I was just excited to see John Morrison show up in jeans...finally something for the ladies!

Hey Kev what will happen to the Nexus because Punk looks like with his new look and appears that he no longer wants to be of the group and was it me or did Punk come off as babyface and Cena heelish i guess JR and Morrison was a tease when HHH said he signed a major superstar .

Each week I am amazed at how the WWE writers continue to come up with horrible shows. Outside of the time HHH was in the ring, the rest of the show and especially the ending was horrible. I mean really, if Punk was resigned why have the title matches? If he isn't resigned how can he appear AND have his music play? Just when you think TNA is putting out stupidness weekly, it seems like the WWE crew does their best to top them...ugg

I totally agree. I would have loved to see Punk off TV for a couple more weeks. Felt like it was really rushed, although I suppose WWE has to capitalize on the buzz they have right now with the angle. Keep him away too long and you risk losing that momentum.

Did anyone else notice that Cena's "new" WWE Championship Belt was much thinner than the "real" WWE Championship belt that Punk retained? Clearly they did not create a new belt to the same specs as the old belt, just look at the front face plate on both belts and you can see that Punk's is 2 or 3 times as think and heavy. Clearly this is coming to a head.

But the question remains, where does the Miz go from here? And how does Del Rio fit into all of this? Truth clearly falling back into a feud with Morrison but we have genuinely 4 contenders for the top spot--2 babyface if you count Punk, and 2 heels in Miz and Del Rio.

Hey Kev--do you think that Miz and Cena trade spots as heel/face roles to shake things up within the next 6 months?

Best Entrance Music is Edge's theme song by Alter Bridge...Hands Down! At what point will Cena break Flair's world championship feat?
WWWYKI Bro!

Each week I am amazed at how the WWE writers continue to come up with horrible shows. Outside of the time HHH was in the ring, the rest of the show and especially the ending was horrible. I mean really, if Punk was resigned why have the title matches? If he isn't resigned how can he appear AND have his music play? Just when you think TNA is putting out stupidness weekly, it seems like the WWE crew does their best to top them...ugg

I was really underwhelmed with this Raw...I've always liked Mysterio but now I can see why he does get some "Cena-heat", he's just kind'a boring in my eyes, and that promo he cut after was a snore as well. I really wish the Miz would've won, he proved with his promo later on that he is a main event guy.

For a while people have been saying that if WWE doesn't build some new stars they'll be in trouble soon...well I think that time has come. The main event has never looked so weak; Miz has lost his steam, Del Rio looks like a chump at the moment, R Truth is a comedy act (a great one, but not a legitimate threat), Morrison's return should have been built more but instead was shadowed by the return of Jim Ross and Mysterio is just a cartoon character.

The only real main event guys on Raw are Cena and Punk - WWE needs to build new guys and fast, Morrison's return was such a great way to build him.

I agree with all your other opinions though; love Punk but he needs to be off tv for a bit to sell the storyline, JR being back is great, Cm Punk should still use "Fire Burns", and Ryder on Raw is brilliant - Raw is Ryder!

Sadly, I'm seeing Raw turn back to "The Cena Show", I really thought they had turned direction but I don't think so...it was great while it lasted.

It would really add to the presentation if they would continue to selectively add "real" music (Cult of Personality, For Whom the Bell Tolls, etc.). Even if they have to pay for it.

I'm OK with Triple H so far, but if this turns into the "Feudin' McMahon family" again, I will not be happy. And they better leave his obnoxious wife in the back too.

Punk can't use “Cult of Personality” by Living Colour because WWE doesn't own the rights. That's why they make all their "superstars" theme music. He just used it for last night's return.

RESPONSE FROM KE: They can use it if they choose to pay for it.

Well, RAW isn't the same without Punk. But the WWE is still taking its time. It's not like Punk did anything other than step into the ring and hold up his belt (to a much bigger pop than Cena).

Remember back to the nWo early days? Scott Hall came out, gave a tease and every week it got bigger. I am not sure if Punk will continue to sell that he isn't in the company. I mean, Sin Cara is suspended by the WWE announced both a storyline and real explanation.

I think this was the perfect time to bring Punk back, and it was done the right way. Though, it appears that I am going to be in the minority on this one.

Eck, please explain to me why Zack Ryder is an "Internet sensation". I just don't get it.

RESPONSE FROM KE: He has developed a cult following because of his YouTube videos.

Great show, although if the entire point of it was Cena being champion AGAIN for Punk's return, the Rey/Cena match should have been at SummerSlam. That being said, it was good to see JR and ZACK FRIGGIN' RYDER on TV ( can't wait to see Ryder's next vid this week ).

HHH was funny with R-Truth ( "I know - it's like I'm INSANE!" ), but I hope he is serious in his role and not "book matches" as punishments for guys like Vince used to; that concept is way out of date.

With SummerSlam in 3 weeks and no matches announced, I hope they know what they want to do.......

I think Christian has the best entrance theme. I am also a fan of HHH's King of Kings theme. Time for a poll?

