The Undercard
Mark Henry defeated The Great Khali with the World's Strongest Slam. Henry and Khali looked as slow as they sound when reading this. Neither man got into a flow of offense, but it was impressive to see Henry pick up Khali with ease. Henry is getting a great response from the crowd, and he is a guy that is so common with the fans they will always respond to his presence. Grade: C
Chris Jericho defeated Daniel Bryan to earn a spot in the Elimination Chamber match. Jericho and Bryan put on a very solid match, with both men able to reverse the other's finishers a few times. Bryan had a great moment when he was kicking down Jericho, and then Jericho was able to duck and apply the Walls of Jericho. Back and forth, both men able to get great offense in, this was a match that was really fun to watch. Jericho rarely puts on a bad match, and Bryan could possibly be the best technician in the WWE. Their skill sets are so common. Grade: B+
Jack Swagger defeated Zack Ryder and earned himself a spot in the Elimination Chamber in the process. Swagger overcame a quick offensive flurry from Ryder, which included the Broski Boot. Swagger took down Ryder with a hanging powerbomb, and then locked in the Patriot Act. After the match, his new friend spoke. Dutch Mantel, now known as Zeb Coultier. They speak about being real Americans, and bashing illegal immigrants. Is this a set up for Swagger vs. Del Rio? If so, it is WAY TOO SOON to push him to a match at Wrestlemania for the World Heavyweight Championship. Zeb will be a good mouthpiece for Swagger, who lacks the realism and believability on the mic. Grade: C+
The Miz defeated Cody Rhodes via Disqualification. This was a pretty solid paced match, with Rhodes getting hit with a big boot from Miz off the ropes to quicken the pace. Miz hits a backbreaker but misses the neckbreaker, and Cesaro tries to interfere from the outside. Miz hits him in the head and focuses back on Rhodes. After that, Cesaro causes the DQ and throws Miz into the barricade a few times, like a swing. I thought this showcased the strength of Cesaro even more, and it looked solid, even though Miz blocked his head. I like how Cesaro is dominating guys, and feel like his run is only going to get better. Cesaro and Miz will have a solid match at Elimination Chamber, and I feel like this would be the right time to end it and find Cesaro a great opponent for Wrestlemania. Grade: B-
Brodus Clay and Tensai defeated Primo and Epico. This was a basic squash match that had Tensai as a face for the first time on Raw. Whether you hate it or not, Clay and Tensai are getting a reaction. At least they are doing SOMETHING, and not being wasted to a point where people cannot stand to see them on TV. I will give this random team some time to find an identity and mesh together. Grade: C
