SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
This week’s episode of WWE Monday Night Raw has wrapped. Let’s take a stroll down memory lane and relive some of the madness.
-I’ll take a Monday Night Raw opening like we got this week. Previewing the big matches and angles that are ahead later in the night and adding interviews gives a sense of meaning to the product. More of this, WWE.
-A fine cage match to open the show. Can a match between Big E and Kevin Owens be bad? Not really. The key here is Big E. He continues to get put over strong and the result is a champion that is credible.
-Good to see Lashley back. It means a fatal four-way for the WWE Championship at Day One – a move I’d normally roll my eyes at, but one that makes sense given the rest of the singles matches on the card, including Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns. If there was ever a time to do this, it’s now.
-I just can’t with the Zelina Vega queen stuff. It’s beyond ridiculous at this point and isn’t serving anyone in a positive way. I mean, remember the Zelina Vega with Andrade? How can you in good faith trade that act for this? In what world?
-For better or worse, the Nikki A.S.H act is rooted in the “we’ll get em next time” attitude she openly ignored this week after her loss. The act was already poorly defined with a story and swimming against the only fabric of anything relevant to it is mind numbing.
-We’re on the road to Omos vs. A.J. Styles and you know what? Count me in. Omos isn’t going to be a character that you strap the company to, but he’s successfully accomplished what they’ve asked and working opposite Styles will put him in a position to succeed as a top big man in the company.
-How about that promo from Becky Lynch this week? A pros pro doing top star things is what that was. Lynch masterfully tied her heel narrative, Liv Morgan’s journey, and the stakes of the Raw Women’s Championship all into one. Plain and simple, she’s one of the best doing it right now, which will hurt this attempt at heel heat in the long run.
-Bianca Belair and Doudrop clearly had another gear or two to get to, but their match was smart. They’re planting seeds and teasing Belair getting Doudrop up and down with the KOD. Based on the reaction to the tease, that will be a thing when it happens.
-Vince McMahon and Austin Theory were at it again this week. Theory vs. Balor seems to be the next step as well. They may have something with this … but also; it’s WWE, so maybe not.
-The Miz vs. Edge feels like a genuine rivalry at this point after only two promos. Both guys wove real life material into the story and it made for an entertaining segment to setup their Day One match. This is a holding feud for both guys and like the inevitable fatal four-way match for the WWE Championship, now is the time to do this because the rest of the card is strong.
-The RK-Bro-Nament? Woooo boy. I hate the name, but Orton and Riddle were good this week. The jackets were a nice touch and Orton leaning into the crowd to get him to put it on was a nice babyface touch that helped invest the audience into what they were doing.
-Liv Morgan passed her test this week. It wasn’t always crisp and perfect, but she kept up with Becky Lynch and that was a good chunk of the battle.
-WWE booked the main event match correctly. Morgan needs more seasoning and her story to resonate deeper with the audience. This loss due to underhanded tactics helps in a major way. It’s all in the follow-up. Morgan needs a clear promo highlighting the cheating next week and the company needs to continue to release vignettes detailing her story like the one this week concerning her father. It was really well done and assisted in defining her and making her look more likable than she already does.
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