You would think a guy like Cena, who seemed to be all about winning with honor at MITB, would have allowed Mysterio a week to recover so that Cena could wrestle Mysterio at his best in order to prove who is the deserving champion. Instead, Cena took on a tired, Mysterio. It seems kind of heelish and too similiar to how Randy Orton won the title from Christian. It seems out of character for Cena to be an opportunist. They could have delayed the match till next week and they would have had their main event already planned and they could have prolonged Punk's return for another week.

I expected Punk to return and interfere in the "wwe title" match to cause it to end in dq. They could have went off the air with the everyone being confused about how to proceed from there, so people would tune in next week to hear an announcement.

Glad to see Ryder on Raw. The Ryder Revolution is beginning, WWWYKI.

I think a Cena heel turn is coming. sort of sensed it last night and then Lawler raised the question of whether Cena knew he was wrestling Mysterio when he shook his hand earlier. Seems they are planting the seeds...

Don't forget they used "Cult of Personality" with Stone Cold's video package when he was inducted into their HOF. Obviously, they are trying to turn Punk into a different variation of SCSA.

Another Cena v. Rey Mysterio match must have came through my TV than everyone else's last night. I've seen numerous ppl say this was a great match. I'm sorry. There was a major missed spot by Cena on the powerbomb, which was obvious from the ref's reaction. Who knew Charles Robinson could move so fast when Rey landed on his shoulder?

At another spot Rey is so "hurt" he can't stand up, but can roll up his pant leg and reposition his knee equipment? At another spot Rey obiviously slaps Cena's leg when he's over Cena's shoulder to let him know he's braced for the slam -- of course everyone else knew Rey was ready for the slam, too.

Just poor basics on the part of these two in this match from what are supposed to be the WWE's top stars.

Upon Cena's heel turn, he will paint his face and begin formation on an updated version of Demolition with Zack Ryder.

At Jim Ross's Return: Hallelujah! It's about time he's back!

At Zack Ryder's Match: They should have atleast given him a decent opponent. Put him against Drew McIntyre. He's not doing anything at the moment.

At Keith Stone: Dumb, like Hornswoggle. DX needs to come back and pack him up along with Hornswoggle and Khali like they did the Spirit Squad.

At Rey winning and then losing the title to Cena: Why give Reythe title in the first place? There was no point to it! He can say he was WWE Champion now...yeah, for less than two hours! Cena has enough titles! The belt should've just went back to Cena in the first place and count his reign like it never ended.

At Punk's Return: YES! Now all we need is for Punk to trump Cena at Summerslam like he trumped Jeff Hardy at Summerslam two years ago. Cause if Superman Cena wins again, we riot!

Just like someone mentioned earlier Cm Punk's return was too early...anyone else agree?

This show started out great !!!
I thought they were initially on to a really insane new angle that I had a lot of interest in. With Rey Mysterio as Champ , having to constantly fight off the ever sneaky,clever, and crafty - Alberto Del Rio.

It's was starting to look like a really creative way to keep Alberto Del Rio involved in the Championship Picture and to give TMITB some freshness, with out ever actually putting him in a match or having the title change hands. With Rey's and Alberto's history and even with Alberto's history with Christian - that could have been a really neat story line. Alberto constantly trying to snipe both of them and Rey and Christian constantly have to out think and out smart him. Basically, a rehashing of the Crash Holly 24/7 story line, but more structured and a little bit more compact, to make it original.

Rey Mysterio dropping the title to John Cena was as annoying as Christian dropping it on Smackdown to Randy Orton after the Extreme Rules PPV.

Speaking of John Cena.
Unless this is all building up to a Mason Ryan and Brodus Clay vs. John Cena in a No Ropes /Barbwire Handicap match. I'm not seeing the payoff.

I'm quickly loosing all interest in all things C-Nation.

C.M. Punk should have at least stayed away till he bought a ticket and showed up in the first row (ringside) of The Impact Zone.

JUST A WHOLE LOT of missed opportunities to make things really special.

It's The Triple H Era, but John Cena is still champ.

At least Jim Ross is back.
I can be happy about that.

I liked the way Cena didn't raise his belt as high as Punk's true belt at the end of the show. That was a nice touch to show who the real champion was. I even thought for a sceond that Cena was going to chuck his belt away to show that he felt it was meaningless. But that would have been direspectful to Rey, who has become a huge star on Raw, just like he was on Smacksown.

Honestly if TNA had 3 title changes in a week you would kill them for hotshotting. Also is Cena Shawn Michaels to you, I believe you said he had the match of the year candidate before. I wonder if John Cena can have a bad match in your eyes cause you give his matches better reviews than Samoa Joe's. Is Cena a better wrestler than Samoa Joe?

RESPONSE FROM KE: That's debatable, but he's a hell of a lot more entertaining than Samoa Joe -- in my opinion.

I'm just amazed that rasslin fans are criticising the WWE for that show. Punk's appearance at the end was mesmerizing. I got goosebumps when Cult of Personality started playing.

