In Ring Segment
What I Liked:
Paul Heyman comes out to talk about Brock Lesnar. He says that Brock will not fight Triple H at Summerslam. Out comes Trips, who is quick to say that Brock will accept his challange and be a man. HHH also says he can give Brock what he wants, and shows a poster of Summerslam with Lesnar on it. Paul says Brock will not accpet his challenge, and that Paul can push Triple H's buttons anytime he wants. He says he is smarter and knows the business more. He makes a comment about Stephanie, and he tells HHH to hit him, teases him, and ends up getting punched by HHH. I tell you, I could listen to Paul Heyman all day. He is still one of the only guys who can sound real and not like he is reading off of a script. His intelligence and diction are fantastic. I feel like there needs to be more next week than just talking. Summerslam is far away, I get it, and this was a good way to light the fire once more after a month of nothing.
What I Disliked:
Paul Heyman should come out to the ECW theme song and not Brock Lesnar. Lesnar will come back and not get the pop he deserves and usually gets because Paul has used the song 3 straight times without a Brock sighting. Maybe Lesnar can do some Via Satellite next week. I thought that would have been better. I want to see Heyman and Lesnar together now, and not separate each time.
Grade: B
Alberto Del Rio vs. Santino Marella
What I Liked:
This match was nothing to really break down. We knew that Santino was used for a quick squash for Del Rio to gain a little steam back after the concussion. We have seen this match before, and will probably see it again. Ricardo gets a move on Santino after the match, hopefully the last one we see.
What I Disliked:
Does this really do ANYTHING for Del Rio? Nobody takes Santino seriously and for good reason. Also, get the United States Championship off of Santino already! It is getting old, annoying, and a complete joke. Let him do his comedy routine and that is it. I am so sick of having a mid card title become so devalued each week.
Grade: D
In Ring Segment:
Wendi Richter, Cyndi Lauper, Layla are in the ring and talk about Rock and Wrestling Connection. Heath Slater comes out and interrupts them. He begins to sing a song and out comes Roddy Piper. He gives Lauper a Gold Record to her, which he bashes over Slater's head.
What I Liked:
Heath Slater can thrive in this role for the next few weeks. I laughed my ass of with him this week. He is beginning to grow on me as a character. This is a great chance for him to make some memories on Raw without doing much. First Vader, now Lauper. Also, it is always nice to see Piper come back, one of the best ever on the microphone. He still gets an incredible pop when he comes out. I love that the younger crowd is not ruining the legends, and they are still over.
What I Disliked:
I just do not see what the point was with this entire segment. You bring back a legend, yes, but it took too much time and really did not do much for the live crowd. I think Lauper is on cocaine, because she is absolutely insane. It just seemed dragged out with nothing to gain out of it. Make this a backstage segment instead of in front of the live crowd and control the time.
Grade: C
