RAW 7/30
RAW Monday night from Tucson, AZ I felt was a solid show that continued the build for SummerSlam, as well as having a very hot crowd helped some of the angles to really get over. The main event was a good match between Carltio and John Cena, with the premise being that Carlito beat Cena a few years back for the US Title, which is true. Carlito won the match with his finishing "backstabber" move when Randy Orton got involved. I liked the match overall, and I just felt that the night from a wrestling standpoint was good with 8 matches and good movement in feuds as we get closer to SS.
After an opening with Cena, Carlito and Mr.Kennedy, the first match we had was Melina, Beth Phoenix and Jillian Hall defeating Maria, Mickie James and Candice Michelle. A decent women's match with a few missed spots, but overall passable. The end saw Maria get pinned, and then after a commercial they had Santino Marella in the ring going back and forth with a ref about how the heel team cheated (duh, that's what they do), and then during that Umaga came out, took on Marella, and for what seems like the 5th week in a row he laid him out. Marella basically was the heel in this whole thing, and as on the PPV Vengeance, Marella and Umaga basically switched roles.
They did an interview with Booker promoting his match later on with Jerry Lawler. Then we saw Cody Rhodes defeating Daivari, and that win will "keep" Rhodes on RAW, per the agreement that Rhodes made with Coach prior to the match. Rhodes was brought in to be the feel good story in a very tough time for the company. I don't know long-term how much people are going to buy into Rhodes, but for now, I have no problem seeing him on RAW every week and I applaud the company for a new push.
Then they did Mr. Kennedy beating Bobby Lashley, with an injury angle thrown in that Lashley has a torn rotator cuff, which is up in the air as far as if it's true or not. I thought this was a good back and forth match with two up and coming guys, and I don't have an issue with Lashley losing a match clean to a guy that is one of the top 2-3 heels on the show. I still think long, and I mean long term we'll see Kennedy as a face, and then in the same token Lashley would make a solid heel. As far as Lashley's injury, I'll give an update on that as soon as I see anything on it.
King Booker vs King Jerry Lawler was up on the show next, and Lawler ended up winning via DQ when King Booker wouldn't brek a 5-count. It was the worst finish of the night, and sets up a match down the road that I think we'll finally see HHH get involved in.
The garbage match of the night then was Cryme Tyme beating John Mason and Brandon Dentson. I like what CT brings to the ring, but then after words they carried on and sold the guy's they beat boots. This thing seemed to go on forever, and they could have done without it. I would like to see CT in a title program with Cade and Murdoch, who have basically vanished from any real TV time with the tag belts. Then it was Randy Orton vs Sgt. Slaughter, in a match we could have done without. It was of course for Orton to hit the RKO, then "knock out" Slaughter with a kick. I understand what they are doing here, and I guess to build for Orton-Cena, I get it.
Then the main event, which again was quick, solid, and did a good build for SS. I can't argue with the direction of SummerSlam, as I didn't really want to see Lashley vs Cena II, and now with Lashley's injury, I assume they are glad they went away from that as well.
