Cena "kissing babies and hugging fat girls" actually made me laugh and reminded of the promos of the Attitude Era. I also thought he was believable with his criticisms of Cena, and the fact that he got the last word instead of having to hear Cena bark with his "intensity" was a nice change.

Also thought that Cheech and Chong were on the air about the right amount of time for the guest hosts. At least it gave Hornswoggle something to do instead of coming out during the DX promo.

I was actually nervous when I saw Swagger was going to fight Santino for MITB. It says somehting about a guy's push when I think there's actually a chance he'll lose to Santino, but, to my surprise, he came out strong.

My only complaint is that as soon as I saw Michaels walk out at the end I knew Sheamus was going to come out after HHH.

I think HHH entered the decade a new man. Eliminated in the middle of the Royal Rumble, meagerly tapped out to Cena at EC, no tag titles for DX and now content to have a mid-card feud at Wrestlemania? Next thing you know he’ll be putting over Chris Jericho.

I think that maybe my ears are finally giving out on me, but I could have sworn that I heard an audible pop when Sheamus came into the ring.

You're dead on about the MITB- qualifying matches. As for the Swagger- Santino match, it was definitely the right call.
But I was more than disappointed about the MVP-Ryder match. Instead of wasting so much airtime on this stupid Divas-pillow match, they should've given the time to Ryder and MVP. It's such a frustration to see Ryder, who had all these competitive matches with Christian, getting squashed like that. Prior the match, I was even cheering for him.
Somehow, I lost all hopes for MVP. He doesn't cut it as a loveable babyface. He desperately needs a heel-turn.

Disappointment Nr. 2: The ending of the "Unified Tag Title Match". It would've been so much better, if the Undertaker had made an actual appearance during the match. For example, his music suddenly begins in the middle of the match and he appeares on the ramp, or some form of mindgame with the lights or something. I don't get it, why HBK was so distracted just because Taker was staring at him on the screen. He could have easily continued the match.
And again, this match should've been so much longer, instead of wasting so much time on Divas and the stupid guest hosts.

As far as the Bret Hart - McMahon match is concerned, I still think they won't have an extra match involving just the two of them, and instead somehow end in the corners of Cena and Batista. Next week, Vince will probably win somehow with the help of Batista, thus resulting in an alliance of Cena and Bret Hart.
At this point, I'm almost 100% certain that these two storylines will, in some way, intertwine till Wrestlemania, because I really can't see how the decimated Hart and the old McMahon can pull off a descent match, especially at Wrestlemania.

All in all, a descent Raw. I'm really looking forward to the HBK - Taker program.

Props to you Kev, for bringing out the review for this week's Raw so fast. Keep up the good work.

No word on the shocking release of Charlie Haas yet?

RESPONSE FROM KE: I think you said it all.

though this was a decent raw more lows then highs hated the 2 sqash matches was hoping that HHH was gonna turn on shawn and make that match a Triple threat so the outcome wouldn't be so obvious

Assuming Punk/Mysterio, HHH/Sheamus, Orton v. DiBiase and Rhodes ... We are already at 8 matches, so that is the same as last year
We are still missing matches for Kingston, Morrison, Miz, Big Show, Drew McIntyre, R-Truth, Mark Henry and the Divas.
So something needs to be done ... Maybe HHH and Sheamus could be the dark match?

How strange is it to have someone refrence the "Attitue Era" by name on screen. Batista is lookin' great right now.

Lotta great promos, this week, not so much on the matches front.

I agree that the McMahon/Bret Hart match isn't much to get excited about at this point. I think it is because they have strung it out for the last several weeks. The Hitman keeps coming back for his farewell.......then he & Vince trade verbal jabs, etc. I would have been more looking forward to it had it been announced 2-3 weeks ago. By now, the storyline is already stale.

I wish WWE would stop doing commercial breaks in the middle of matches. Is that really necessary? Nothing makes me want to turn the channel more!

I thought this was a good RAW with the exception of the ending. With all the star power and great stories going on why have the last image of the night be Sheamus standing tall. If there is any chance of him getting over he will have to legitimatly beat some main eventers but to take HHH out of a high profile match at WM isn't good buisness. HHH may not be the internet's favorite wrestler but he is a familier face to even the most casual fan. He should be in a match with an established star.

HBK was great at switching between "serious Shawn" and "DX Shawn" and back again. I think with all the serious losses HBK has been given recently he will need a big win maybe at Mania. I'm still not sure who I want to win this match but if anyone should break the streak it should be Shawn. He doesn't need it but no one else deserves it.

