Randy Orton Promo

Orton introducing a therapist and two lawyers to say his suffers from IED was a nice play up on his storyline.  The threat of two lawsuits compounds the story even more and makes for a more dynamic situation.  Orton's reading of the apology was kinda eerie though.
Score: 5 out of 5

World Tag Team Title Match
The Miz and John Morrison vs Cryme Tyme

It was kinda obvious that they were gonna keep the belts on Miz and Morrison to play up to their heel characters.  The match itself wasn't that bad but I don't think the crowd was into that match too much.  When the crowd isn't in the match, you know something's wrong with it.
Score:  3 out of 5

JBL Promo

It was an okay promo, but having the premise that HBK and Cena were going at it again is kinda old.
Score:  4.5 out of 5

Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match
Kofi Kingston vs Kane

A very nice match with an upset victory to boot.  I thought Kane's reaction was superb.
Score:  5 out of 5

Chris Jericho Promo

The promo was steered toward Mickey Rourke stating that Ric Flair and Roddy Piper were teaching him and he may challenge Jericho at Wrestlemania.  Great, another celebrity, just like last year, wants to get into the ring.  If Rourke gets alot of money like Floyd Maywether did last year, it will trumped and very boring.
Score:  4.5 out of 5

Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match
John Cena vs Shawn Micheals

The match was ok at best, but I've seen better from these two.  It was nothing like the amazing match they had a couple of weeks ago.
Score:  4 out of 5

Melina and Kelly Kelly vs Beth Phoenix and Jillian Hall

I thought it would have been more interesting to have Beth pin Melina rather than Kelly.  It would have added more fire to their rivalry.
Score:  3.5 out of 5

Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match
Rey Mysterio vs William Regal

My only beef with this match is that the crowd wasn't into it until close to the end of the match.  Other than that, perfect.
Score:  4.5 out of 5

Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match
C.M. Punk vs Chris Jericho

These two had a great steel cage match a few months ago, but this match kinda fell short.  Jericho's execution of the Codebreaker was very poor.  They should have given this match more thought and time.
Score:  3.5 out of 5

Stephanie/Orton Confrontation

What a shocking twist to have not only all the superstars confront Orton on stage, but to have Shane come out and assault Orton.  Now I won't bring in the fact that Shane could have done better throwing his punches because of the shock value of his return.  Having Shane go after him was a nice move and makes the storyline entertaining in my book.
Score:  5 out of 5

Total Show Rating:  42.5 out of 50

RAW REVIEW TRIVIA QUESTION

In honor of last night's Royal Rumble, here's my trivia question.  What was the only year that the WWE title was decided in the Royal Rumble match, who was the champion going into the match, who won that match, and what number was he in the Rumble?  Leave me your answers here.  The correct answer will be in next week's RAW REVIEW.

Here is my SMACKDOWN Insite for this week:

Edge's Royal Rumble Promo

I liked the way Edge came out and proclaimed himself to be innocent, stating he had nothing to do with the pyro "accident".  Then he steered the promo towards the Rumble and his championship match beautifully.  The run-in by Matt Hardy was well placed and put alot of excitement in just the opening promo.
Score:  5 out of 5

Shelton Benjamin vs The Undertaker

The matchup was decent in this one.  Undertaker did well in the ring, however I have a couple of gripes about Shelton.  My first gripe, he was caught sleeping when Undertaker punched him.  His reaction time to the punch was bad.  My second gripe, Shelton's execution of his signature spinning dragon kick was awful.  His foot landed on the mat when it was supposed to swing around his body first.  Despite my gripes, the match was pretty decent.
Score:  4 out of 5

Chavo Guerrero vs The Great Khali
Match Length:  1 min 50 secs

Chavo did an excellent prematch promo on Triple H and Khali in an effort to make the match more interesting.  Khali can do that just by walking to the ring.  The way he has changed his performance is wonderful.  The match was a little one-sided, but it was still entertaining.
Score:  4.5 out of 5

The Bella Twins vs Michelle McCool and Natalya
Match Length:  46 secs

Talk about talent being wasted here.  This match was only a setup to have Maria run in and jump Michelle McCool and have McCool beat her up again.  I wanted to see this match longer so I could have stared at the Bella twins longer.  They're gorgeous.
Score:  3.5 out of 5

Jeff Hardy Interview

Unlike Edge, Jeff did a horrible job trying to sell his match for the Rumble.  He didn't show enough anger and emotion over what's happened to him and who he blames for it.  Maybe the match itself at the Rumble will be better than the promo.
Score:  2.5 out of 5

NO DQ MATCH
Edge vs Matt Hardy
Match Length:  6 mins 23 secs

It is always fun to watch these two go at it.  This match was setup from the excellent promo at the beginning of the show.  The match got even better when weapons were brought into the ring.  It makes it more interesting that way.  Jack Swagger does a pretty good run-in during the match.  It places more interest on their match at the Rumble.  I don't get Mark Henry's run-in though.  However the match was still outstanding.
Score:  5 out of 5

John Morrison and The Miz vs Carlito and Primo
Match Length:  12 mins 40 secs

This match pitted RAW's tag team champions vs SMACKDOWN's tag team champions.  The last time a match like this occurred is when MNM took on Big Show and Kane in November of 2005.  The action was pretty fast and intense.  Carlito's springboard into a back elbow on Morrison was kinda sloppy.  However Miz's timing of the blind tag was perfect.
Score:  4.5 out of 5

