The show starts out strong with HBK, who strangely still has my favorite ring entrance – for some reason, his pyrotechnics combined with him getting on his knees and shaking his head makes me happy. He cuts a promo with HHH, and it's as good as it is expected to be. They work amazingly well together, and the reveal that Shawn Michaels is the guest referee is obvious but still welcome.
After the commercial there's a United States Championship match between Jack Swagger and Santino Marella. It's a good match, with a great back and forth. The interference from Laurinitis and Otunga hurt it at first, but it had an extremely strong ending after Santino hits Ziggler with the Cobra, following it by countering the Ankle Lock into a three count. We then get Teddy Long booting Laurinitis and Otunga, followed by a celebration by Santino, Teddy Long, Kofi and Aksana (who I wish wasn't involved). I love that Santino is the new US Champion – he really deserves it, and he's better on the mic than most wrestlers in the WWE.
The Dwayne is talking about starting a Rock Revolution. Not sure what sort of revolution this is. He starts out funny as he throws Cena merchandise into the river, but the crack about Cena being a transvestite Wonder Woman lost me – that's not funny. Not a bad promo, but not amazing either.
Of course, next is a Divas match – Eve vs. Alicia Fox, with Kelly Kelly on commentary. The match lasts about a minute, but I get excited when Zack Ryder comes out – broskis before hoeskis! After the commercials, we get to see Eve chase down Zack and kiss him, leaving Ryder smiling. It looks the story will be Eve manipulating Ryder for whatever reason.
Next there's a promo from a thoughtful John Cena. This is a good promo, though I'm sure a lot of people will disagree – it gives Cena a more introspective side, and allows him to show his thoughts without yelling.
Next match is CM Punk and Sheamus vs. Jericho and Daniel Bryan. We start out with Jericho and Punk in the ring, and it is fantastic. They are some of the best technicians ever in the business, and it's a thing of beauty to watch the work together. Punk wins this exchange, as Jericho retreats to tag in Bryan. Punk tags in Sheamus, and they trade blows for a little bit. Jericho hits a sneak attack on Punk to turn control as we go to the break. When we come back, Sheamus regains control until Bryan and Jericho manage another double team. Sheamus manages to take out Jericho, and Punk and Bryan tag in – Punk is doing a great job at selling his back injury, and nails a Macho elbow on Bryan for a near-fall. Eventually Jericho gets the pin on Punk, though I didn't see him tag in this time.
Rock History lesson #2: Paul Revere. I guess if Cena was Paul Revere, we'd still be British. An alright promo again, but the best part is his little song. After the commercial there's a recap of the events between Long and Laurinitis, and then the Miz vs. Big Show. It is immediately interrupted by Cody Rhodes and another Embarassing Big Show Wrestlemania moment, and it is glorious. Big Show wins after a huge Spear and a WMD.
Rock History lesson #3: This is a better promo than the previous two, though he does fall back on his catchphrases a bit much. After the commercials, R-Truth comes out and his talking head interview is one of the better that I've seen. It seems he's facing Kane. Or rather, it seems like he's going to be fed to Kane. Kane starts in control and doesn't lose it except for a very brief oment where R-Truth lands a few kicks. Kane picks up the win after a chokeslam, but Orton comes out afterward and delivers an RKO. This is a weak buildup to a Wrestlemania match.
Next up is John Cena, who gets his normal mixed reaction, though the cheers are a bit louder. I see the Edge and Christian five second pose shirt in the audience, and I am crazy jealous. Cena talks about how exciting it is that the Rock is back, and has some great lines – the line where he compares him to the Situation is brilliant. Cena's entire promo is great, and I really enjoy it. The Rock comes out, and immediately pulls out one of his promos. The Rock claims he can see fear in Cena, and I don't buy it at all. He's then interrupted by the crowd chanting Tooth Fairy. I love that Cena never stops smiling through the Rock's rant. After the Rock leaves, Cena busts out a short but effective promo, complete with a joke about notes on his wrists. Also, Cena's wife is hot!
Final thoughts: A good episode. Highlights were the tag match, Santino winning the US championship and the great duelling promo between the Rock and Cena.
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