If there was any doubt, Mysterio established himself as the WWE's top in-ring performer by getting the Miz' best performance that I've seen and an outstanding match from Cena.

I don't usually complain about WWE shows because they are just entertainment after all. But having Punk come back 10 days after he left was a waste. The WWE was doing a great job of having him appear in more mainstream areas and could have easily kept him off the air until Survivor Series, taunting Cena every chance he got. Saying that Cena would never be the real champ unless he beat Punk. Have that lead to a Survivor Series match with The Rock showing up, Cena turning heel and leading to the Rock/Cena showdown with Punk possibly joining in. I still look forward to seeing where this goes, but last night felt a little strange.

I don't think the ongoing CM Punk storyline could work with anyone else but Cena. Punk is the new anti-establishment guy and who else represents the status quo more than Cena?

RESPONSE FROM KE: I agree, but unless WWE is turning Cena heel, I don't think it makes sense.

As much as i hate Cena.I was so happy to see Cena regain the championship from that mysterio midget.Who the hell he thinks he is.This guy should be competing for cruiserweight championship and not for the WWE or heavyweight title.I don't why mysterio is always in race for the big titles.He is not even going back to intercontinental or us championships.Which again will hide him as well.

Seriously its a shame to see a midget like Rey mysterio with the same stupid moves,zero personality and the weakest finishing "pre planned" manuever always winning big championships when big guys like chris masters,tyler reks and so many more are not even on TV.

Seriously WWE should stop pushing mysterio.

I am so glad Cena won and ended Rey's misery.Although i hate to say this.But Cena does looks like an actual champion!

Punk seems to be elevating to higher levels each passing week.

@kevin

What was with the JFK clips in Punk's new titantron?

CM Punk's return was perfect last night. I didn't know the connection to ROH when "Cult of Personality" started playing but as soon as the music started I knew it was Punk.

WWE is never going to have a better opportunity than now to turn Cena heel. Punk's return as anti-hero is the perfect setup. If you'll recall, it worked with Brett Hart.

I'm amazed SuperCena had to go an entire 8 days sans title. Meet the "new" regime, same as the old.

At least our Internet Champion got 30 seconds of air time.

/yawn

If Punk stops using "This Fire Burns", what will your ringtone be?!

Cena's matches have been good because he's been wrestling as a heel (dominating the match while his opponent gets occasional hope spots). It's a nice change of pace from his usual "Super Cena" style and is hopefully a sign of a future heel turn. Of course, we've been predicting that for the past five years.

Is it just me, or was the crowd booing during the Keith Stone segment?

I also feel like they rushed Punk back. At least wait another week or two.

I personally like Cult of Personality better than This Fire Burns, solely because This Fire Burns served it's purpose.

And it can't be any more obvious what's gonna happen. Triple H will cost Punk the title at SummerSlam—thus turning heel—while John Cena isn't looking. Punk will be forced to make amends with Vince McMahon, beginning a feud.

Not sure if the info is out yet, but what was the buy rate for the Money In The Bank pay per view?

RESPONSE FROM KE: It takes a while for that to become public.

I feel like WWE doesn't know what to do next with Punk. If Punk coming back wasn't planned, in storyline form of course, how did he have new music, a tshirt, and entrance video?

What I would have done was have Colt Cabana sitting at ring side next to an empty seat. While HHH is in the ring have Punk show up with the title. When Cena wins Punk can stand up and say that it is his title.

Also I wish they would have changed the look of the title! The spinner is pretty old now and this seemed like the perfect opportunity to change it up. Plus it shows Punk isn't the real champion anymore

I thought maybe John Cena would turn heel during his match with Rey Mysterio, but it didn't happen.

Some of my favorite theme song s are Randy Orton 'Voices" how can not like DX theme song what about Hulk Hogan old NWO theme song with Jimmy Hendrix i think what might happen is we no longer have Raw and SD brands and we go back to days were superstars can appear on both shows which they do now anyway .

cm puck rocks

Who knew Mysterio was an AC/DC fan? "It's a long way to the top, if you want to Rock n' Roll"!!

Maybe... okay almost certainly... it's too early for Punk to return, but WOW what a rollercoaster RAW!

Great to see Ryder out there... and he did get great response even in the 30 seconds given him.

Having JR back behind the announce table is worth so much to me in terms of how much I enjoy the program that if the WWE getting cold feet on the Punk angle and rushing it to a conclusion is the tradeoff, so be it.

JR is such a great storyteller... he makes the whole product SO much more compelling for me. Really thrilled, really hope he's back for good.

I think it makes perfect sense for Cean to turn heel now. Look at how similar this Cena/Punk storyline is playing out the same way the Austin/Hart storyline did. Bret was the top babyface, did everything by the book but along comes this beer drinking, swearing, finger flipping red neck with an I dont give a F' attitude and the fans took to him. It wasn't because Austin was waving to kids and signing autographs it was because he was charasmatic, amazing on the mic and won matches as heel without resorting to heel tatics. He was just that much of a bad ass. By the end of their famous Iron Man match the fans shifted their cheers from Bret to Austin. People connected with Austin's never quit toughness and couldn't help but love his charisma. I dont think anyone in WWE planned for it to happen that way but Austin was so good it just happened naturally. That is exactly what you have with Punk/Cena right now. We are all "suppose" to cheer for Cena because he's the good guy but Punk's passion about his beliefs and the way he presents and delivers those beliefs have people going nuts for him. It is simply because HE...IS...THAT...GOOD!

