The Storylines
Randy Orton and Sheamus defeated The Big Show to kick off the night's action. I have to admit, I was thoroughly entertained by this match. All men worked great together and are big enough names to kick off Raw with a bang. Orton and Show worked great, with Orton striking the lower body. Sheamus, the stronger of the two, attacked Show quick and with force. I love the booking of this match because Show always had an answer for a move. He hit a spear, a few chops, a side slam, and continued to fight back. Orton finally was able to hit an RKO after Show was hit with a Brogue Kick. Let's face it, Show can lose multiple times and still be viewed as a monster because of his stature. I am perfectly fine with him losing. He took every move like a champ tonight, as well as the flow of the match was fitting for him.
-Later in the night, Mark Henry attacked Sheamus. This sets up a tag match for Smackdown. If you want to have these four guys in the same type feud, then execute it. It is hard because neither of the four guys can afford to lose a big match. Out of the 3, Henry is the only one that consistently looks dominant. The booking is a little tricky.
Grade: B
–Fandango came out and was interviewed by Jerry Lawler. The crowd began to chant the song. Fandango got the crowd interested, but I feel like people expected the same reaction from a week ago. That was an allusion, even if it was a good one. South Carolina is not known for great crowds. They are more casual fans, not marks. Fandango should have been kept off TV, shown the video package, and wait until the crowd in England next week. If they really wanted him on, start his next feud. He needed to do SOMETHING, ANYTHING, besides what he did.
Grade: Incomplete
-Brock Lesnar attacked 3MB and beat the crap out of them. He hit multiple F-5's and looked like a machine. Then I thought, oh wait, it's 3MB. Nonetheless, they were used as whipping boys. Lesnar wants a Steel Cage Match against Triple H at Extreme Rules, according to the voice of Paul Heyman. I cannot get enough of the brilliance of Heyman, how he articulates his words, and how he can make a Steel Cage Match seem like the most ruthless match in the WWE. Steel Cages have been so irrelavant since Hell in a Cell and Elimination Chamber, but Heyman sold it.
Grade: B
