LIVE Raw thoughts

11:09 - Tell me if I missed any, but individuals Cena has held the tag team championship with while feuding with them: Shawn Michaels, Batista, David Otunga, the Miz. Actually, has EVERY one of Cena's tag title reigns been with somebody that he's feuding with?

10:51 - That ended very abruptly. I do have to wonder why they gave the Corre the titles if they're just dropping it tonight, though. As Santino and Kozlov were already a comedy duo, they don't suffer from getting squashed by two main eventers. The Corre (and the New Nexus, for that matter) are walking a very fine line where each major loss knocks them down a peg or two in the eyes of the fans.

10:43 - Overall, I'm not really a fan of this Cole/Lawler thing, because if nothing else, it shows how effectively you can build up a feud if you are willing to devote the proper amount of time and attention -- and they used this time on two of their announcers instead of one of the many floundering, talented Superstars. But, if nothing else, at least this will provide the resolution. But what do you do with the Raw announce team leading up to WrestleMania? Or at WrestleMania? Or following WrestleMania?

10:34 - Wow, the audience immediately lit up when Cole brought up Lawler's deceased mom. Uncomfortable.

10:27 - I think Hacksaw Jim Duggan is a fine and deserving addition to the WWE Hall of Fame.

10:23 - At the very least, it looks like this Sheamus loss could lead to a WrestleMania feud with Daniel Bryan, which I think could work.

10:21 - Okay, now I'm starting to believe there's something to this Sheamus burial thing. That was....unexpected.

10:13 - This was unfortunately awkward booking, though. Triple H just made his return after almost a year's absence, after being sent to the injured list by Sheamus. Sheamus is featured in the very next segment and doesn't even acknowledge Triple H's return?

10:08 - Okay, to be fair, I think Triple H's entrance was longer than Taker's.

That was quite an interesting segment, but I have to say that I enjoyed it. Say what you will about Triple H and the Undertaker, but these two are completely devoted to their craft. They NEVER break character, no matter the circumstances, and that's exactly why they can make a lot of moments work that many others would struggle with.

And while Undertaker vs. Triple H won't necessarily be as sound as Taker/HBK, it does have a decidedly epic feel to it. As both a character and a backstage influence, Triple H is one of the only people that many fans legitimately believe could defeat Taker at WrestleMania. And even though I'm not a huge fan of the guy, Triple H has been gone for nearly a year, and he's a lot more bearable now than he has been in a long time. If he's sticking around for the long term, though, he desperately needs to turn heel (after settling things with Sheamus, anyway).

10:00 - Ha, so I'm guessing that massive Undertaker symbol gave it away for the live audience.

9:52 - By the way, how about Cole and Matthews making the same exact joke about JR and Lawler during the Washington vs. Lincoln animation?

Also, it seems abundantly obvious that 2/21/11 refers to the Undertaker, which I am fine with, as that's what I assumed before all of these Sting rumors began. But here's what I'm wondering: How long do you think his entrance will be? Over/under 10 minutes, starting at the end of the 2/21/11 countdown?

9:50 - I like the unique look of the WWE All Stars game. Again, visually it offers something different. That's also why I like those new Rumblers figures!

9:34 - On top of winning the Royal Rumble, Alberto Del Rio is also simultaneously feuding with three people -- all either upper midcarders or main eventers -- in Edge, Christian, and Kofi Kingston. Not too shabby.

9:28 - There's something deliciously heelish about calling somebody by a version of somebody's name that isn't familiar to the audience (like "Randall" instead of "Randy"). I'll admit, I actually would have rather seen Cena/Punk at 'Mania (unless that meant we would see Orton vs. Miz AGAIN), but I'm willing to see where this Punk/Orton thing goes. I just find Orton unbearably uninteresting.

And has anyone else found it odd that we've only had one Hall of Fame inductee announcement? Don't we typically know practically the entire class by now?

9:24 - For what it's worth, I still miss Punk's crazy beard.

9:21 - What are the chances that the majority of Internet fans STILL think John Cena looked like a lame tool in that promo?

9:14 - So, what did everybody think? I have to admit, I was initially worried. I thought John Cena would laugh it off and say he's not going to comment on it. Naturally, that would just be part of the build, but it would have made Cena look like a genuine chump. What ended up happening was actually very similar to what I had suggested in a prior post. Cena showed some edge -- a surprising amount, actually -- and brought up many of the things I had hoped he would. Rock makes fun of Cena for being lame, while doing Disney children movies. He kisses up to the fans, yet he did leave them high and dry. And he is making a name for himself (to the current audience) off of the hostility towards John Cena, while he's merely the host of the show. I was actually really impressed, with decidedly un-PG comments like "blow me" and "polish my balls," and I think the audience ate it up. Was it as electrifying as Rock's promo? Of course not, but it never could have been due to the inherent circumstances.

Of course, I would have done a few things a little differently. I would have had Cena reveal his padlock and chain instead of his dogtags. And I would have suggested Cena turn the hat backwards or something. Aesthetically, he looked very much like the John Cena that many fans are turned off by. But overall, I'm impressed and pleased.

9:02 - Or do the opposite, and start off with Cena...

8:59 - As we prepare for tonight's show, here are some pre-show thoughts: I hope they're smart and save Cena's response for the end of the show. People -- even non-Cena fans -- are legitimately anticipating what he's going to say/do. Hold that off. Don't even feature him on the show til he appears. Kick off the show with Miz, have Rock interrupt, have the 2/21/11 resolution at the 10:00 hour, and end it with Cena.