Since we're talking about Cena's possible heel turn, how perfect would this play out if Cena did turn heel for a certain match he's having at WM28? He's always going on about how the Rock left the fans and doesn't care about the business like Cena does. If Cena went heel because what is transpiring with Punk, an "After everything I've done, you cheer him?" heel turn, the transition from Punk to Rock is undeniable. I can see it now, Cena is heel, Rock comes out, crowd goes nuts, Cena does promo on how this is exactly what he's talking about. The Rock leaves for 7 years to go to Hollywood, meanwhile I've been here killing myself for you fans and yet you cheer him? To me it just seems so natural and then you have a match where the whole audience can root for someone istead of being torn. Who wants to see face vs. face at WM?

Major changes like this define an era. With the arrival of the NWO, DX, Austin and the Rock you had the Attitude Era. With Cena, Hornswoggle, the Kahli Kiss Cam and other stupid crap like that you have the PG era. Now I think we are witnessing the beginning of a new era. Maybe the work/shoot era?

Cena was the No. 1 contender without being in the tournament? Does that make Rey the new No. 1 contender or is Del Rio still the No. 1? I wonder if Cena will surpass Flair's title reigns.

To JT's point, I really wish Rey would retire. He is constantly fixing his gear instead of selling a move. He could take a powerbomb from the top of the Empire State building and in 2 seconds he would be readjusting his mask and his pants. This has bothered me for years, and I was glad when Trish Stratus said it is her biggest pet peeve on Tough Enough. On top of all that, Rey is just boring now. He used to be an innovator in the ring, now you can predict his entire match in your sleep. Just incredibly average at this point. Also, to the person who said Cena botched the powerbomb, that was all Rey's fault, he was moving before hand and twisted himself, probably because he needed to fix a wedgie or something.

They needed Punk back ASAP. Despite all the events, this show was not all that interesting.

talk bout extremes in payoffs...in WCW ..the Sting finale every Nitro coming down from the rafters was played out on what seemed like a year...that was waay too long though it did send up for a good match between him & Hogan ...but this was waaaay too quick...especially when Punk says " I'm baaack" ..really? you were gone one week...plus you tweeted all over the place.....my thinking is they had no main event for Summerslam and rushed this ... HHH and the roundtable must have seen the tv ratings not spiking and panicked.."lets get this payoff now while its still hot" ...however....to keep it alive...make this a ladder match for both titles...have Punk win both of them...and he quits again and leaves with the belts....that's the only way I see it being kept interesting

I cannot figure out why they continue to devalue the title. Why should we care about this championship if a.) the current champ is going to lose it within two months and possibly within one night and b.) the real champ is Punk right now anyway.

As for "Oh, and by the way, it was yet another good match from the guy who “can’t wrestle.” …"

Fair point, except that the Mysterio-Cena match was brilliantly booked and somewhat sloppily executed. Not saying Cena is a bad wrestler, as I've never believed that, but this was not a crisp match by any stretch. Just really, really well booked with false finishes and reversals.

RESPONSE FROM KE: I agree that it wasn't always smooth, but Edge one time said to me that a real fight wouldn't look smooth or choreographed. The bottom line is the match told a story and took the fans for a ride.

Man, I cannot get over how many people are never pleased with anything that ever happens in wwe storylines. Wake up, Punk is CRAZY over! Summerslam is the 2nd biggest PPV of the year. They need him involved to build for this.

Who cares if he's back earlier than people thought...there IS NO ROH invasion deal...he was never going to appear all over the world boosting other company's PPV buys...he's the most captivating character in wrestling and he's back on our screens on a weekly basis...what's the issue? Isn't it perfectly realistic that a new regime takes over, and he signs a new contract after some negotiation?

The only way WWE drops the ball on this is if Cena beats Punk clean and walks away babyface undisputed Chamo at Summerslam....only then will this angle be ruined!

I was excited at Mysterio's win and celebration! I knew there would be a challenge for it that night. I'm a big Cena fan but still wish Rey could have kept the title a little longer.

I loved the sign that said "I got got by ticketmaster" Im surprised that wasn't taken away.

Since "leaving" with the WWE title has Punk made any further threat of taking it somewhere else?

