WWE Raw 09/19/11: The Good, the Bad, and the Meh

WWE's rather epic "A" show, Raw, came tonight from Cleveland, Ohio.   Welcoming Hugh "Wolverine" Jackman as the guest host and hot off the wild Night of Champions PPV on Sunday, the show needed a rebound after a disappointing outing last week.  How did they do?   Let's find out.

The Good:

+ Opening segment.   It established the running storyline for the night, with all-right stick work from Punk and Trips, which came across better than last week.   I could do without seeing Laurinaitis on TV.  I wonder how many packs of Camels he smokes.

+ Eight man tag.  Quick match with the faces going over, but some fun.  They continued to establish Sheamus as a monster face.  Pretty much a filler match, but better than that sort of usual fare.

+ "Somebody's gonna get fired!" I like show-long angles simply because it establishes some drama for the evening.  Granted, it was a typical storyline and no one stays fired in the 'E, but it gave a reason for the audience to stay invested in the show, which was an important thing after the ratings hit the ground and started to dig. 

+ Jackman, Ziggy, and Vickie segment.   Okay, Jackman did well tonight and was very engaging.  Ziggy felt pretty passionate tonight, and Vickie did all right as well.  Vickie may be the best heel heat magnet in the WWE right now, but Dolph seemed to be generating some of his own heat as well.  Great "We Want Ryder!" chant by the crowd.   Overall, very good segment.

+ Cara/Cara teaser.  Nice teaser segment that did what it needed to do.  Nice display of acrobatics between them.  Not sure I like the Intercontinental Title being overshadowed like that, but the teaser made up for it.

+ Mark Henry.  I guess we don't need to worry about Henry being weak on the stick.  Very well done tonight with his interview with J.R.   He looked very scary after the interview was done, and props to Lawler for taking the table spot.  J.R. looked like he was going to soil himself.  Overall, incredible segment.

+ Ryder/Ziggy.  Actually a fun match, albeit quick that protected Ziggy (ironically enough).  Great pop for Ryder's pin.  Nice, simple story as well.

+ Jackman.  For a guest host, he was actually good actually.  Wouldn't mind having him back, as he either genuinely had fun or he is really deserving of that Tony award.

+ Storytelling.  They advanced multiple angles tonight in good ways.  They finally got around to Swagger signing with Vickie, and showed a nice twist to him tonight, and also continued to sell the conspiracy angle as well with Miz and Truth's canning.   Shades of a corporate struggle as well.  Good job by the creative team tonight.

+ Truth's intro.  I can't give R-Truth enough credit apparently.  I love how he re-mixes it each week.  Nicely done.

+ Punk/Cena v Awesome Truth.  Nice TV main event.  Interesting Punk got the hot tag tonight.  Overall, nice stuff with enough booking to keep Awesome Truth as a credible heel team and nice story to the match.

+ PPV Main Event.  Okay, I'm happy then got right to it, and it should be a fun one.  I thought they were going with Triple H and Punk in Hell In A Cell, but this works as well.  Cena and Punk rarely disappoint.

+ Awesome Truth focus.  I am happy the 'E seems to be starting their push.  They need strong heels on Raw and they should fit the bill nicely.  Good call here.

The Meh:

~ Del Rio/MoJo.  Quick match that did what it needed to do.   Not much else to say.

The Bad:

- Divas Tag match.  They really need to decide how they are going to book K2.   Is she strong, weak, underdog, what?  By the way, great job WWE for dropping the ball with Beth and Natalya, and great way to destroy whatever credibility they had.  Kelly Kelly is the female John Cena.

Miscellaneous Thoughts: 

Did you know Hugh Jackman was in Batman?

Great job by J.R. dropping WWF on live TV. 

Do they have extensions for the championship belts?  I think Henry needs one if he's ever to wear it.

I wonder what the WWE's table budget has been like as of late. 

"This is where you beg for your life."  Line of the night.

Kelly Kelly reminds me of an hyperactive Cocker Spaniel.

"Mmm.  Swagger."

Are Truth and Miz beyond the Tag titles?  Hmm....

Cena must have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.  He just "needs" the title....

R-Truth was a sad Truth tonight.

Overall Grade:  A-

Aside from the trashing of Beth and Natalya's credibility, very strong show.  Of course, Truth and Miz won't stay fired, but it served its purpose tonight.  Nice rebound show that sold the urgency of the WWE's next PPV.