WWE News: 7/25 WWE Raw Recap and Commentary

This is a short and sweet recap of Raw—with my commentary included. Nothing fancy, but I hope you enjoy it.

The Miz vs. Rey Mysterio (WWE Championship Match)

Pros: Decent match length, good ring work.

Cons: Match outcome.

Comments: Miz did a nice job in the ring tonight. Mysterio also put on a good performance. However, Miz should've won. I don't think that Rey is going to show the older fans anything more than what is sure to be an interim title reign—until Cena or Del Rio eventually take back the title.

While Punk vs. Mysterio wasn't bad the last time around, we've still seen it before. Punk vs. Miz would make for much better matches and encounters.

Evan Bourne vs. Dolph Ziggler

Pros: Evan Bourne is finally getting some attention. Dolph Ziggler's new remixed ring music was nice, too.

Cons: Match outcome, short match.

Comments: I have no idea what the WWE is doing with Evan Bourne. I get it, he's a spot monkey. He's the go-to guy when the WWE wants an eye-popping stunt pulled off. But don't build up the guy in a feud with Jack Swagger, make him look good at MITB ladder match and then have him lose in a four-minute match because of a sleeper hold.

It was kinda sad when Cole was talking about the two of them. Describing Ziggler, he cited his World Title reign, Tag-Team reign and his US and Intercontinental reigns.

Evan Bourne? He was a guy who graduated college. Give the guy at least one non-title win over Ziggler.

Backstage: Keith Stone and the Bellas w/Eve

Comments: I really don't know what to say about this one.

The WWE is either hard-up for sponsors—which may be the case, since they've had to use K-Mart for their live shows—or they really don't care much about their own PG image so they promote an alcohol company.

However, the ending of the skit was rather funny. It still left a bad taste in my mouth, though—probably just like Keystone Light would.

Maryse/Melina vs. Eve/Kelly Kelly

Pros: Other than Eve booty-shaking in the ring and Kelly Kelly spanking the other women... Wait, no. It's this sort of thing that makes the Divas Division seem so petty. Main pro? It was a short match.

Cons: See the "pros."

Comments: I'm not sure what the WWE expects to happen with their Divas Division. Week in and week out they parade these women in the ring like tramps and their catty behavior is the only memorable part of their brief matches.

You'd think that the WWE would take a number from TNA and actually let their women wrestle. Instead, we're treated with built-in bathroom breaks that only degrade the competition.

Triple H's "State of the WWE" Address

Pros: Jim Ross is announcing again! I know, right? Oh, yeah. John Morrison's back—presumably  to continue his feud with R-Truth—and Michael Cole was scheduled to fight a match against a mystery opponent.

Cons: Putting Rey Mysterio in a WWE Championship match against John Cena for the main event.

Comments: There was a lot to like about this segment. Good Ol' J.R. came back to the announcer's table and it seems like Michael Cole is going to be relegated to Smackdown in the near-future. John Morrison's back—both a shot in the arm for the WWE product and R-Truth's character—because he was starting to lose momentum with nothing to do but talk about Lil' Jimmy.

Seeing Triple H mock R-Truth by talking to an invisble kid was really entertaining. But tell me how any of us can expect Rey Mysterio to walk out tonight as the WWE Champion?

Sure, there could be some interference. Yes, we all knew Rey would be an interim champion. But the guy just put on a physical match against The Miz at the top of the night. He only gets about an hour to recover then he has to wrestle John flippin' Cena? Please. I'm hoping CM Punk will interfere. Maybe a Rey heel turn if Cena wins? Yeah, I know.

Michael Cole vs. Zack Ryder

Pros: Zack Ryder getting to pummel Michael Cole...and it's not on Superstars! Also, hearing J.R. do commentary again. Did I mention Zack Ryder was in the match?

Cons: Seeing Cole come out in Triple H's outfit, imitating The Game's mannerisms as he came to the ring. Also, this was quite a short match.

Comments: Zack Pack, unite—for about twenty seconds. Why does it feel like even when Zack Ryder gets on Raw, he's still not on Raw? Seeing the guy in the ring was nice, but I thought Cole had wrestling ability? After all, isn't that why his matches with Jerry Lawler lasted so bloody long? But hey, I guess beggers can't be choosers.

Alberto Del Rio vs. Kofi Kingston

Pros: Ricardo's back! J.R.'s still doing commentary, which is always a plus. Kofi Kingston had a nice pop going into the ring. Good narration, both injuring and selling Kofi's left arm.

Cons: Short match.

Comments: After changing his mind about cashing-in his briefcase earlier in the night, Del Rio made up for the faux pas with a respectable win against Kofi.

I know this match was meant to further build Del Rio as a true contender for the title, but I wish that Kofi had been given some more offense since the crowd was really into this match.

Kofi Kingston is one of the most under-appreciated wrestlers in the business and he should have won MITB this year. At least give the guy a feud with some merit. How about build Chris Masters as a monster heel again and give Kofi someone new to wrestle? I'll even take another McIntyre feud at this point—at least Drew would get something to do.

Backstage Interview: The Miz

Pros: Miz calling CM Punk "He Who Shall Not Be Named." Some more quality promo work from one of the company's best.

Cons: I didn't think Miz looked good in a blue shirt.

Comments: The WWE better not drop the ball with Miz by giving him a filler feud until something more appropriate shows up. And what happened to this subtle face turn everyone's forecasting?

Of course, this rant about WWE's new establishment might be a way for him to follow in Punk's footsteps, but I think the best thing for Miz is to jump ship and swim over to Smackdown. If the WWE wants him to get over as a face, there's plenty of talent there for him to almost immediately "hit the switch" into becoming a good guy. Get the hint?

Rey Mysterio vs. John Cena (WWE Championship Match)

Pros: Hearing kids wearing Rey Mysterio masks shout for John Cena against the "Cena Sucks" chants. J.R. saying "slobberknocker." Rey putting Cena in the STF.

Cons: The sad truth that—even if I don't like Rey as the champion—Cena's going to get the title back. Watching Cena's horrible sell of being put in the STF by Rey and the subsequent 619.

Comments: I wasn't expecting much of a performance in this match—Cena's last championship match at MITB was infinitely better than this one—and Mysterio's match at the beginning of the night was even better.

Rey putting Cena in the STF is probably the most heel I should've expected to see. It wasn't bad work between these two, but this was par for the course between Cena and Rey. Actually, it might've been a bit below par for Cena, who I think is generally a better wrestler than he gets credit for.

However, in this match Cena looked more like a lumbering Big Show than he did a decorated WWE Champion. I'm sure working with smaller guys like Rey isn't easy for goliaths like Cena, but that's what happens when you book matches like these.

I shouldn't have to tell you who won this match. If you have to guess, you haven't been watching Raw.

After-Match Appearance by CM Punk

The REAL champ is finally here.

New entrance song, new titantron, new shirt. Nothing needed to be said. Each champion lifted their belts while CM Punk received a bigger pop from the crowd. For the first time all night, I felt like there really had been a changing of the guard. Miz needs to watch out and Ryder's been put on notice: CM Punk is the new "Must See" WWE Champion and his Internet escapades have surely not come to an end.

Overall: I liked this week's episode of Raw. We saw a lot of moving and shaking with the roster, even if the matches weren't spectacular. But, they weren't completely forgettable either.

I'm definitely tuning-in next week and I wouldn't be surprised if Punk gives us a few appetizers on Twitter and the Web while we wait for Monday to roll back around.

Feel free to comment and discuss the show, below. Peace out, peeps.