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RAW THOUGHTS: NEITHER RAIN NOR SLEET NOR KIDNAPPED WIFE WILL KEEP BILLY KROTCHSEN OR JOHN CENA FROM BEING AT RAW

The top of the card for Wrestlemania was set tonight as three matches were set for the biggest WWE pay per view of 2009. They were determined in the ring without a match, as a result of a match, and after a match. You can check out my report on the main page as well as the always entertaining Mike and Mike Post Raw Audio Recap; Buck Woodward’s Raw Thoughts brought to you by Orange Sash . . . the story of a crossing guard whose wife was kidnapped and he is the only one who can save her, and Dave Scherer’s Tuesday Audio Hotline.

Here are my thoughts from this week’s Raw:

When they announced that John Cena would be facing Edge for the title, I was afraid that they would do a title switch on the show. Then I was trying to figure out if they were not going to do the title switch, how would Big Show get involved to keep Edge with the title and then see Show get placed into a Triple Threat Match at Wrestlemania for the title.

I liked that they started off with the tease of Roddy Piper only to have Chris Jericho come out and take his place. I did not expect to see the original Piper’s Pit set but it was a good touch for the show. I also liked how Jericho dominated the conversation. When you consider what Jericho has done to Piper and Steamboat, I was a bit surprised that he cowered from Snuka. I was expecting to see Sim Snuka show up and attack his dad and side with Jericho and say that he was right about how the legends are taking their spots.

The Triple Threat Match for the Money in the Bank spot was okay. I was a bit surprised that they did not find a way for Rey to win the match. I thought the finish was good with Kane taking advantage of Knox hitting his finisher on Rey to hit the choke slam on Knox.

Did Michael Cole forget that Kane was in a previous Money in the Bank match when he wondered how Kane would do in the Money in the Bank match?

I thought Shawn Michaels’ interview with Todd Grisham was good. It set up his match with Vladimir Kozlov and shows how much Shawn cares about Wrestlemania and making an impression.

So Maryse decided to show up on Raw this week? What about Michelle or the other women on the brand? Did they really have the wrestler from the other brand get over the most in a segment that included six women from the Raw brand?

While Maryse talked I was hoping that they were going to play the theme to Hockey Night in Canada or that she would talk about putting the puck on the net to try to get to Martin Brodeur.

The women’s tag match was around the fifth most important thing about that segment. Where was Beth to make the save when Kelly hit the sunset flip?

I guess Melina should have thought a little bit more before choosing her wardrobe for the night when there was the possibility that there would be some sort of pull-apart situation. It is not a good thing to be trying to adjust your wardrobe while you should be considering defending herself.

Was that Electric Light Orchestra with Randy Orton and Legacy?

The Randy Orton/Triple H segment was good but it went too long again. I had high hopes when Randy Orton said that he would face Edge or John Cena because it is not expected. So Randy Orton is trying to get Triple H arrested for almost hitting him with a sledgehammer, but it was okay for him to kick two men and hit an RKO on a woman?

So Randy Orton wants Triple H arrested, but when they have him detained, Randy wants Hunter ‘released’? I don’t think Randy ever wanted to have Hunter arrested.

Did anyone else want to hear Triple H tells Randy that what Evolution did to him is called ‘Ortoning’?

Was anyone else surprised that Hunter did not Pedigree Randy’s lawyer?

As soon as Orton said that Hunter and him could not have physical contact unless provoked, were you surprised that Orton talked about how much he enjoyed attacking Hunter’s family? Wouldn’t you consider insulting your wife and saying that you enjoyed attacking her ‘provocation’?

Did you remember to drink one when Michael Cole used the term ‘vintage’ during the Vladimir Kozlov/Shawn Michaels match?

The Michaels/Kozlov match was okay but it could have been a lot better. Kozlov countered the flying forearm leading into Shawn’s moves of doom, but other than that, he did not appear as dominant as he did in his other matches. After this match, it was more of a fluke that he beat Undertaker on Friday.

The presence of the Undertaker in the building after Shawn won was a good touch to build to Wrestlemania. I liked that neither of them talked during the segment, but Cole needed to be quiet because it detracted from the image.

Is Todd Grisham trying to insinuate that Edge will take advantage of the situation when it is presented to him?

If this was Cena’s rematch against Edge, why didn’t Edge attack the referee or do something else to disqualify himself so he would not have to be involved in a long match or be put in a situation where he might lose the title.

The Edge/Cena match was a good television match. Maybe Edge is Cena’s kryptonite. What took Edge so long to try to get himself disqualified. I liked the final sequence when Edge took the belt from the referee after Edge dropped the belt when Cena got him up for the Attitude Adjustment.

I liked the post-match segment with Edge on the ramp and when he sought help from Show to get him up, Show refused. When Vickie came out, I was afraid that she would announce a Triple Threat Match for Wrestlemania, but I liked that it is going to be a one-on-one match (at least for now). With the announcement, I wonder who was more disappointed, John Cena or Edge.

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