WWE Raw thoughts 5.2.11

If you read my twitter feed on Monday, it's nothing but WWE. So why not write about it?

• I thought tonight was a good example of just how great WWE can make an event. It was The Rock's birthday, in his hometown of Miami, and WWE really made it feel like an event. Celebrities wished him happy birthday, evil announcer Michael Cole getting beat up by The Rock, and a video package highlighting Rock's life and legacy that actually made Vince McMahon tear up.

I hope that this means more Rock. I don't think he expected Vince McMahon to get as emotional as he did. Although I was expecting evil Vince to show up, I was happy just to see Vince McMahon.

• Lillian Garcia has some serious vocal pipes. That national anthem performance she put on tonight might have been the best I've ever heard. Speaking of patriotism, WWE has that down pat. Seeing the retrospective of 9-11, coupled with the WWE's Smackdown show on 9.13.01 and clips of President Bush's 9-11 speech was simply humbling and outstanding.

• Speaking of The Rock, nice that he complimented new WWE World Heavyweight Champion Christian on the screen.

• I was livid, as a fan, that The Miz didn't win back the WWE title. In case you missed it, Miz used the belt to clock Cena to end a pretty entertaining bout. The ref didn't see it, Miz hid the belt, and got the one-two-three count in the middle of the ring. But as Miz celebrated his second championship reign, the referee saw the belt and assumed Miz used it to win, and reversed the decision.

Two things. One, since when do wrestling referees reverse decisions like that? It almost never happens. And two, how did the referee "know" that Miz used the belt in the match? He had to assume, and officials can never assume things, they have to go by what they see. Miz got jipped in my humble opinion.

• After Michael Cole took a people's elbow from The Rock, we never heard from him, or the anonymous RAW general manager for the rest of the night. Not having Cole do the announcing was fantastic, in my opinion. Probably a short-lived euphoria, but it was fun none-the-less

• That was Zach Ryder at The Rock's birthday party. Check out his Youtube stuff if you ever get a chance. He's a genius.

• The Rock stood up for Mae Young, seeing through Vickie and Dolph's attempts at bullying humiliating her by dressing her up in a pageant sash and crown. Coincidence that he did this on the same night WWE announced "be a Star," an anti-bullying program for kids? Subtle, but noticed and welcomed.

• Speaking of subtlety, seeing Rock and Farooq side-by-side tonight brought back Nation of Domination memories, circa 1997.