- Ray Mysterio to Raw: a great thing, in that it avoids him instantly falling back into feuding with la familia. I would have loved to see him go against Jeff Hardy, but unfortunately, that's not going to happen. I'm looking forward to his return to see who they have in store for him. Perhaps he could position himself as contender and be Randy Orton's official welcoming committee when he returns.
- Jeff Hardy to Smackdown: quite possibly a great thing. He was often utilized on Raw as an alternate opponent to the usual Orton/HHH feuders; maybe now he can have a good run with Edge. Heck, they made magic together back in the golden days of tag teams. Hopefully the switch isn't perceived or meant as a demotion; as they say, better to rule in hell than serve in heaven.
- Matt Hardy to ECW: not sure what to make of this. Reuniting the Hardys for one night was one of Vickie Guerrero's best decisions, but I can certainly understand the wisdom behind not having the brothers on the same brand, to continue building each brother individually. Once again, it avoids the obvious pitfalls, but since Smackdown and ECW overlap fairly often, it opens the door to the occasional run-in.
- CM Punk to Raw: good for him - more exposure, new opponents - but not so hot for ECW, which is the clear loser by the end all is said and done. Pat still doesn't like him, but this guy really has grown on me. Give him room; maybe a run with Jericho could be entertaining. Anything but HBK, really.
- Batista to Raw: fair enough, just to change from Edge/Undertaker. Would've been nice to have an Evolution renewal - heck, Randy Orton does have the odd good idea sometimes - but no. So now what? Well, as of next week, John Cena's gonna need a dancing partner.
- Umaga to Smackdown: well, it's where the very big boys congregate, so why not? Of course, I need to specify that there are two types of very big boys: there's the surprisingly talented considering their size, e.g. the aforementioned Samoan bulldozer and the Big Show, and then there's those whose size is apparently their sole redeeming attribute, e.g. Mark Henry and the Great Khali on most days. I hope they use him well, because he is fairly enjoyable, in a snarling, Polynesian kind of way.
- Kane to Raw: this is another one of those ruling in hell types. I love seeing Kane back on Raw; I just hope he doesn't get lost back in the shuffle like he was before going over in the first place. I've always had a soft spot for the younger brother of destruction; welcome back, honey - and give 'em hell.
- Mr. Kennedy to Smackdown: I was never quite sure why he was on Raw; apart from his couple of run-ins with Regal, which were priceless, he never really found his niche. So the loudmouth from Green Bay goes back home to Smackdown, and I hope he starts seriously nipping at the heels of the champ. He's close, so close; just a little more, a few more wow moments, and he'll make his way to the top tier. Jeff Hardy has the lead in this particular race, but Kennedy has the mad mike skills. Gentlemen, start your engines.
- Triple H to Smackdown: OK, this was unexpected. But I like it. Except it means one of two things, really: either Cena wins or Batista wins come Sunday, so as to keep one belt on each show. We'll know more after that, but I'm thinking Triple H is gonna mow through the current roster, and he'll have to make new stars. See previous bullet, re: Jeff Hardy and Mr. Kennedy. The stage is now fully set.
- Michael Cole vs. Jim Ross: Not so unexpected, since Foley's been laying it on thick about working with J.R. for the past few weeks. However, it fits. Adamle is in no position to go anywhere, Tazz is the last remaining link to the original ECW, and shifting Jerry Lawler to Smackdown would really have been seen as a demotion. J.R. is a habitual victim of evil WWE machinations and bad breaks, so it's fitting that he should bounce over to Smackdown. It really is the best thing that could happen to Mick Foley. Opinions are mixed, but he's the best hope we have right now; this is such a difficult job, and it just has to be learned on the job. He's got the affable personality and the ring experience to really grow into a respectable commentator; hell, he's already better than JBL ever was! The only bit that bothered me a little was hearing Michael Cole say he'd called every Smackdown except two; he's the one caught in the midst of this shuffle, and I know he'll do well no matter who he's paired with, but I thought that fact needed to be acknowledged.
In other news, I really enjoyed this episode of Raw for the most part. McMahon's Million Dollar Mania still pisses me off, and I thought it was entirely inappropriate to close off such a momentous evening with a @#$% phone call, until it all went awry and we were treated to another one of Vinnie Mac's Oscar-winning moments. "Paul? Paul! Paul!" The only thing missing was him sitting up and winking at the audience. Ah well, if that's what it takes to put an end to this vulgar attempt at bribing the audience, so be it.
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