SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
This week’s episode of Monday Night Raw has wrapped. Let’s take a stroll down memory lane and relive some of the madness.
-I’ll give WWE a B grade at this point in attempting to successfully build the Lashley/Strowman/McIntyre triple threat championship match for WrestleMania: Backlash. Concerned about the use of McIntyre, though. His sails lack the wind they had a month ago. In a way, he feels overshadowed by Braun Strowman as a challenger and losing to Mace and T-Bar certainly doesn’t help perception either. McIntyre isn’t a third wheel. Tread carefully, WWE.
-Omos and A.J. Styles partying in the Caribbean is a WWE reality show that we desperately need.
-How about Omos? He hasn’t been asked to do a lot, but what he’s done thus far has been impactful. Time will tell how far he can go and what his potential limitations are, but this performance is certainly on the higher end of expectations thus far.
-Eva Marie is back? Ok, moving right along ….
-Charlotte won her match against Dana Brooke in under five minutes, which was to be expected. I wasn’t expecting a Swanton from Dana Brooke, though. Now, will that change her trajectory and push? No, and it absolutely shouldn’t, but still worth noting that it happened.
-Can you believe it everyone? Charlotte Flair was added to the Rhea Ripley vs. Asuka WWE Raw Women’s Championship Match at WrestleMania: Backlash. I know pigs are flying. Nothing surprising here, aside from Sonya Deville going rogue as an authority figure on Raw. Looking forward to seeing how that plays out and Deville has been spot on in her performance with it.
-Ok, Humberto Carrillo. Welcome back. Good to see Carrillo get some mic time and he came off as likable and authentic in what he said and how he said it.
-Another good night for Damian Priest. They’ve got something with him and with all the Sheamus United States Championship open challenges we’re set to see, my money is on Priest to dethrone him.
-Speaking of Sheamus, he’s quietly been the most entertaining part of Raw since WrestleMania. He delivers and does so with a sense of confidence that makes him stand out.
-What’s happening to Cedric Alexander and Shelton Benjamin is obnoxious and unfortunate. I know they got some time to kick-start a breakup storyline, but they lost to the Lucha House Party. This isn’t good no matter how you slice it.
-I shouldn’t like it. I’m mad at myself that I do, but the Randy Orton and Riddle pairing is griping television. The success is rooted in Orton’s nuanced reactions to Riddle and they’re so darn effective. I deserve to be ridiculed, but give me more.
-Any guesses on who Alexa Bliss is talking about? Bigger question. Do people still care?
-A decent main event. The Lashley presentation was on-point as the champion and Strowman was fine in his role opposite him. Again, McIntyre feels in the background on this and that’s something WWE should want to quickly correct.
I hope to hell that the WWE isn’t going to turn McIntyre heel? Now that would be a bad move. The rest of the show was passable. It took creative five weeks to actually book Styles and Omos and ragdolling the New Day is what we get?? Pathetic. STFU Charlotte!!! You’re doing nothing for the women’s division.