Opening Segment:
John Cena comes out for the contract signing. He waits for Lesnar, but John Laurinaitis comes out and says Brock is not here yet. Long tries to get Cena out of the ring, but Edge comes out. Edge confronts John Cena about the person that he is. He talks about their history in the ring and what they have accomplished. He says he does not know this Cena, and that Lesnar does not care for this business like they do. Edge finishes off by saying Cena NEEDS to beat Lesnar on Sunday.
What I Liked:
If anyone can speak on how much he loves the business as much as Cena, it is Edge. Everyone knows the career and history of Edge, especially his long feud with John Cena. I really enjoyed the realism brought from Edge, and how serious Cena's expressions got. It gets too cheesy and repetitive if Cena does not do anything besides grin and shrug it off. Edge still can talk and get the crowd to listen to every word that he says.
What I Disliked:
This was a great way to start off Raw and I cannot complain about it. They need to have Cena and Lesnar teased throughout the show to keep everyone tuned in.
Grade: A
Chris Jericho def. Kofi Kingston:
What I Liked:
A solid match between Jericho and Kofi, what we have come to predict with Kofi. Kingston worked over Jericho and hit a few athletic moves from the top. I love the somersault dive heading into break. It gave the audience some much needed interest to keep them wanting to come back. I really think Jericho and Kofi are great together, especially as Jericho can counter his moves with his strength and intelligence. Kofi sold the Codebreaker very well, but I love how Jericho locks in the Walls so dangerously. His knee is perfectly placed on Kofi's head to make the move look painful. Good work by both guys in this match. At the end, Jericho teased a gift for Punk.
What I Disliked:
The only problem I have is that everyone knew Kofi would lose. He is in a spot right now where he will continuously lose to main event talent for the sole purpose that the writers think it is a legit win for them. Kofi is good, but he has been in the same spot for three years. He is slowly getting into the Shelton Benjamin category. There needs to be more from Kofi, including a win or two to solidify himself. He needs a real feud with someone who is credible.
Grade: B
Eve becomes Executive Assistant to John Laurinaitis. We also see Punk with a basket of liquor, gives the basket to Josh Matthews, and keeps one to give back to Jericho.