Big Show and Vladimir Kozlov vs Triple H
Match Length:  13 mins 47 secs

Before the match, they played a clip from last week when Triple H hit the Big Show with a sledgehammer which kinda hinted that Show would be involved in the match someway.  Vickie placed him in the match a pretty good time.  Not right at the start or before the ending of the match, but right close to the beginning.  Kozlov was jumping the gun when he setup for both the powerslam and the fallaway slam.  The mediocre score this match gets is also from the fact I could see Big Show coming into the match simply from the clip from last week. 
Score:  3 out of 5

Total Show Rating:  32 out of 40

Here is my TNA Impact Insite for this week:

Four Way Dance for the X-Division Title
Alex Shelly vs Chris Sabin vs Sheik Abdul Bashir vs Sonjay Dutt

Not a bad opening match for Impact.  The action was fast and furious, but that's expected for the X-Division Stars.  After that long tournament, I didn't see any way that TNA would take the title off of Shelly, this being his first title run.
Score:  3.5 out of 5

Elimination Tag Team Match
Eric Young and Petey Williams vs Scott Steiner and Booker T.

I didn't really see any point to this match.  In my opinion it would have been better if it would have been Williams vs Steiner one on one.  On the other hand we got to see two former Team Canada members team up against two tag team veterans in Steiner and Booker T.  That alone got it the score it has.
Score:  3 out of 5

ODB vs Sojourner Bolt

The TNA Knockout division hasn't really impressed me at all since Gail Kim left.  They need to put a better spin or twist around the Knockout division or phase that division out.  Have more hardcore matches and street fights with the Knockouts.  Do something more than just having someone like ODB.  The match was lackluster at best.  They should have Kong run in after ODB hit at least a signature move first.  Not a good match at all.
Score:  2 out of 5

First Blood Tag Team Match
Matt Morgan and Abyss vs Beer Money, Inc.

This match was entertaining.  Usually First Blood matches are between singles wrestlers, I've never seen a tag team one before.  Taking the match out into the audience was a nice move to keep everyone excited about it.  As far as Morgan's turn on Abyss, he could've done a better job selling it but I won't complain.  The match was outstanding.
Score:  4 out of 5

Tables Match
Kurt Angle vs A.J. Styles

When I heard about this, my first thought was "Not again".  They had these two go at it for a better part of 2008.  The only real good match they had was the last man standing match from a few months ago.  The tables match could fit in that same bracket.  I don't think it was better than the last man standing match, but it's right there with it.
Score:  4 out of 5

Total Show Rating:  16.5 out of 25

Here's my RAW Insite for this week:

Six Man Battle Not So Royal

That had to be the shortest battle royal I have ever seen.  That match didn't even last ten minutes.  What was the thinking behind that anyway?

Contract signing beatdown

The official contract signing for the WWE title match ended with a beatdown of John Cena courtesy of JBL.  Cena tried to get through to Shawn Micheals, who again was booed by the ignorant fans, but Cena does not understand HBK's situation.  He's doing this for his family, the people that depend on him.  Cena needs to realize that.  Shawn wants to be a man and get himself out of the hole he dug.  And if the WWE fans want to boo him for that, then I boo the fans for being so dang ignorant.  Grow up people!

Knox Needs Therapy

Mike Knox says he doesn't have anything against Rey Mysterio?  I find that hard to believe, unless the guy is just plain looney.  And I'm talking Kizarny looney.  Man did Knox ever lose it when he saw the blood dripping out of his mouth.  What will this looney toon do to Rey next?

SAYYOURESORRY.Y2J

Jericho may have his job back, but boy did he ever have to eat some crow to get it.  The McMahons made him get down on his knees and apologize to the fans for everything he said.  And the look he had on his face was priceless.  He looked like he was going to puke.

Viper strikes the boss

What in the world was Orton thinking when he punted Vince McMahon in the head?  Does he really hear voices in his head as his entrance music implies?  The look Orton had in his eyes when McMahon was in his face was downright scary.  You can tell something bad was about to happen, and it did.  McMahon was left laying courtesy of Orton.  What will happen to Orton because of this?  Will he lose his job?  He may have to go into therapy alongside Mike Knox.

RAW Star of the Week

For my RAW Star of the Week, I give it to C.M. Punk for finally capturing the Intercontinental title from Regal.  And if memory serves me, he has won every championship on RAW within the past six months.  What a hot streak!

RAW Loser of the Week

For my RAW Loser of the Week, I give to Randy Orton, who will soon be unemployed.

My god, I can't believe what happened.  Jeff Hardy in that horrible pyro accident?  Man!  And when they showed in slow motion? UGHH!  But WAS this an accident?  What if the pyro was rigged to explode in Hardy's face?  There seems to be someone out to get Jeff ever since Survivor Series.  Someone jumped him then, someone ran him and his girlfriend off the road, and now this pyro "accident".  I think that whoever is trying to take him out set up that pyro to explode in the WWE Champion's face.  I only hope that Jeff is okay and will be able to defend the title at the Rumble.  I watched the faces of Edge and Vickie and it looked like they were in the same amount of shock as everybody else.  Was this an accident?  I firmly believe that the person who is after Jeff rigged the pyro.

MVP broke his losing streak against the Big Show in a Last Man Standing match?  And he kept HHH's spot in the Rumble match safe.  Maybe losing all that bling wasn't a bad thing.  Now he can focus more on his wrestling rather than the bling-bling.

Did I need to see those pics of Vickie?  I thought I was going to go blind after that.

For my SMACKDOWN Star of the Week, I give it to the retiring Victoria.  Even though she lost her last match, she has been in some incredible diva matches for the WWE.  There will never be another diva like her and I will miss her.

For my SMACKDOWN Loser of the Week, I give it to Big Show for losing to MVP in the Last Man Standing match.  How did you lose to someone who was in a major slump?  He's not in a slump anymore.