Tonight's Raw

I'm not one to heap praise on Raw most nights, but this one really did it for me.

Why? It wasn't one thing in particular. It was a number of different angles that all seemed to show me that Raw is starting to go in a new direction:

- Matt Hardy's return was as perfect as perfect can be. WWE didn't go nuts trying to stage a worked shoot, just pure anger, and it worked like a charm. Kudos to everyone involved.
- Piper's Pit was a nice surprise, and it was a GOOD interview segment. Michaels talked around why he did what he did, and Piper got him back on track. The tableau-like ending was cool as well.
- Shelton Benjamin and Carlito Cool put on one helluva nice little match. Already, I can see why Carlito was so highly touted coming into the company.
- The Kurt Angle-Matt Striker thing was perfect as well. Once again, WWE capitalizes on current events (this time in a more positive light than last week). And I really thought the guy was going to win, too.
- John Cena and Chris Jericho showed the kind of energy that will really make their SummerSlam match a big deal. Cena hasn't been motivated enough yet to pull off a classic feud, but he was really showing signs of greatness tonight on the mic. Jericho, too, though this hasn't been his first brush with greatness.
- No Triple H. Not that I mind the guy as much as most, but the character needs a loooooong break.

Anyways, just a tremendously solid show tonight (with a few exceptions.)