The Undercard:
Wade Barrett defeated Randy Orton in what I thought was a very good match. With the brutal nature of Barrett and the instincts of Randy Orton, these two guys are a perfect pair in the ring. Barrett was able to get an early advantage on Orton, use his size and really beat down the Viper. I really thought the turning point in the match was when Orton hit his signature clothesline and DDT, but Wade was able to get up and throw Orton to the corner. Both men were able to grapple one another, work on their weaknesses, and it was all about the clean victory for Barrett that got me excited. I was so happy to see this because it does so much for Barrett, and could be forgotten for Orton's character. My only concern is the next man in line to face Wade. It has to be someone worthy. Grade: B+
Kane defeated Damien Sandow , Daniel Bryan defeated Cody Rhodes. in relatively quick fashions. I expected much more out of these matches, especially since Rhodes and Sandow are the number one contenders fot their titles. I wanted to see more flow to these match, but it was dominated mostly by Kane's offensive attacks. Daniel's match was way too quick, and he made Cody tap out quicker than normal. What was the point? Sandow hit a few moves, but it was all about Kane getting the better of Sandow. He was able to hit a Chokeslam for the win. Why would you want to bury the contenders so quickly and effectively? I would build up Rhodes and Sandow much more and much stronger than two quick victories on Raw. You need to build more than one team at a time, and that is a huge reason nobody cares about these titles. Grade: C
Kaitlyn defeated Eve Torres to win the Divas Championship. The match was really interesting for a few reasons. First, we all knew Eve was leaving prior to Raw (everyone meaning whoever reads this article.) Second, Kaitlyn is from Texas, so it is fitting that she wins the championship in her home state. I love that Kaitlyn gets a chance to carry the title, as it brings fresh blood into the mix. The match itself was a little sloppy, as the hybrid Diva had trouble getting into a flow with her offensive attacks. The ending was smart, as Kaitlyn snuck behind and hit her finisher on Eve. I wish Eve all the best in what she does, but can the WWE please put an emphasis back on "wrestling" Divas? I want Natayla, Flair's daughter, and women who want to wrestle, not beautiful models who get trained to wrestle because they have no other plans in life. Grade: C+
CM Punk defeated Brodus Clay. So, one comment gets Brodus a match against the WWE Champion, on the 20th Anniversary of Raw? Why was the first Raw of 2013 bigger and better so far, and what does Punk have to do to be the guy that ends the show. He is a great wrestler, and I wanted him to wrestle actual competition. I really would have enjoyed Orton or Del Rio against Punk, but we get a guy who had NO chance of defeating the best in the world. So, we get a watered down match, with Punk making Clay tap out. Where is the sensibility? Where is the intrigue? Grade: C-