I'm with the "too soon" crowd. It seems like the reason that it's a real waste is because WWE was just starting to generate a little bit of mainstream buzz. Branching out into other forms of media for publicity, having Punk show up at indie shows---if it could have kept going it would have sustained the excitement of the "shoot" and storyline that started this all, and it would have been a great long-term bid to restructure the way WWE does business. It almost seems that somebody on high pulled the plug on what very well might have been Punk's idea to begin with.
We were at the heights of potential, and now I think the wire is getting pretty thin. The only way this works is if the feud develops that Cena is a false champion propped up by the WWE regime that Punk is calling out, and fnally makes a heel turn. Like I've said, I think that the "can't wrestle" crowd might even be silenced if Cena was just given a new role, and a new direction to explore his talents in. How long do we have to suffer this morally upstanding Superman schtick? It's even bad for John Cena the perfomer at this point.
I was great to hear Ross, and I am in total agreement with Mr. Eck. The opening buzzsaw slide down the steel strings of "This Fire Burns" is probably the best thing I've heard in wrestling since the opening thump of "Iron Man" used to introduce the Road Warriors to the arena.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. JOHN CENA IS A HEEL. WWE needs to admit this to themselves and act accordingly. Cena gets more boos than any heel in the WWE Universe. The more Cena and WWE ignores the fans and keep trying to portray him as everybody's all american hero, the more people will dislike him.

The people have made their choice, and they choose CM Punk over Cena. The fans will no longer accept John Cena being pushed down their throats and have rejected him. This is no longer a debate. When Cena raised his belt, people booed, and when Punk raised his belt, people cheered.

The fact is, Cena doesn't have to turn heel any more, because in millions of fans minds he already is a heel.

Kevin,

Great blog as always (cheap pop!). I agree with other bloggers that say Cena was acting heelish during his match with Mysterio. I was just waiting for him to totally start beating the hell out of Rey after all the kicks to his thigh. I wouldn't be surprised if there is a rematch between the two next week and a build towards a Cena Heel turn at Summer Slam during a match with CM Punk. Other than the charisma , I really don't see any other similarities between Punk and SCSA. SCSA was a brawler, Punk is more like Hart and is a legitimate top of his craft ring technician. Cena was a heel at the start of his career as the Prototype so it's not like he has not done it already. This half boo/half cheer during Cena matches will never go all cheers. It's already been established male fans no matter how much Cena gets his @ss kicked will not cheer for him. I hope the WWE is smart enough to turn Cena heel and give him a :"what have you done for me" attitiude so the ladies and kids will start booing him. Ask him to talk to R Truth about how to get fans to bring the heat! It's way past time for Cena to turn heel and its the best way to build momentum towards his match with the Rock at Wrestlemania.

You kill me Eckster. This amazing “support” you show for Cena and his wrestling ability. Those endless clotheslines must take real skill. No selling all the damage at the end of the match to put Rey in his finishing move (I could care less what it is called). That botched powerbomb that he might as well have screamed out loud, “HEY WWE FANS I AM GOING TO REVERSE THIS MOVE BY USING A POWER BOMB”. I mean his hand placement ….ehh nevermind….just thank goodness the “great wrestler” didn’t seriously hurt Rey with how he threw him down. I get that you love the WWE. I used to back when it one letter off and a lot better. I will give you credit, your blog and your unbiased opinion of the WWE is what made me tune into the main event anyway. When I saw that Rey was being forced to fight Cena, there was no point in continuing to watch.
As far as Cena breaking Flair’s record, no fan with half a brain would recognize it.

Raw was ok, not saying i expected more but could have been more interesting. When cena won at the end i knew someone would come out. Then the static in cena's music suggested. But i did not expect punk, i like he is back but it seemed too easy.
Punk who quit and refused to sign had a change of heart after the "doofus" took over. Though that is funny when you think about it.
I would have liked to have someone unexpected return have a fued with cena. Then get punk to return much later in the year and have a more unexpected return.

C.M. Punk's return may have been a bit rushed, but no one can deny that the return in and of itself was well done and "Cult of Personality" was a great song to use. I don't think it will be used permanently though. I believe what could happen is Cena makes his long-awaited heel turn and Triple HHH does as well at Summerslam.
Both men cost Punk the title, setting up for a lengthy feud that could last until Survivor Series.

Wonder when they will have Rey job his title rematch to cena?

CM Punk becomes a huge star overnight and people don't want him back on TV yet?

Punk is gold right now so having him off WWE TV doesn't make any sense in my opinion.

Bring on SummerSlam!

There was a lot to enjoy about the show last night. Not wire-to-wire, but the HHH promo at 10 was a much better idea that saving it for the overrun. Last week was missing that hot moment in the middle of the show to kickoff the 2nd hour.

I think this role suits HHH really well. Having him back on the mic helps everyone he'll interact with. He did a good job of ribbing R-Truth without burying him.

I too hope there is a payoff for the Raw GM. They still had the computer and I feel like it would make for great TV when HHH brings them out to talk about their future endeavours. Who do you think it would be since the Abraham Washington ship has sailed? Quick way to get Cole back on Raw or do you think they'd do something more with it?

Cena and Rey had a great match. Cena has it in him all the time. Something about him seems refreshed. He showed some fire when he really had to work for it. Small things like that extra little oomph he put on that final AA made it seem like he really wanted that win. Maybe he doesn't turn heel, but maybe he gets some edge back?

