Raw Notes 19.07.05

- It's Shelton Benjamin versus Carlito in a rematch for the IC title. Last week Carlito got himself counted out to keep the belt, so this time the title can change hands by count-out too. What are the chances Carlito will get himself disqualified this week, hmmm?

- It's offensive, really, since Carlito is a much better wrestler than the booking would lead you to believe. And besides, this kind of thing runs out of steam after a couple of weeks, which is stupid because they have the makings for a long-running, entertaining feud here.

- Is it just me, or is Benjamin losing confidence in himself? He could be selling it as part of his character, but I swear every time he goes for a high-risk move, up to the top or using the ropes as a springboard, he loses his footing just a bit, falters slightly, takes a moment longer before he leaps as if he's afraid of slipping. I've noticed it ever since that blown spot a few weeks ago, just before Vengeance (which Carlito covered for admirably, all credit to him). I'm sure it's obvious to anyone who's watching for workrate. Maybe he just needs some more practice ring time to get over the mental hump, if that is what's going on.

- "He competes with reckless abandon ... that's his style." That's a barely-coded message from Jim Ross if there ever was one. Ross is a good mentor to the boys; I'm sure he's already had a friendly word in Benjamin's ear.

- Matt Striker - I mean, Matt Martel - returns for another shot at Kurt Angle's Olympic gold medal. And he takes Angle to the limit again, too. I know this is just the WWE making nicey-nice with the internet smarts, but it's still good to see a popular indie worker getting a little respect, however little that is.

- Fast-forwarding through the Raw Diva Search...

- Has Eric Bischoff found his long-lost twin brother? 'Cause looking at him and Chavo Guerrero - sorry, Kerwin White - standing together, I'd swear they were separated at birth.

- You know, besides the fact that he can't wrestle for shit, I really can't see the point of Chris Masters even existing as a character. Isn't it odd that the WWE would invest all that money - in terms of promos, music, pyro, airtime on Raw, etc. - in a gimmick which is essentially lost in limbo? He's sold as having a finishing move that's unstoppable, but if that's so then why is he only squashing low-to-mid-carders? Surely if it's so good he should be champion by now, right? And why has he only wrestled a handful of matches on TV in the four months since his debut?... Maybe because no one higher up the card will risk getting injured in the ring with him? (Everyone saw what happened to Stevie Richards. No one wants a broken orbital bone.) Or maybe because the WWE doesn't want to expose his inherent weakness as a worker? Tajiri might have been able to carry him last week, but Tajiri is the exception; I doubt anyone with a higher profile or more sway with management would be so accommodating. His confrontation with the Big Show just confirms all of this for me: Masters is all talk, but no action.

- Hulk Hogan answers Shawn Michaels' dastardly heel challenge for 'one more match' at SummerSlam. Yawn. Please forgive me for my lack of interest. I was at WrestleMania X-8; I was right there at SkyDome with 68,000 hosers for Hogan V Rock (see the photos if you don't believe me) and that should have been the last stand. I don't see this one living up to it in the slightest.

- It's Edge against Kane in a steel cage match - and surprise surprise! Matt Hardy attacks Edge outside the ring. While the 'security guards' hold him down he shoots on Johnny Ace, and Edge taunts him about going back to the indies. Funny that the commentary team still haven't mentioned his name on air...

- The cage match was pretty boring, by the way. I never bought Edge as a credible singles wrestler, he's just too goofy-looking.

- John Cena in a backstage interview with Maria; "Cena safari?" Pul-lease...

- I do like Maria, though. It takes some kind of skill to play ditzy that well.

- So the main event is a lumberjack match between Cena and Snitsky, the worst-named wrestler in history? (It's even worse than Buff Bagwell, which is saying something.) I'm sorry, I can't watch it. But [hits fast-forward till the end] since Cena won, we do get to see a 'battle of the bands' between him and Chris Jericho next week, which might be good for comedy value. I say might.