WWE Raw Recap: 10 Takeaways from Monday Night in Philly

Fresh off the heels of what was one of the most exciting and entertaining Raws in a while, Monday night proved to be the show that could be the start of the new generation.

CM Punk started off the show by introducing the three big winners of the TLC pay-per-view--himself regaining the WWE Championship, Zack Ryder finally winning the United States Championship and Daniel Bryan cashing in to win the World Heavyweight Championship. 

It was a special moment with three Superstars who have fought their way through the tough times in their careers and reaching the mountain top.  All three got great ovations from the crowd and you could tell that Ryder and Bryan were the happiest they have ever been in their lives at that very moment.

From then on, the show did not disappoint. 

Here are some of the major takeaways I was able to pick up on as the show continued. 

1.Ryder, Bryan and Punk Will Head the Future of the Company

The opening segment of the show was something we haven't seen in quite a long time.

For the first time in recent memory, three men whom nobody thought could make their way to where they want to be.  All three are big time champions and are just beginning to pick up steam with the crowd.

Sure, Punk has been a top draw through most of the year, but Bryan has finally been given the opportunity to shine in the main event scene; Ryder, being the charismatic Superstar that he is, had a huge following before his title win, it wasn't until Sunday that all his hard work had finally paid off. 

In the near future, returns of guys like Undertaker, Triple H, Chris Jericho and The Rock will no longer be an issue.  All have outside projects or are getting up in age to the point where it's physically irresponsible for them to continue wrestling for much longer. 

That being said, once those four guys as well as Kane, Big Show and eventually Mark Henry decide to hang up the boots, look for guys like Punk, Ryder and Bryan to carry the company into the new generation of professional wrestling.

2. Even in Defeat, Wade Barrett Has His Sights Set High

It was thought that Wade Barrett needed to defeat Randy Orton in the Tables Match at TLC in order for him to continue his surge to the World title picture.

Unfortunately, that did not happen as Orton again converted a nasty RKO to send Barrett through the table and gain the victory.

Last night, we got a return match featuring the two, which nobody complained about considering their match on Sunday was splendid.

While it looked like Orton was about to pick up another victory over Barrett last night, Wade thumbed him in the eye, getting himself disqualified.  From there, Barrett looked to demolish Orton and make himself more of a threat to Orton than ever before.

He accomplished this by sending Orton through a table with his patented Wasteland finishing maneuver. 

Even thought Barrett lost at the PPV, it's no question that creative has some big plans for Barrett.  Much like the situation of Cody Rhode's feud with Orton earlier this fall was, this is more of a way for Barrett to jump himself into legitimate title contender status. 

Look out for Barrett in the near future as he may have some big things coming his way. 

3. Alicia Fox Probably New No.1 Contender for Diva's Title

I'm sorry, but I have completely lost interest in the Diva's division, yet again.

Alicia Fox not only defeated Beth Phoenix in about a minute, she wished people a Merry Christmas, I think. I couldn't even tell what she was talking about, it was just gibberish if you ask me.

Honestly, for one, how could they make Beth defend her title against Kelly Kelly for the umpteenth time on Sunday because of a slap.  For two, why does Fox where that stupid bear hat all the time, it looks atrocious. 

Beth winning the Diva's title was great but since then, there has been nothing to make me think this division has direction at this point. 

Also, where's Natalya been the last two nights? She didn't accompany Beth to the ring at TLC or last night. 

4. Sheamus Really Needs Something to Do

Oh, poor Sheamus. He really needs something to do right now.

Why is he feuding with Jinder Mahal anyway? Yes, he needs something to do right now, but why does it have to be the guy who shouldn't even have a job right now.

Once Great Khali left, Mahal has been useless so they decide to let him get punished by Sheamus week-in and week-out.

Sheamus should not be feuding with low,low mid-card performers when, at the very least, he should be feuding with Cody Rhodes over the Intercontinental Championship.

Hopefully, he gets some sort of direction before Elimination Chamber, otherwise he could end up sitting out WrestleMania for the second year in a row.

5. This Is the Kane We Grew to Know and Love with the Mask

Kane once again made his presence known to John Cena by attacking him, suffocating him with his giant,black glove and took his shirt as a trophy.

Not only is Kane taking out the face of the company, he's reverting back to the same, sadistic psychopath ways we have come to know and love when he was first in the mask. 

He's using brute force and mind games to gain the upper hand to send whatever message he is trying to send.

One thing that does need to change about the new Kane look is that ridiculous Iron Man prototype mask he where's over the original mask.  It serves no purpose, seeing as how he takes it off to show off his red one. It needs to go.

Other than that, I'm loving the Kane makeover we are witnessing right now.  He needs to keep punishing people, even if it is just for no good reason.

6. The Usos Finally Get Back into Tag Title Picture

Finally, Jey and Jimmy Uso are being recognized as a tag team and being used on Raw.

Granted, their match was short and they lost, but just getting onto the A show for a change is a giant step forward for the Samoans.

Right now, it looks like they are going to be used as the supplementary tag team that loses to other teams so they gain credibility, much like they did last night by losing to Epico and Primo.

Even though they lost, getting on Raw was a huge step forward for the Usos.

7. Rosa Mendes Plays a Roll

This photo pretty much describes the roll that Rosa Mendes is playing as escort for Primo and Epico

Basically, she's there to show off her stunning good looks, dance horribly anytime the theme music is played and yelling rudimentary Spanish words that anybody who's taken one Spanish class in school can figure out.

While I'm happy she finally has something to do, it's just annoying if anything. She's no better than when Eve was escorting R-Truth out to the ring and dancing along with his raps. 

Not a fan.

8. Rhodes Defeats Santino, Alrighty Then

There really isn't much to say about this one as it was just use as a way for Rhodes to get some airtime on Raw.

The backstage segment between Rhodes and Santino was entertaining, but there wasn't much to the match other than Rhodes asserting dominance.

Rhodes and Booker T put on a pretty good match at TLC even though Rhodes had to attack Booker twice, delaying the match each time even though Booker got up just fine each time.

If the feud with Booker is over, and honestly, I don't see it ending so quickly, Rhodes needs to move on and start defending his title like he claimed he was going to when he first won the title.

9. Bring Back the Crowd Entrance

Who didn't love the fact that Punk, Bryan and Ryder each entered through the crowd last night?

These three guys know how to play to the crowd, something that is a cardinal rule when it comes to entertainment. 

It's one of the main reason that Edge and Christian were so popular.  Each and every match they would enter the ring through the crowd, much to the pleasure of the fans who get to see their favorite Superstars up-close and personal. 

Look at the fans react as they notice these three are walking behind them and they are so close to them they get to touch them. 

It was an awesome way for these three, especially for Ryder and Bryan, to gain more respect and get over even more with the crowd.

What a way for these guys to bond.

10. There Is Clearly Little Thought into Direction for Most Superstars

Take away the six men from last night's main even, John Cena, Kane, Big Show, Randy Orton and Wade Barrett and what do you get?

A roster full of superstars that have little to no direction with the current product going on. 

The diva's division is once again a cruel joke, the tag team division has been non-existent lately and the mid-card scene is is shambles. 

Take into consideration the lengthy title runs by Ziggler, Mark Henry and Cody Rhodes and you have a bunch of guys with great talents that are being underutilized in the current product.

Once again the WWE and World title pictures are chalk full of possibilities but after that there is nothing. 

Creative has been doing a splendid job as of late in certain aspects, but the bigger picture still alludes them.

Something's gotta give around the Road to WrestleMania or we could be seeing matches thrown together randomly like we did last year.