Was it me, or did Cena just seem to be going throught to motions last night? To me it appeared he was not his normanl happy self.

1. I have never been a Rey Mysterio fan. I just don't get him. And that move where his opponent conveniently ends up hanging on the middle rope multiple times per match is pathetic.

2. Voting for "Cult of Personality."

3. Didn't realize how much I missed Jim Ross until he sat down and started talking last night. He IS a great storyteller. Wow.

4: RESPONSE FROM KE: I agree that it wasn't always smooth, but Edge one time said to me that a real fight wouldn't look smooth or choreographed.

I was thinking the same thing last night. Not that Edge told me that, of course, but that it is kind of nice every so often that it doesn't look so perfectly staged. Adds a bit of realism for me.

whats the bet rey dosent get a rematch?

They had to strike while the iron was hot with Punk. I know we all assumed it would be a slow burn, but I don't know how well it would have worked in 2011. And anyone who wants to complain about CM Punk's presence can eat a bag of hammers.

That said, I wouldn't be surprised if this is finally the Cena heel turn. If they truly want to go in a different direction, they finally have a guy the fans want- chose?- that would represent a huge direction shift. And if you still want the slow burn with Punk, how's this: Cena snaps, turns heel, puts him out of action and leads to then doing what we thought Punk was going to do off-screen, only with Cena as the target instead of the WWE.

I read something today that I think I agree with. Cena is going to be the guy who elevates The Next Big Thing to that status. And that's when the heel turn would happen. I think that time might be here.

Finally, anyone who didn't enjoy that show needs to have their opinion-sharing privileges revoked.

I wish Ryder would wear his old gear, with the one long leg.

Kev i have to agree with just about everybody they brought Punk back way 2 quick i can see if they had him at ringside for a while with the belt while things were going on to antagonize Cena or who ever the champion is but only 9 day after winning the belt he's back. as far as the match between Cena & rey I thought that it was very slow it look Rey was moving in 1st or 2nd gear.

Kev, what amazes me about this hatred for John Cena is that no one realizes the brilliance of what he does. He had the foresight to understand that there is a staunch set of fans who will never like him. No matter how silly or flawed their reasons, (and I refuse to write a 1000 word essay on those reasons) they will cling to those reasons loudly. He decided to use that to his advantage and embrace the hatred. He understood Pro Wrestling (I also refuse to say 'sports entertainment'. I'll write it though.) 101. It's all about the reaction and what you do with it. Does he know people groan when 'Super Cena' comes out to win a match? You bet he does. Does he know those same people hate his corny jokes? You betcha. Do you guys actually think he doesn't know that no matter how good he gets in the ring, those same people will never believe he is good enough? The one thing he truly understands, and why he will be going nowhere but on your screen, is that as long as he can elicit that reaction, positive and negative, he is relevant. It is brilliant on his part, and I give him props for knowing how to take a negative and use it to make his pockets fat. A lot of wrestlers can get that reaction, but the ones who make it big know how to use it. John Cena, like him or not, knows how to use it. Bravo.

Well, why do you want a heel as champion against Punk. You said it yourself, no one else will have brought up the same electricity if it was someone else than Cena. I think that this feud is escalating more and more in people's mind, so let it be!
People can argue how much they want that Mysterio's loss was worse than Christian or Cena winning again and again, sincerely, I just want this awesome rivalry with Punk continuing. Though I neither hate or love Cena, it isn't everyday that someone steals the limelight from the "Face of the company" show and show again.

Mysterio's match with Cena was again good indeed. Cole's entrance was hilarious. Now yes, perhaps putting Vickie and Cole against Punk will bring up the same electricity as against Cena. ;)

Good to see JoMo back as well as Zack Ryder.

I think Miz is kinda losing steam now. It wasn't much a problem last month despite some of his losses but now, the lack of impact from him is being felt.

As big a HHH fan as I've always been, unless he's willing to give up being the "coolest" guy in any arena, his persona as the "boss" will not work.

Hey Kev, has there ever been a feud between two babyfaces?

RESPONSE FROM KE: I'm going to assume that was sarcasm.

Cult of Personality was Punks "Champion" ROH theme, has nothing to do with SCSA

GEEZ,LOUISE.I was one who didn't watch WWE or whatever it is now,Monday night.The writers lately have been so predictable.However,I agree that they need to push some people to superstar status,simply because Cena's competition has been so lame up until C.M.Punk.His best opponent may have been Randy Orton,with Edge gone,but with Randy being a face as well,it just didn't play out satisfactorily.I too think Punk is back to soon,even though I'm not a big Punk fan.Alot of his matches he won due to Nexus,or Straight Edge Society's interference.I think he's very good on the mic,but the numbers have shown the ratings haven't spiked nuch if at all,the last month this has been playing out.So I don't see how this is "golden" as some here have claimed.I'm hoping with HHH in control,that more is done to develop NEW talent,and new fueds,and not the same old storyline.Have always,and still am a Cena fan,but it would be refreshing to see a new champion,like a Mason Ryan,or an Ezekiel Jackson,and not the same old rehashed matches.If Punk is truly going to hold the belt,let him fight someone else other than Cena,or do they think they don't have anybody better at this point?Your thoughts Kevin?I too think that the anticipation of what Punk was going to do would have played out better if this had percolated for a couple of weeks.