Batista is actually giving good promos. This is where his character should have been his whole career. I may have been more of a fan of his if he delivered this type of attitude every week.

I finally saw a glimpse of the old Bret when he accepted the challenge Vince have him. Even though this should be the highlight of WM I still am looking forward to the HBK-Taker match more.

How ironic that HBK and Hart could wrestle their last matches on the same night.

is it just me or did sheamus give triple h the beatdown that orton should have given him last year before mania. maybe orton should have been hunters lifting partner to not look ridiculouse in that storyline

Say what you want about Hart/Mc.mahon storyline. But without this rivalry, this year's wrestlemania would have been another disaster just like last year.

So Sheamus can forget about his title rematch clause, can't he? The guy was the champion going into the Chamber, but doesn't bother to challenge the new Champ. I know heel/heel matches usually don't work, and you can't have a Batista-Sheamus match (the crowd would probably cheer Batista, which must not happen), but still, something should be done about that issue.
Why not have Sheamus cut a promo, saying something like "Triple H cost me my title at Elimination Chamber, so first of all I want to destroy him, then I'll have my rematch for the belt, whoever is the champion at that time"?
Has it ever happened that a Champion just forgot to invoke his rematch clause and never had his rematch? I would love to know your thoughts about that, Kevin (even if I suspect that given the way you feel about Sheamus, you are probably pleased not to see him anywhere around the WWE Champioship for a while :-))\

RESPONSE FROM KE: It's a whole in the story line, no doubt. It actually makes Sheamus a sympathetic figure because he didn't even have a say in getting his rematch because McMahon made the Cena vs. Batistamatch on Raw with the stip that if Batista won (he intentionally got dq'd) Sheamus would get the title shot. I agree that Sheamus will have to say something about wanting to take out Triple H first before going for the title.

Wow, isn't this another example of two guys who really can no longer go taking a payday away from workers that could probably put on a heck of a match? I mean, why make this a match at Wrestlemania? Why not have them do a Vince/Donald (in the corners of two workers) and then let them have a street fight on RAW to pop a rating afterward?

And people are criticizing TNA for putting Flair and Hogan in the ring, but at least that isn't on a PPV...

If Hart/McMahon is gonna be a streetfight, what about the Hart Dynasty jumping Vince? It would kind of "reverse" the Screwjob, and give Kidd/Hart?Natalya instant heat. Seeing as how they they've not been involved in Hitman's return, it would make a bit of sense to have them get involved in the storyline somehow.

Hi Kev, Been a wrestling fan for over 50 years here in the UK and a fan of US grapplig for as long as I've been able to receive transmissions here (about 25 years. Anyway can I say that I love your articles and I think you are spot on with your observations. One question - has there ever been any less charismatic champions than Sheamus & McIntyre? Their promos are quite wooden oh and by the way aren't they supposed to wrestle occasionaly? Regards from UK.

Yeah, Triple H and Shawn Michaels have been great friends...except for that little squabble a few years back when Triple H beaned Shawn Michaels in his injured back with a sledgehammer. Nothing says best friend like being temporarily paralyzed.

I enjoyed Raw this week mainly to the promos being just crisp and dead on. Batista's heel heat was so natural despite his goofy outfit. When he dug into Cena it was all the cold hard facts that many know are true. I smell a swerve at WM 26 in UT-SM match. To me, Triple H is playing the face too much and he is looking for a "WM moment". How about Trips just destroying the UT with the hammer and ending the streak? It gives Trips instant heel turn and makes Michaels an even more intriguing character as he has to wonder if he couldve beaten the UT... Thoughts?

Am I the only one who doesn't want to see Orton vs. DiBiase AND Rhodes at WM? I'm enjoying their program, and I'm enjoying the Orton face turn. He's pulling it off without having to drastically alter his character. But who benefits if it's a 2 on 1 handicap match? What does it say for Rhodes and DiBiase if they have to take Orton on together in order to beat him? Two guys who really should be given their rightful push, may get buried because how can Orton lose that match? Why even bother having it? It's too obvious for two guys to beat the one, so Orton will somehow come out looking the best after that match. For months, there was rumors of DiBiase vs. Orton for WM...well, that happened last week....are they going to do that again? And even this handicap match is happening next week....so where does it leave all 3 of them for WM?