WWE Raw Review - July 11, 2011

Awesome opening promo from CM Punk and John Cena, with this being the first time they've stood face-to-face in the ring since the beginning of this feud.  Punk's explanation for his actions two weeks was well done, and set up the contract signing later in the night. The handicap was acceptable, but with a very predictable finish in the champ's hometown.

The Divas match was quick and painless, but it's disappointing to see Melina mean so little recently. The beat-down of the Divas is exactly what we saw two weeks ago, and for the love of God, WWE, please stop trying to make the Bellas into the next Lay-Cool.

Great hype for the RAW Money in the Bank this Sunday, hearing from each of the participants. The match was solid action, and made Del Rio look like a favorite going into Sunday. It was odd not seeing Mysterio be involved, but hopefully we can see some cool spots from him Sunday.

Another handicap match is not what I wanted to see later in the show, but it served its purpose. I'm glad the U.S. Champion was the one not looking weak, and kudos to McIntyre for taking such a brutal fall. Mark Henry's run-in was logical but was a nice touch.

The contract signing negotiation was the cherry on top of this epic feud occurring between Punk, Cena, and McMahon. I'm glad they're bringing his real-life situation into this, and being honest makes the segment that much cooler. Punk's confrontation with Cena was simply awesome, and has me sitting on the edge of my seat going into Money in the Bank.


Overall, a great build-up show. Each match was given decent hype, and certainly has me looking forward to this Sunday. The action was light, but the promos all served a purpose. It's a shame the success doesn't show in the ratings, but hopefully it will add more buys to Money in the Bank.