More bait and switch by the WWE, with the supposedly "leaving" Punk back in a week, just as Cena returned almost immediately after his storyline ouster from the company a few months earlier.

In the matches I watched, Mysterio performed very well and put together a couple of terrific performances. You have to feel badly for the guy -- two great matches and he was champ for about an hour.

Maybe they can salvage this storyline if Punk points to the old stipulation that the champ has 30 days to defend before he can be stripped of the title. Punk could claim that because that provision was violated in his case, that he is still the true title holder and that both Cena and Mysterio won the belt in contests that were outside the rules, notwithstanding Vince's or HHH's rulings.

It was a great way to end the show, but still, 4 weeks too early for me. Next PPV was my guess.

Could have worked better If the creatives could convince the audience that CM Punk was gone for good. And have him reappear and create another Punk moment..

Put yeah R Truth is brilliant. He doesn't need a title right now and will totally out shadow Morrison in promos. Any thoughts on that rivalry?

I have never read a column with so many "obvious" opinions. And all different. And some even dumb. IMO.

First off, did I miss something? Who said Punk was back? I didn't hear anyone say he'd been resigned. Well, except the live audience and, at that time, they were wrong. Sure, Punk came back for one episode, but that doesn't mean he's back for good. A slow burn is still possible.

OK, there were other things, but if DumbSmark and Maurice B can both show restrain in a single column, I'd better join or be pronounced a hypocrite.

The word for last night's Raw was overstuffed. There were just far too many things happening for one show. Far too many returns, far too many "big" events, the show seemed borderline desperate and reminiscent of the hotshotting that marked the last years of WCW. Yes the in-ring action was fairly good, but with so many things happening on one show, nothing managed to stand out. Then Cena regained the title, Cult of Personality hit, and we were right back to where we were 2 weeks ago. I expressed doubt when this angle first started as to whether the WWE would have the patience and courage to allow it to be meaningful, and thus far, I haven't been proven wrong. CM Punk's 'official' return should have been a far bigger moment but wasn't, partly because the show featured too much and partly because he wasn't gone long enough for it to truly be missed. His return got a good pop when it should've blown the roof of the building. On top of that, there are far too many unanswered questions as to why he'd come back so quickly, especially considering the shots he took at HHH during his now-famous promo.

am i the only here who thinks the pg era, as diluted as it is now and just maybe a bit inferior to the atitude era, is the WWE's way of investing in new fans? Similar to how the WWE invested in those same kids during the Hogan/Bret era to bring in that same audience that capaulted their TV ratings from '98-00? Thoughts? Either way, no need to bash it...

Punk's appearence was wasted. i thought a return a Summer Slam would have been better. What better way then to have Del Rio cash in on the winner at SS and win it then have Punk come out and defeat Del Rio saying he was the true holder of the title. Talk about a POP!

@Marko50 ... after RAW went off the air Punk too the mic and announced he was "back."

http://vids.wwe.com/12696/wwecom-exclusive-cm-punk-tells-t

Can we just try to enjoy watching it unfold and not nitpick every little thing. I understand failed execution of situations. This never existed pre-internet.

Q: Punk on TV or Punk off TV?
A: PUNK ON TV!!!

His return was electric. Sure it's scripted, but it was a damn cool moment, the song was great and the stare-down with Cena was awesome. Punk using the 30-day stipulation with the title would make a lot of sense. This isn't perfect, but this sure is a compelling and fun story to watch.

This is the ideal time for WWE to end the brand split officially. And to give HHH credit for the idea.

Kevin, not sure if you'll make a separate entry for this, but I was wondering if you've listened to the Bill Simmons/CM Punk podcast yet? If so, what'd you think about everything he said? I thought it was great how confident he sounded in himself and how he was completely out of character, just being himself for the entire interview.

RESPONSE FROM KE: I haven't had a chance to listen to it yet, but I will.

Why did Triple H had to screw Rey Mysterio on the day he won the title. I see a parallel between this incident and what happened to Christian right after he won the title.

WWE always wanted to stick with their conventional main event wrestlers, like John Cena and Randy Orton, and gives others as little air time as possible - and that's because they are going be needed for post Cena and Orton eras.

It's nice to see Zack Ryder back on TV!

@Jules B. - Thanks. But that brings up a connundrum itself: It used to be that if it didn't happen on TV, it didn't happen. But that vid was on WWE's official web site, so...

The Triple h regime is a great thing. All I can say about monday night is just like CM Punk's shirt says the best in the world, because he is, and he is the one that needs to be the face of the WWE.

Did Jerry Lawler actually say that "Cena is like superman"?

