The Stories
Team Hell No defeated Primo and Epico in quick fashion. I really thought the match was worthless, but I knew what to expect after. We saw Ziggler defeat Kofi Kingston in a fun and quick match. WWE Raw tonight is all about the squashes, but at least they build the undercard. Did the WWE forget AJ and her love angles with Kane and Bryan? It makes perfect sense for them to fight Ziggler and Big E. Langston has been protected for so long and Wrestlemania is the time to showcase his abilities. He will still be protected due to a tag match, but all of the pieces in this tag team match work for me. You will get Ziggler and Bryan carrying the match, with the powerful Kane and Big E hitting a huge spot here and there. I am really excited for the undercard being built with these 4 guys.
Grade: B
Randy Orton and Sheamus defeated 3MB. Once again, it was a match that had very little meaning and action. RKO, Brogue Kick, and that was bascially all you need to know. After this, The Shield comes out and is about to pounce on the faces. The Big Show comes out and stops it. It looks like Show will be the final participant, like we all knew. So, what did this night establish?
Grade: D+
Wade Barrett defeated Chris Jericho and The Miz in an excellent match. It was a shot in the arm for the night that was filled with 3 minute or less matches with ZERO meaning. Other than this match, none had any level of importance. Miz and Jericho are very similar in ways, even though Jericho is much more concise in submission and technicality. Wade did exactly what he needed to do, which was be the heel that steals a win. I loved the action, the multiple pinfall attempts, and all of the two counts. It made the match seem more unpredictable and more interesting to me. Barrett should have had more action offensively, but they are going to protect his abilities and dominance until Wrestlemania. All in all, this was an entertaining match to watch live. It was excellent seeing all of the guys perform at such a high level.
Grade: A-
