WWE Raw Results: Top 10 Moments from Last Night's Show

WWE Raw was an enjoyable show last night. A few more feuds were hinted at, while I enjoyed the matches from the Red Brand. The two hours flew by and were well done.

WrestleMania is now only a few short weeks away, and the company is trying to put its best foot forward. If I had to grade the program Monday night, it would fall in the B range. With that being said, let's get to the top moments!

10. Bait and Switch

Remember a few months ago, when Brodus Clay was advertised to appear every week, yet didn't?

Does anybody also recall the "Michael Cole Challenge" that kept changing week to week?

Last night, WWE did it again.

The Great Khali vs. David Otunga was set for last night. I am a fan of both men and believed they had something to prove to the WWE Universe.

What happened then? Nothing. The match was never mentioned, and the show just carried on without it.

It doesn't matter if you wanted to see the match or not. WWE announced something and didn't deliver. Just like the examples listed above, that is (almost) never acceptable.

Next time they set something, I would hope they follow through. To further my point, there was absolutely no hype for Aksana vs. Kane this Friday night. Another change of plans?

No more bait and switches!

9. Kane vs. R-Truth

This was a fine segment. Kane beat R-Truth in short order, and Randy Orton attacked the Big Red Monster after the match.

Again, their feud won't be anything complex. It is just a simple "face vs. heel" storyline to get two future WWE Hall of Fame performers on the WrestleMania card.

No harm, no foul.

8. Big Show vs. Miz

ShowMiz? Great name!

Big Show defeated The Miz in no time last night. I still believe the former Real World star will find himself a spot at Mania, but time is running out.

Cody Rhodes continued to embarrass Show by airing a clip from 2002. Things are moving nicely, and I look forward to the next chapter in this story.

7. My 'It' Girls

Sadly, there was no sign of Rosa Mendes last night. She is the real star of the tag team division, yet didn't appear on Raw.

Alicia Fox did appear, though. Not only that, but she wrestled a superb match. There was no reason for her to win, but putting up a nice, losing effort against Eve Torres was excellent.

As for my final "it" girl, Aksana was great on Raw!

First, her outfit was just amazing. Where is Booker T on commentary when you need him?

Next, she got into it with Vickie Guerrero. Both looked wonderful at ringside, but they became physically involved as well.

Finally, who doesn't love the "trombone" celebration? She did it as well as anybody, and I can appreciate somebody who can dance (just like myself).

6. Ryder Returns?

Well, it looks like Zack Ryder is back to being his "comedy" character!

I sure hope not. His return last night was very underwhelming. My assumption is, he will be in a mixed tag team match at Mania, but last night was a mess.

He returns, jokes around with Eve, then heads backstage?

OK, that is fine.

Then, Eve finds Zack and kisses him...

...to which he stands there like a goof and smiles!

I really hope he is just letting her on now in a role reversal from the past few months and is setting her up for an even bigger fall. If not, he is officially done for now as a legitimate threat.

5. Tag Team Match

My only issue with this match was I could have sworn Daniel Bryan was the legal man, not Chris Jericho. If I am mistaken, I apologize.

In any event, this was excellent. Sheamus and CM Punk vs. Daniel Bryan and Chris Jericho was a big-time match to start out the second hour of Raw.

They all worked hard, and even the announcers seemed to stay on topic here.

The ending was well-done too. Jericho rolling up Punk for a surprise pinfall victory was perfect, and each man's reaction was gold.

With Punk winning at Mania (yes, he will), it is going to be fun seeing Jericho get the upper hand for the next few weeks in their feud.

Sheamus and Bryan? They haven't really feuded over anything yet, but their finish on April 1, 2012 is also very apparent to me.

4. The Crowd

Boston was great last night.

They had a packed crowd and were very vocal all night. It is always nice to see a huge audience on hand for WWE.

Of course, the usual "What?" chants were heard a few times, but they weren't loud this week. That was a huge concern of mind during the opening segment.

Thankfully, the crowd really added to the show this week and didn't try to overshadow the show.

3. Santino Wins!

Santino Marella is the new United States Champion!

The "purists" will not like it, but that doesn't matter.

Being a paying customer of WWE, I can appreciate the talents of Santino. It was just two short weeks ago I was on hand for the absolutely amazing story of the Smackdown Elimination Chamber match.

Again, I was there in Milwaukee. Anybody doubting the Cobra needs to attend a live event next time the company comes to town!

He defeated Jack Swagger last night for the gold, and it was a well-deserved win for Santino. The man is nothing but "over" and is already a former Intercontinental (and tag team) Champion.

I doubt this reign lasts long (this Friday night?), but Marella has earned himself another title win. His celebration after the match really put over this moment as well.

As for the story outside the ring? It was very distracting with so many people involved. The two General Managers continue to fight, and a conclusion to this feud needs to come on April 1, 2012.

Teddy Long got the advantage Monday night, but we will see what Mr. Excitement does this Friday night. Speaking of, I know Long was in charge last night, but where were Christian and Del Rio again?

Some big return they had, huh? If only they had a reason to be back...

2. HBK at Mania

1. Shawn Michaels and Triple both did a nice job in the opening segment. That much is certain. You can question the story all you want, but these two bring it every single time!

2. I have long said that HBK was not needed at Wrestle Mania, and I will stand by that. He is sure to add on a few more buys to the event, but he really is not going to do much as the special guest referee.

3. Undertaker will be on hand live next week to confront Shawn. That will be interesting, as they have a past both at Mania and inside the steel structure.

4. My issue with all of this is as I have said all along. There really is no outcome that will be satisfying!

If HBK does nothing during the match, his inclusion was ultimately pointless.

If he does get involved in the finish, it serves no purpose, as he is retired (and isn't coming back).

It is a lose-lose situation in my book. I assume WWE has a plan in place for Michaels here, but I really do not see what this will do for anybody...

1. Cena and Rock

The "history lessons" were well done throughout the show. I really liked The Rock promising to win at Mania. It was his first time since returning last year that he actually referenced "winning" this huge match.

Cena has mentioned "winning" nearly every week. The Rock finally made note of it, and that really adds to the match. Both men need to express how important a victory is. Just as Cena said in the empty arena, he "needs" to win.

Very familiar to Stone Cold in 2001...

As for the ending segment? It was fine. Rocky kicked up the intensity this week, and Cena laughed right in his face over the threats. Very interesting way to close the show!

Next week will be even better. The Rock will be in "concert," and Cena will be rapping. I have enjoyed their music on Raw in the past, so that is sure to be entertaining.

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