Brain...on...overload...too....many...questions....need....answered!!! Can't wait to see where this is all going. I was a little peeved that Punk came back so soon myself but with SummerFest...opps (Iapologize to Jeremy Piven) SummerSlam right around the corner I guess he had to.
I may be looking a little to deep into this but I found Miz's comments about HHH being in charge being a big mistake kind of intresting. I know everyone is kind of groaning about another McMahon family war but I think thats were it's headed. Everyone in WWE is gonna have to pick a side.

You forgot to mention that Dolph got a new theme, which was pretty decent. Not better than the old one, but...eh.

Hey Kevin ,

I found it wierd that John would face Rey for the title when Rey already did a match the same night. Shouldn't John let Rey rest until next week. I was thinking shoudn't he let him rest up because I thought John was the type of person to be fair and let him rest up where he healed and ready.

At this point you are just a WWE cheerleader. I don't think I have ever seen you speak a bad word about a Cena match. I think most people would consider Samoa Joe a top ten worker. Cena is Hulk Hogan I doubt that even he would claim to be better than Samoa Joe in the ring.

@Titan tron:
That would be kind of funny. Almost as funny as the miz growing a small mohawk, dying it red and being the modern day Tatanka.

My theory is that Punk came out to his ROH song as if to suggest that he is still not with WWE, and just got in somehow!

Summerslam isnt too far away..........WWE championship match prediction - Punk/Cena/Mysterio with Del Rio challenging the winner. But thats too easy right???

Mick Foley returns to the WWE .

Whoever thinks that the wwe is turning cena heel is wrong wwe is a business they know there's more money pandering to kids cause there goin to make there parents buy anything with his face or logo on it I think he's where he needs to be right now but having his "heelish" matches with Alberto del rio, the miz, or r truth theres more cena likers then haters there just not as loud

As we all make mistakes, and we all get worked up about wrestling---I just have to apologize to Mr. Eck for claiming he was reactionary with the ratings thing. Not because I believe he totally wasn't, but because I think my initial response to Punk's quick return was as well. Glass houses, etc.
To have time to digest it--it's pretty cool. Anyone who has listened to the podcasts, etc., knows that Punk really was not sure of returning after MITB. He decided to before RAW, and to have him come out and show up Cena with the "real" belt, after Cena had just won the "fake" one for the ninth time is really pretty brilliant---and not for nothing--but Punk really knows how to work a song. The internet helps in this. Watch the clip, and see how expertly he times different actions with the swell of the music.
What we have is Punk coming back and saying that Cena is a political champ--Punk himself is the fan's champ--and more importantly, he is helping to put together a story which is in large part designed for us, the hardcore fans---and here a lot of us are being our usual cynical selves. I believe in Punk's stroytelling abilities---I like the way this is going, and I'm going to make sure to tune into RAW to keep following it---(not to mention that the "belt-to-belt" thing is also for us. We can't complain about Cena being part of this main event when the story is referencing what we complain about as far as Cena goes. Punk is giving us what we want---and it will give Cena a chance to prove that he CAN wrestle--he just needed a shake-up to his status and character. Well, he's getting it.

Is it just me or when HHH was teasing re-signed people was anyone else hoping for Foley?

if we're going to start to undo the misunderstanding-of-PG era then signing a symbol of that era would be a good idea.

or is mick working elsewhere?

I disagree, the Mysterio vs. Cena match was a pretty poor one and the only thing that made it halfway decent was Rey Mysterio gutting it through what looked like a real knee injury.

What a convoluted way to attempt to sort things out. Let's have an 8 man tourney to determine the WWE championship and not include Cena. Let's have Rey finally win the thing only to lose to Cena the same night....THEN have Punk come back that same night to challenge the legitimacy of the belt.

What was the friggin' point to ANY of that?

Q: What was the friggin' point to ANY of that?

A: To elicit "What was the friggin' point to ANY of that?"

Re: ANONYMOUS GM,
I think you're right that there will not be a payoff regarding his/her identity, and at this point, I don't think that is the worst direction to take. For all intents and purposes, the Anonymous GM would be the head writer of RAW, which is what the truth was all along anyway, so it works out best.

Plus, if they just drop the angle without naming the Anonymous GM, then that GM could appear at a later date with an axe to grind towards WWE.

Considering Michael Cole as a choice was completely illogical now, and it could not be The Rock, HHH, or Vince, or even Zack Ryder now, the choice of identities for the reveal would be quite underwhelming.

Put it aside, and if there's a demand for the answer, WWE can address it later.

You mentioned that HHH said he "re-signed" John Morrison when Morrison was just returning from an injury. Did you notice that HHH tried to pass the second WWE Championship title match as "the first time on RAW" as well?

Uhm, no.... we've had two WWE Championship matches on RAW before. Most recently, the night after Survivor Series when The Miz cashed in.

@Mr Sarcasm - I disagree, especially after Smackdown. Trips didn't ignore Teddy as GM; why would he ignore the Raw GM?

Ain't hindsight wonderful?

sad to hear that rey is no more the champion but also happy for cena

@Marko50,
Yea, hindsight is great.... so tell me, what did HHH say about the Anonymous GM on Raw last night?