LIVE Raw thoughts - September 26, 2011

11:02 - It's odd, I don't even remember if Ricardo Rodriguez even did anything on this edition of Raw to justify that beating. Nonetheless, all things considered, I suppose that was the best ending possible. Punk goes over clean, but Del Rio got some measure of revenge by beating both men with a chair. But overall this was a strange episode of Raw. The Pay-Per-Views were definitely scheduled way too close to each other this go around.

10:54 - I REALLY hate how they keep pushing the Hell in a Cell match as the first triple threat match in history. It's such an arbitrary distinction. There's been tag matches and six ways. It just so happens that there hasn't been a three way up until now.

10:48 - My guess is that this match ends with shenanigans between Punk and Cena.

10:36 - Annnnnnnnnnd it's another video.

10:30 - Kofi Kingston's reaction to Mason Ryan's attack on Dolph was great. So where do they go from here? Is Mason Ryan going to feud with Dolph, or is Zack Ryder?

10:24 - Really? They aren't going to use a sixth person?

10:20 - Why should Vickie worry about finding one person? Triple H found 9 with no problem.

10:15 - Another video? Is it me or have we seen WAY more of these than usual? We always see a lot, but this seems excessive.

10:07 - Why is CM Punk the best in the world? Because he once again brought up the spilled Diet Soda when Cena through Christian onto the announce table. That man is brilliant. I defend Cena A LOT, but for the life of me I don't know why they don't want to take advantage of Punk right now. People want something new, people want Punk, and Cena doesn't need to be WWE Champion to be "the man." They're REALLY missing out on an opportunity here.

10:04 - You know why John Cena is constantly in the main event? Because this is the most alive the crowd has been all night.

By the way, Punk is great. "I look like a clown? You're half naked!"

10:03 - Gotta love Punk's announcer's jacket. Although, Michael, I do believe he debuted it on NXT.

10:00 - So after all those weeks of pushing the title of "Undisputed WWE Champion," we're now told there's still a controversy over who is the actual champion?

9:58 - Odd use of clips for tonight's show. Does it seem like they're using more videos and clips than usual? Like, what was up with the Hell in a Cell poster close up in the middle of John Cena's promo?

9:49 - So what, exactly, was the purpose of the Khali heel turn? It's not as if he's in a better place now, as a face, than he was before the heel turn. And it's not as if he was setting the world on fire as a heel either.

9:33 - "Anal bleeding"? Are we supposed to take that seriously? I couldn't tell based on any of their reactions. Cole played it straight, Booker looked shocked, and JR looked embarassed.

Also, it looks like David Otunga is debuting a new gimmick.

9:24 - That was a fun opening segment that not only helped build up Hell in a Cell, but it also promoted much of the rest of the tonight's show, as well as Smackdown this Friday. Pretty well done and entertaining. Eager to see how this Battle Royal plays out (looks like Cody will retain).

9:05 - If I ever get fired, I hope my former employers take the time to make a clip show of the events that led up to my termination.

9:03 - It should shock no one that they cut the clip before the infamous "cart incident."

9:00 - This is the first time I've noticed that they added Smackdown Superstars to the Raw opening.

8:42 - First and foremost, happy birthday to the incomparable Masked Emotions. And speaking of birthdays, mine is this Wednesday (turning the big 3-0). This evening I got a new TV as a gift, but it won't actually be hooked up until I get an HD cable box (that's right, the TV I've been watching Raw on for all of these reviews has been from the Stone Age -- standard definition!)

So CM Punk vs. Alberto Del Rio has been announced for tonight's Raw. This is one of those no-win booking decisions that I detest. Both of these guys are coming off of angles that they not only lost, but they ended up looking not too hot in. Neither man can really afford to lose here. ADR already looks out of his league, and they should be protecting Punk at all costs. Why not just book Cena, ADR, and Punk in singles matches that they can win and look good in?

Anyway, check back in about 15 minutes for my LIVE Raw thoughts.