Opening Segment
What I Liked:
If you want Cena to be cheered immediately, pair him with an interview from Michael Cole. He is the easiest guy to hate in the company, as the fans cannot stand hearing him talk. The interview consisted of Cole bashing Cena and blaming him for the injuries to Ryder, Truth, etc. I thought Cole was utilized properly here, especially with his ability to get Cena involved personally with the crowd. Laurinaitis comes out to make sure he is still the center of attention. This is the smart and best choice. He lets Cena pick his opponent, which he picks Cole.
What I Disliked:
I thought we were over Cole being an in ring competitor. You know what you are going to get here, and that is a joke of a match to end Raw. This frustrates me to no end because Cena is your most popular guy who has not gotten a really good match out of him in over a month. He is not the best wrestler, but he is the most polarizing figure the company has. Yet, he is paired with Michael Cole for what reason? There is none.
Grade: C+
Sheamus def. Dolph Ziggler
What I Liked:
The match was fast paced with quick action in the ring. I was excited to see this pairing again, as you can see Ziggler is getting the opportunity to continue to showcase his talents with the best in the business. He is much better losing to top tier talent that stuck in a meaningless tag team. Dolph was able to hit some great moves, including from the top rope. It really was an entertaining match, with the crowd loving Sheamus. His Brogue Kick was sold to perfection.
What I Disliked:
Alberto attacked at the end of the match as Sheamus was leaving. I felt like it would have benefitted him and Ziggler more if he distracted and cost Sheamus the match. This would give Ziggler much needed bragging rights, as well as Del Rio an upper hand in the feud heading to No Way Out. This is a smarter way to book all three guys instead of having Sheamus roll through competition.
Grade: B+
