WWE RAW: Road to WrestleMania receiving final touches and upgrades

RAW in Review

Tonight's RAW cemented two WrestleMania matches and left us to wonder when a third would be confirmed.  We immediately found out who Edge was going to face at WrestleMania, and we've got two things to look forward to next week. 

On the downside, ShowMiz make fools of themselves despite winning a match, and nothing is really done to further their characters.  Plus we had a really lame bullriding contest. 

Overall, I think RAW was working hard to push Wrestelmania, but fell flat in a few areas. 

RAW: Shot by Shot

A mechanical bull?  I'm guessing a Divas segment.  You don't just set up a bull for nothing.

Even though we saw Edge and Jericho a mile away, I'm so glad this is happening for the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania.  It was pretty obvious.  I'm just hoping what's not so obvious is Edge actually winning.  Let this feud go on for through the summer and have Edge chase the title.  Jericho's never had a long-term reign as the Champ. 

John Cena comes out right after this segment and he is PISSED.  I like how they didn't have Cena wait.  He's obviously mad from last night and he shouldn't have to be stewing until the 9 o'clock hour to demand a rematch. 

I like how Vince tells Cena it was his own fault for telling Batista if he wanted some to "come get some."  Plus he doesn't leave Sheamus out of the WWE title picture.  All John Cena has to do is beat Batista tonight to get a title match at WrestleMania.

I hope nobody bought that Pay-Per-View last night for the Divas title match.  If they did, they'll be angered to find that it's been relegated to RAW.  I was into this title tournament at first, but I have no interest in this one now.  No wonder it's the curtain-jerker. 

34 days to WrestleMania?  That seems like a lifetime compared to the 3- to 4-week breaks we usually have. 

Seriously, who didn't see Maryse winning this feud?  She got all the promos and all the talk by the announcers.  Gail Kim never stood a chance. 

Bellas and the guest host?  Nah, can't be. 

Eve looks really tall standing next to the rest of the Divas. 

Quote of the night: "Why does everyone slap me?!" - Jillian Hall

Whoa, wait.  Did Randy Orton not see Ted standing off camera the whole time?  And there's a plan?  I hope they'll do this in a way that doesn't kill Orton's face turn.  But if they have Orton totally destroy Legacy, that'll hurt them.  It's a slippery slope.  Hopefully this will be interesting. 

I see Yoshi Tatsu made the jump to RAW.  I wonder if fellow WWECW original Evan Bourne told him he might as well kiss his career goodbye.  Kofi's in about the same boat over the last month or so, too.  That poor curse that was...

Speaking of ECW, they haven't even pushed NXT yet.  But the word from PWinsider is that the former American Dragon will be appearing in a backstage vignette tonight.

Rhodes hits the Alabama slam.  Anybody remember when him and Hardcore Holly were tag team champs?  Yeah, me either. 

You think Kofi's offense will ever look - oh, I dunno - believable? 

Orton decimates Rhodes and DiBiase, and Bourne picks up the win for his team.  Not necessarily a solid win for them, but all things considered with Bourne lately, this is comparatively huge. 

Wow.  That HBK/Undertaker package was awesome!  See, in wrestling, the best thing is to keep it simple.  Shawn Michaels has been festering for a year over his loss to Taker, and now is doing anything to get a rematch.  So simple, but so compelling to see where he's taken this obsession to. 

Somehow Undertaker's entrance looks less menacing than usual.  Maybe it's him not walking through flames after getting burned last night; maybe it's the damn mechanical bull on stage right.  Anyway, Undertaker accepts on one condition: if the Undertaker puts up the Streak, Shawn Michaels puts up his career.

We made it 75 minutes into the show before getting the announcers' hard-sell on NXT.  Kind of a shock, really. 

Heath Slater: wat? At least Michael Tarver's promo was a little better.  You could tell both had memorized a script though...not a fan of that.

Anyway, ECW export Christian qualifies for Money in the Bank and at least Carlito doesn't totally get squashed. 

Divas ride the bull...pretty lame until ShowMiz's music hits.  I thought for a second the Big Show would actually ride the bull.  Oh wait...YES!  The only way Big Show taunting the bull could get any cheesier is if the bull had made noises.  I'm slightly comforted by the fact that Big Show actually knows how ridiculous this is and just wants to flex his acting muscle.  At least this ordeal a segue into a tag title match and they didn't just leave after playing with the bull. 

ShowMiz and Henry/MVP have an okay little match.  Not sure if the challengers will get a rematch, but that's my guess.  Either them or Punk/Gallows. 

Wendi Richter is going in the Hall of Fame?  I thought she hated the WWE. 

Did they actually explain why Vince McMahon chose Batista to go after Bret Hart?  Was the business deal in place before or after Batista attacked Hart? 

But Vince invites him back next week after denying involvement in the car crash, still hinting around about a match between McMahon and the Hitman.  At least it gives Bret a reason - other than age, concussion, stroke: things casual fans might not think about - about why he probably can't live up to what most probably expect of him. 

It's 10 p.m. and uh, where is Sheamus?  Orton faces Ted DiBiase next week...let's hope it's a schmoz ending so that we can save their first real match for a pay-per-view. 

Who actually expected a real match between these two?  10:05 and Batista just gets into the ring?  Yeah, okay. 

Seriously, where the hell is Sheamus? 

So I'm guessing by the low blow, Batista actually wants to face John Cena at WrestleMania.  I mean, by DQ, Cena won the match.  And Vince never put any stipulations on it, so I'm guessing this match is set.  Who knows?  Whatever.