Raw Reax - 11/18/13

Read on for my thoughts on last night's Raw.
That opening segment was something alright. HHH continues to look like the most important person in the angle. I like Haitch, but don't know if he should be the centerpiece here. As for Maddox and Vickie competing, aren't there a lot of other wrestlers who could use that TV time? I'm not saying they should bust out JTG vs. Curt Hawkins, but they need to be getting behind some people on the roster.

Ouch. That's one way to get heat on Orton, at least. Could this be setting up a Maddox face turn?

That's a cool Kickoff panel.

Nice selling with Maddox.

I liked Big E vs. Axel, but it felt a little anti-climactic. I would have liked at least a pre-match promo or something to set the stage for a match for one of WWE's most storied titles. It should be a bigger deal when a match like this happens. As for Big E, I don't see him as a top-tier guy. Right now I'm not even sure he's IC Title ready. BUT he has the chance to prove me wrong and I think he very well could. I'm going to give him some time to grow.

Interesting stuff with Orton and The Shield. I'm not so sure I want a Shield face turn, but we'll see how that works out if it becomes a reality.

Did I really just watch a country music-themed edition of musical chairs? I really question my choice in TV shows at times.

I was really impressed by Ryback's feat of strength, but it made sense for Show to win going into one of the year's biggest PPVs.

It made sense for Show and Orton to clash before Sunday.

So 3MB are going to have new gimmicks every week? At least they're doing something, I guess.

Nice segment with Orton.

I wonder what Zeb feels about Nashville? You'd think that might be one of the few places he likes.

Miz has turned his back on the WWE Universe, etc.. Fine match, though no one here's really doing anything anymore. I guess Zeb's given up in chasing Los Matadores.

I wonder how some of the other members of the roster feel about Vickie getting so much TV time.

OK, I did get a kick out of the dehydration comment.

The dehydration stuff was funny, but it's kind of weird to see Vickie being treated as something of a babyface.

That was definitely a babyface moment for Vickie, whether they meant for it to be or not. Maybe this could lead to Vickie's daughter feuding with AJ?

This is a thing? This is really happening? I'm getting tired of silly gimmick matches. This is how to make HHH a heel to the IWC: book ridiculous "PG, sports-entertainment" stuff.

Was that a Jeff Jarrett reference at the end? Whoa. As far as ridiculous gimmick matches go, that was good. They worked with what they had.

Interesting to tease dissension within The Authority ahead of Sunday's big match.

Cena and country music together. NO.

That had the makings of a good segment. I do think Cena looks too strong. I don't think anyone sees his title as being in jeopardy.

WWE could have taken out one of those Florida Georgia Line segments to introduce the new wrestler. Right now, he's just kind of some guy. That said, I liked Woods' debut. Pairing him with a veteran in R-Truth is smart as he continues to find his way as a performer. Hopefully with the right guidance and more experience, he'll be a great addition to the roster.

No post-match promo or anything? I wonder what they're thinking here as far as Woods' place on the roster.

Good ol' Haitch putting the screws to Orton. Shades of 2004.

Real Americans vs. Cody and Goldust could be quite the match.

That was a really good main event. WWE's got some really good hands in that one. I don't know if I want to see the Wyatts vs. The Shield just yet, but I'm intrigued by what they're doing.

Whoa. Didn't expect Rey back just yet. Did WWE hit the panic button or something? He could have been playing coy in interviews I suppose. Either way, it will be interesting to see where he fits into things going forward.

More wrestling coming up.