Tha Raw Report: Way To O!

Normally, this is the time of week when I look for as much of "Raw" to hammer as possible. This week, however, it was a very hard task. For the most part, I found myself enjoying "Raw" thoroughly. Was it perfect? Of course not, but it still was a damn solid show.

Before I get to what was good, I have to start out with what was really the only low point of the show. Has anyone else noticed that there were six women in the ring last night, even though only two of them actually can work a good match? I'd sure love to see Nattie Neidhart on "Raw" to help bolster a weak women's division, but she won't ever get her shot. Why? Because her name is Nattie NeidHART.

With Lance Cade on the shelf, now seems as good a time as any to give Trevor Murdoch a singles push. Murdoch is a young gun who can hold his own both in the ring and on the stick. And since most workers only get better over time in both those facets (provided your last name isn't Batista), I think now might be the time to flip the switch and give him a small push. Maybe put the Intercontinental Title on him; Jeff Hardy's storyline certainly isn't doing much for that belt anyway.

Another young guy, Ken Kennedy (...Kennedy) cut a solid promo last night. Now, I agree with Donnie that Kennedy is not the golden boy to bring WWE back to the prevalance it enjoyed during the Hogan or Austin eras. However, I think he can be a very servicable main eventer, and I think he can be a draw for the company. I have no problem with the spot he's currently in; in fact, if I were given the book for "Raw" tomorrow morning, I wouldn't change the way he's being used one bit.

Snitsky is one of the strangest anamolies that I've seen in quite some time. Normally, when bad workers are in a ring with a good worker, they can be led to a good match (see: John Cena). However, when Snitsky is in the ring with a good worker, he actually gets worse. His match with Triple H last night was absolutely brutal. Mercifully, it was short. I want this guy on my TV until jokes about baby punting stop being funny, and then I want him gone forever. Not even in TNA. Just go back to Mesquitehotdog, Pennsylvania or wherever you're from (it's Nesquehoning, I know, don't bother posting a comment about it).

However, next week, we will be treated to a new TitanTron, thanks to Triple H ripping apart the screen after the match. That may be a bit presumptuous, but with their big move to HD next week, I wouldn't be surprised if they had a new set built for the occasion.

Hornswoggle competed in an all-midget Royal Rumble last night. I think that this segment could have stood to be a little shorter (no pun intended), but there was some good that came out of it. For starters, I got a cheap laugh at watching a mini-Mr. Kennedy jump to try and reach his microphone. Secondly, I believe that WWE has found someone that can teach Batista how to properly do a sit-down powerbomb. Thirdly, as mundane and asinine as this storyline has been over the past few months, I believe that this is the storyline that will propel Fit Finlay into the main event.

Finlay now has another match against Great Khali this Friday on "SmackDown!". If WWE plays their cards right by building up the fact that Khali is a former World Heavyweight Champion, and they book this the right way, I forsee Finlay main eventing before the year is out. At least, I hope so.

Ric Flair had another "Career Threatening Match" last night against Raw's General Manager, William Regal. I think that Flair would do much better to have this run as a heel, but the one plus with having him go out as a face is that the superstar who beats Flair will have more than enough heel heat on him to easily be pushed to main event status.

At first, I thought WWE was really going to be stupid enough to give us Jeff Hardy vs. Randy Orton for free. However, it ended up just being the two brawling, with Hardy performing his Swanton Bomb off of the "Raw" set onto a prone Randy Orton. I think that WWE was onto something, however. Jeff Hardy already is the Intercontinental Champion, so if they're not going to take it off of him next week, why not make the match at Royal Rumble a title unification match? It will add more suspense to what is already a phenomenally-booked match (since the fact that Hardy has the IC strap is a big indicator that he will not go over), plus it may help to add some shine back to the Intercontinental Title. Which, as everybody knows, is something that it sorely needs.

Tha Results:
*Beth Phoenix, Melina and Jillian def. Mickie James, Ashley and Maria
*Shawn Michaels def. Trevor Murdoch: Michaels qualifies for the Royal Rumble
*Snitsky def. Triple H by Disqualification
*Hornswoggle def. mini-Mr. Kennedy, mini-Mankind, mini-Batista and mini-Kane
*Ric Flair def. William Regal
*Jeff Hardy VS. Randy Orton fought to a no-contest

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