SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
This week’s episode of WWE Raw has wrapped. Let’s take a stroll down memory lane and relive some of the madness.
-A sloppier than expected opener between Bayley and Alexa Bliss this week. A lot of this was “dear lord, look away” style work that begged the question of why those particular spots were being done to begin with. They really hurt the flow of the match and took the winds out of the sails of the action in the last third.
-Bliss becoming number one contender was the smart play. Bayley vs. Bianca Belair has been done to lukewarm results this summer and there just isn’t a good reason to go back to it at this point. Cue up the Bliss and Bray rumors again, too. The Sister Abigail tease was kind of expected based on what we’ve seen and I just don’t know how that is going to play yet.
-As far as Bayley goes, yikes. She’s had quite the fall since returning at Summerslam this year and very much needs to reset the table and figure out where she’s going as a character. It’s been a long time since she was treated as mid-level act on a WWE show and she was this week.
-Oh, a fine little match between Chad Gable and A.J. Styles. I couldn’t help but think, though, that Styles probably needs to be used more efficiently at this point. Who knows how many years he has left in the ring and toiling away with Alpha Academy just doesn’t seem like the best use of a top legacy star.
-The Judgement Day continue to thrive in a major way as core figures on Raw. It’s been a really great turnaround for all three of the members involved.
-A Ladder Match between Dexter Lumis and The Miz? Alright, weirdest ladder match ever. EVER. This give me my money story between these two is hanging on by a thread. Gargano’s involvement continues to hurt him and his work during the segments isn’t helping either. The only silver lining here is that this ladder match should mark the end of this “feud.”
-Iyo Sky landed directly on the back of her neck during a reverse hurricanrana spot on the outside of the ring. They lost me after that because of real life worry about Sky. The match was nothing special, which highlights even more whether or not the dangerous spot that was close to injuring Sky was worth doing.
-Kevin Owens was hysterical in calling out Elias for the Ezekiel incident over the summer. Great stuff.
-Elias and Sikoa was what it was, but at this point Sikoa is better off just squashing these low level opponents and saving the true matches for guys like Owens and Drew McIntyre down the road. I continue to like the Sikoa act, though. He plays the street champion role incredibly well.
-Asuka is going to be changing her look and character very, very soon. If you haven’t seen a serious Asuka, watch NXT and also watch her work from Japan. She has a long spectrum in terms of how she can work and what she can be in a wrestling ring. We’ve only seen a little bit of what she has to offer thus far. If you have seen a serious Asuka, well, enjoy. It’s coming.
-Rhea Ripley looked great opposite Asuka and her chemistry with Dominik Mysterio continues to grow. They are so obnoxious together, but dangerous because of Ripley’s presence.
-Ummm, Dolph? Dolph!!!! Pause. What the hell are you talking about, man?
-Good main event between Bobby Lashley and Seth Rollins. Rollins getting the next shot at Austin Theory is the right move as they have history and chemistry coming out of a really good in-ring segment from a few weeks ago on WWE Raw. That match should be able to drive a number when it happens on Raw.
-Lashley is fired? I promise I’ll end up being disappointed here, but I’m willing to see where this goes.
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