WWE RAW Review: Ryder Takes a Ride

The Elimination Chamber debate was a fun concept and did a good job getting the participants over who seemed to be given the greenlight to do a bit of ad-libbing too, a nice touch for sure. I like that WWE is letting Kofi Kingston show a little more personality instead of simply being a silent-yet-successful high-flyer. Though he still lost to Chris Jericho in the evening’s first match the creative team gave him a nice rub with the pre-bout shot and Y2J’s eye-poke to set up the victory.

Also, on the subject of Jericho, it’s nice to see CM Punk finally have a rival who can hang with him on the microphone. His eventual Wrestlemania bout with Punk (assuming yes, unrealistic no) should be great and feature some excellent exchanges leading up to their championship showdown.

The Randy Orton-Big Show-Daniel Bryan stuff was okay but nothing spectacular. However, I am enjoying the way Bryan is sort of a “cerebral assassin” in the way he’s playing fighters against each other (or against themselves in certain instances as was the case with AJ).

The microphone work from HHH and Shawn Michaels in the following segment was brilliant. There was lots of emotion based on the history of their friendship, an intelligent move by the writers, and some jaw-dropping comments from each. Let’s just hope Undertaker doesn’t show up hoping to inspire HHH by breaking HBK’s back, Choke-Slamming him through a stage, having John Cena hook up with Stephanie McMahon, and….wait, wrong storyline. Also, Undertaker’s video response was well-produced, and though I don’t like the taped vs. live aspect of Taker’s retorts I have to say I’m intrigued to see what’s up with his haircut. I’m hoping he went straight up shaved off instead of a standard do.

R-Truth vs. Dolph Ziggler was decent and, like Jericho/Kingston, put one man over without really damaging the other. Ziggler is cocky and it cost him, while Truth needs the momentum of a victory entering this weekend’s PPV to be a believable contender.

I still don’t understand why Tamina Snuka doesn’t come to the ring barefoot like her father if the company is so intent on having her serve as homage to his work. I’m also unclear as to why they’re rushing her fight with Beth Phoenix. Whatever happened to a decent build? Even Divas deserve that. Also, the Bella Twins continue to have the best Diva outfits out there, bar none. Amazing.

Miz and Punk’s pairing was nothing new. It was good but simply established Punk is the superior competitor, no news there. It seems a Jericho run-in or some level of interference would have made more sense, even getting Miz’s hand raised in the process, but instead they just served up a dish of leftovers.

I saved all the Cena, Eve, and Zack Ryder stuff until the end so I could lump it together as one segment. I’m no fan of this storyline and have been very open as to why. It’s insultingly dumb. For example, Cena put Ryder in his locker room at the start of the show, yet it took him more than an hour to find Eve and he was even ready to do an interview when things went down between Kane-Eve. Additionally, Ryder went from a first date to falling in love with Eve over the span of a few weeks. It’s a comical storyline and would’ve been good ten years ago but not today.

By the way, did it occur to anyone else that the kiss was a little TOO natural between Cena and Eve? I’m thinking they’ve done that before, off camera based on the open-mouth nature of the smooch.

And Cena being ready to fight a broken-backed, heart-shattered Ryder because he slaps him? Silly. Truly, Ryder getting thrown off the stage in his wheelchair sums things up nicely to me. “The Long Island Iced Z” represents the storyline, handicapped in nature, as it has plummeted from the WWE stage into a nose dive on the ground. If there is any justice in this world the Elimination Chamber PPV fight between Cena-Kane will mark the end of their feud. Enough already. I’ve embraced the hate. Of the storyline.

PHOTO CREDIT – WWE