RAW Reaction: Kennedy/Carlito Get Big Wins

Tonight's RAW contained eight matches, and needless to say, there were some surprises. Kennedy pins Lashley with a clean victory and Carlito beats the Champ!

Firstly, Carlito's Cabana is back, which should provide him with a nice push out of the mid-card and toward the top of the roster. Let's hope. We'll review the matches one by one here:

Divas Tag Match - The sole purpose of this match was to move Santino Marella in a new direction. It's been rumored lately that he'll be making a heel turn, which makes sense considering that WWE sees foreigners as more hatable wrestlers.

Santino Marella vs. Umaga - It was surprising not to see Jeff Hardy make an appearance in this match. He'll most likely be fighting Umaga at SummerSlam, so look for that feud to continue. Umaga is really starting to get some huge pops.

Cody Rhodes vs. Daivari - It wouldn't have surprised me at all to see Cody lose this match and moved to Smackdown. Afterall, he was just brought up from OVW and might want some more time before he has a full-time spot on the A show. But he seems to be over with the fans and I'm sure we'll be seeing much more of him. Also, he threw an absolutely awesome powerslam in this match.

Mr. Kennedy vs. Bobby Lashley - Match of the night. Firstly, it was great to see Lashley finally using his amateur wrestling background and throwing Kennedy around rather than just doing traditional powerhouse moves. Secondly, it was awesome to see WWE give Kennedy a clean win over Lashley, a man who has been pushed to the sky since earlier this year. I think WWE realizes that Kennedy has more potential between the two.

King Booker vs. Jerry Lawler - This match was fairly laughable. Lawlers offense amounted to punches and, at one point, an elbow drop. This whole "King" thing is just leading into a King Booker-Triple H match at SummerSlam.

Cryme Tyme vs. Two Guys - Not bad for a squash match. The auction of the guy's boots after the match went a little long, though. Is Cryme Tyme finally receiving their push? If you recall, several months ago they won a guaranteed title shot...SummerSlam?

Randy Orton vs. Sgt. Slaughter - Right now, WWE is just throwing legends at Orton for him to kill. I think they might have finally run out. Regardless, it's getting repetitve and I hope that they move on from it. It's almost assumed at this point that Orton will be winning the title from Cena at SummerSlam...I just hope he wins it clean.

John Cena vs. Carlito - It was cool to see a main event like this. Two very popular and over guys doing battle. It was also "cool" to see Carlito win this one. The fact that Cena didn't kick out of Carlito's finisher also makes him seem a little fallible, setting us up for a loss at SummerSlam?

Overall, tonight's RAW was an entertaining one. By the way, I'm sick of visiting (other) wrestling sites and reading about how stupid, crappy, and unwatchable WWE is. If people don't like the WWE product, then why are they watching it? And ordering the Pay-Per-Views??? WWE puts out a very entertaining product, and while we all wish they did things differently, they are doing what they think is best.

Drew Arnold, writing for The Irish Whip

Read More...

WWE drops Deep South Wrestling

The WWE just cut all ties with Deep South Wrestling, one of just two "minor league" schools they tend to pull from. However, I wouldn't get too nervous over this downsize. Deep South alumni include The Miz, William Regal, Rene Dupree, Vito, Matt Striker, and MVP. Let's compare this with Ohio Valley Wrestling, the other minor league school and check out their alumni. Their list includes Shelton Benjamin, Carlito, John Cena, Johnny Nitro, Randy Orton, Batista, Mr. Kennedy, Bobby Lashley, and CM Punk. That's all I really have to say.

Read More...