Instant Feedback: Thankful for The Body!

Last week, I chose not to say anything negative about RAW because it was relatively the best one they had in a month. There were heaps of crap, but the good deserved to be mentioned because they improved. This week, I say nothing negative about RAW because there wasn't a whole lot negative to say. In fact, aside from having to see Michelle McCool fug up the screen with her horrible promo non-skills and the trailer for another shitty WWE movie, I'd say there was nothing wrong with the show tonight.

Best RAW of the year? Yeah, best RAW of the year.

Again, it starts with a guest host who CARES about the product and knows how to get both the product over as well as the thing he's shilling. Jesse Ventura may not have been the best guest host, but he had the best show to work with, and he fucking knocked it out of the park. He was also the perfect voice for the shake-up that happened on this show. The Body made his political career as an outsider, be it for good as the Reform party candidate that beat out both major parties to win the governorship of Minnesota, or the bad as a voice for the whack-job "Truthers" who think 9/11 was an inside job. He's a guy who stirs the pot, makes change, and who better to be a part of an elevation like this? This show was how it was done.

Consider that John Cena made CM Punk look like a million bucks before winning the match. Yeah, Punk was already in the main event, but he took a decided demotion after Jeff Hardy went on drug vacation sabbatical and the brass decided that Undertaker, Kane and Batista would be more effective selling tickets and garnering ratings. Having him in a prolonged TV match where he looked to have the kayfabe best wrestler in the company beaten at several points does wonders for his credibility, and it actually makes me and hopefully everyone else salivate for a future Cena/Punk program.

Also consider that Kofi Kingston got the better of Randy Orton once again. I winced when Ventura put Orton in the Breakthrough BR, but I should have had more faith. Even as Kofi was eliminated by Sheamus, he still was made to look like a star by continuing to have Orton's number. That will be an off-the-charts match for TLC.

Finally, and this is a big finally, they shook up the WWE Championship picture, something that the fans have been asking for forever now. Would I have picked someone other than Sheamus? Truth is, yeah, I would have. First choice would have been Jack Swagger, then Miz and then Legacy, either as a three-way match or as a one-on-one between Cena and DiBiase or Rhodes (prefer DiBiase because he's more ready). HOWEVER, while the choice is questionable, the sentiment is appreciated. Sheamus' plusses outweigh his minuses here, even if just barely. He may not be hot enough to lose a title shot on PPV without major, major protection (and let's face it, Sheamus ain't winning nor should he win), and the guy only has one major feud under his belt. However, he's starting to get over as a heel and he's one of the few guys on the roster who has physical credibility enough to look like he belongs with Cena.

The question remains... will this be a good decision? Well, who knows. It all depends on how they tread with Sheamus, and I emphasize that it'll have to be very carefully. However, it definitely started off on the right foot. I want to be hopeful, and with the RAW that just happened, I almost can't dash the hope even if the WWE has a terrible, terrible track record. I understand that skepticism, and yes, I reiterate that there were better choices than Sheamus. However, sometimes you just have to take a stab in the dark.

ETA: I'd be remiss not to talk about the reunion of a lifetime, the Body/McMahon team-up in the broadcast booth. I liked it, but didn't love it, mainly because Vince wasn't the enthusiastic Vince of old. Still... they called the match well, gave insight and ribbed each other... good times!