WWE Raw - Austin, Texas - 11-02-08

Raw starts off this week with a match! No talking or time wasting, brilliant!

First match: Hornswoggle Vs Mr. McMahon (No DQ match)

Hornswoggle pinned Mr. McMahon after a tatpole splash.

VERDICT: 0/5 Don’t get too excited. There wasn’t a match! Finlay came out and hit McMahon with the stick thing and that’s how Hornswoggle got the pin. Bit of a waste of time but at least it was a different way to start the show.

If Finlay helped Hornswoggle he was going to get fired so i wonder what will happen there?

BACKSTAGE: William Regal is furious at what happened and askes Vince if there’s anything he can do. Vince says to get some dismissal papers ready because there’s going to be a firing tonight.

Second match: J.B.L Vs Chris Jericho

Chris Jericho pins J.B.L

VERDICT: 1/5 Quite a good match but very slow! It was almost as though Y2J and J.B.L were half asleep. Or something like that anyway. I can’t put my finger on what it was but the match was very sluggish.

After the match Umaga came out and did a Samoan spike on Jericho. Then he did the same to J.B.L.

Backstage: William Regal and Vince McMahon are furious. Vince has changed his mind about firing Finlay saying firing is to good for him. Instead he makes a match next week Vince McMahon Vs Hornswoggle in a steel cage.

Third match: Paul Burchill Vs Brian Kendrick

Paul Burchill pins Brian Kendrick with a neck breaker of some sort.

VERDICT: 0/5 It wasn’t much of a match. Poor Bryan Kendrick got destroyed! He’s one of my favorites but he’s just a jobber now

I’ve never heard of Paul Burchill before but I’ve taken an instant disliking to him! He just has a look of another Batista. All brawn and no personality. He has a very sexy younger sister accompanying him called Katie Lee. This is obviously the start of the incest angle people have been talking about.

Forth Match: John Cena Vs Mark Henry

John Cena wins by putting Mark Henry in the STFU.

VERDICT: 0/5 Pffftttt, anyone who’s been watching WWE for the last couple of years knows John Cena doesn’t loose! Waste of time of a match and boring to watch too!

Mr. Kennedy comes to the ring and says he wants to know if Ric Flair is going to accept his challenge at No Way Out or if he’s going to forfeit. Ric Flair comes out and accepts the match for No Way Out. Mr Kennedy then dropkicks Ric Flairs sore leg and leaves.

VERDICT: 3/5 These two guys can entertain by doing nothing. This bit only lasted about 5 minutes but it was a pleasure to watch!

Fifth match: Melina Vs Maria

Melina pins Maria after a distraction by Jillian Hall. Jillian kissed Santino Marella.

VERDICT: 0/5 What a surprise huh! Santino came in to the ring after the match and blamed her loss on the curse of playboy then said to Maria she has 1 week to choose between doing playboy or him then kissed her.

Boring! But Santino Marella did well for himself. He kissed Jillian Hall and Maria in the space of 3 minutes! Lucky bastard!

Sixth match: Shawn Michaels Vs Jeff Hardy

Jeff Hardy pins Shawn Michaels after a Twist Of Fate and a Swanton.

VERDICT: 4/5 Wow! This was one of the best matches I’ve ever seen! There was back and forth action, they were in the ring and out of the ring, they were countering just about every move the other was doing, loads of near pins and every time you thought the match was over there would be a kick out. Brilliant!

The fact that Shawn Michaels and Jeff Hardy are both fan favorites (and my two favorites) made this match that little bit more exciting. Fantastic stuff!

OVERALL VERDICT: 3/5 The main event and Mr. Kennedy and Ric Flair were the obvious high points this week. It wasn’t the most exciting Raw ever but i liked it! Also the 2 hours seemed to go by very quickly i thought, but maybe I’m just in a funny mood.

I can’t wait till No Way Out now.