Best: Wrestling, Yay!

The wrestling on last night’s show wasn’t great, but by the time Miz and Alex Riley rolled around I was happy to see it. Miz/Riley matches are the epitome of “we’re doing what we’ve seen others do” style of wrestling that happens a lot these days, with neither guy really feeling out the process organically and just following a style sheet. Now it’s time for Miz to hit his DDT, now it’s time for the punches in the corner, now it’s time for the backslide. They brought some fire at the beginning, but “fire” is just like arm work: if you don’t bring it back later, it’s pointless.

But still, a nine minute match on Raw, good or bad, is a step in the right direction.

Worst: The Most Edited Thing Ever

And while we’re on the subject of Miz/Riley II, the show being taped gave them time to edit everything to a crisp, and by the time this match was over I almost had motion sickness. They jumped to so many different angles in such a quick succession that I lost track of where everybody was. Watch when they’re on the outside, the camera just zooms in on Miz and holds on him for several seconds. It’s like that episode of “The Office” where Michael and Jan sit on a train car, and for some reason the documentary filmmakers decided to squat and film their legs swinging and mess with the focus. More specifically it was the Ray William Johnson of wrestling matches, where the natural pause between sentences is edited out, and Ray just says PIRATES and then NINJAS and now he’s on the left side of the screen, and now CHUCK NORRIS and he’s upside down and wearing a pirate hat.

That’s what Miz/Riley was. Does that make sense? And it ended with a backslide. Real talk, Miz should be kicking this guy’s ass. Come on.

Worst: Alex Riley’s Signature Hand Gesture

Is anybody else concerned about Alex Riley’s “my dick is more or less this long” appeal? What’s he doing, holding an hors d’oeuvre? And he’s got his shoulder back and his arm cocked back like he’s going to throw it. Just … just make a fist, dude, I don’t know.

Best: Money in the Bank Video Packages

I liked WWE putting over the importance of Money in the Bank, even though they do it nonstop. “Every person to cash in the Money in the Bank briefcase has gone on to become a champion” is the new “were you aware Shelton Benjamin is a great natural athlete”. Regardless, I liked the little video packages featuring highlights of the matches and the Event Horizon wipe to the winners as champions. I was hoping we’d get a video about Mr. Kennedy winning, losing the briefcase to Edge, getting fired, then refusing to exercise for the next three years.