SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
With Raw this week taking place in front of a very enthusiastic crowd in Brussels, Belgium, what everyone was anticipating the most was the appearance of John Cena. With all the buzz surrounding his heel turn at Elimination Chamber over two weeks ago, this week marked the first time we saw him on TV since then. While many crowds over the years have been 50/50 as it pertains to Cena, this crowd in Brussels was 100 percent against him. With over 20 years of frustration to get off his chest, Cena held nothing back when he told the audience how he felt about them. In addition to going off on the audience, Cena was confronted by his WrestleMania opponent and WWE Champion Cody Rhodes.
After what Cena did to him at Elimination Chamber, the champion wasn’t shy in letting him know how he felt about his recent character change. In addition to that, we had a No Disqualification match between Penta and Ludwig Kaiser, Rhea Ripley interrupting the contract signing between Iyo Sky and Bianca Belair, and Bron Breakker defending the Intercontinental Championship against Finn Balor. As WrestleMania is still over a month away, this week’s show escalated major storylines and gave us clues on other potential matches we could see there.
Cody Rhodes vs. John Cena
Latest Developments:
At Elimination Chamber, John Cena won the Chamber match to earn a shot at the WWE Champion Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania. Immediately after the match, Cena stuck around for the segment where Cody decided whether he would align himself with The Rock. After Cody refused The Rock’s offer, Cena shocked the world when he viciously attacked Cody and revealed that he had aligned with The Rock. With Cena not being seen since, Cody called him out in multiple promos over the last two weeks. As Cena was announced to be at Raw this week, Cody vowed to be there as well.
Cena came out to a hoard of boos from the Brussels crowd in this week’s opening segment and after saying that they were making this easy for him, Cena talked about how he’s been in a toxic relationship with the fans for the last 25 years due to how awful they’ve been to him. He then got into how they get nothing from him now because of how ungrateful they are (which includes new gear and new theme music) and went on to say that he’s breaking up with them. Cody came out to interrupt and as Cena referred to him as “kid” when he was about to speak to him, Cody screamed “enough” before he could finish. Cody told Cena that if this version of him shows up at WrestleMania, he will run through him and that he better find the real John Cena because this version of him is just a whiny bitch. Cody walked away and instead of responding to him, Cena dropped the mic and walked away moments later.
Analysis:
After waiting so many years for a John Cena heel promo, this did not disappoint. To hear Cena lash out at the audience for how they’ve treated him over the years was surreal, captivating, and most of all, it made a lot of sense. No matter how evil their actions are, the best villains are the ones that have valid reasons for why they do the things they do. Considering all the years the audience booed Cena despite how hard he works for them, he had every right to say the things he said to them here. Everything he said combined with the fact that he didn’t come out wearing new gear or to new theme music are clear signs that he’s going all in on this heel turn.
What also stood out from this segment was the way Cody punked out Cena on the mic. For how condescending he was to Cena here and even going as far as to call him a whiny bitch, Cody showed here that attacking Cena verbally hurts more than attacking him physically. From the look on Cena’s face and the fact that he said nothing after, it’s clear to see that he’s going to have a fiery response next week in one way or another. For as good as this segment was, what it was missing was any reference to The Rock and more of a back and forth between Cody and Cena on the mic. Despite that, this segment between Cody and Cena still delivered and left us anticipating what will happen between them next.
Grade: A
Penta vs. Ludwig Kaiser
Latest Developments:
On the February 3 Raw, Penta defeated Ludwig Kaiser before being attacked by Kaiser after the match. Three weeks ago, Penta faced Kaiser and Pete Dunne in a Triple Threat match. As Penta was about to finish off Dunne, Kaiser threw him out of the ring and pinned Dunne himself to win the match. Kaiser was in the ring gloating about the win the following week before being interrupted by Penta, who got the better of Kaiser as he leaped over the top rope onto him. Last week, it was revealed that the two would face each other this week in a No Disqualification match.
This week, Penta and Kaiser met one on one to settle their feud and at one point, Kaiser hit Penta with a Death Valley Driver on top of the announce table. As Kaiser later brought a chair into the match, it backfired as Penta kicked the chair in his face. Kaiser later attempted to hit his Swinging DDT, but Penta reversed it and hit Kaiser with the Sacrifice. After nailing him with a Mexican Destroyer on the chair, Penta finished off Kaiser with the Penta Driver on the chair to win the match. As Cathy Kelly interviewed Penta in the aisle way after the match and asked what was next for him, he answered what was next for him was the Intercontinental Championship.
Analysis:
For as long as this feud has gone on, this match was the perfect blow off. They made good use of the no DQ stipulation, which was highlighted by the Mexican Destroyer Penta hit Kaiser with on a chair. While maybe the match would have benefited from being a little longer, it was still long enough to be satisfying. Even though this was a feud designed more to establish Penta, Kaiser played his part well and these matches were another example of how valuable he can be. No matter how predictable the outcome may have been, the matches we got from this feud were one of the bright spots of each show they were on.
Now that the feud with Kaiser is behind him, what Penta said in the post-match promo now gives us an idea on what his next feud is going to be. After the brief confrontation we saw between him and Bron Breakker before the Royal Rumble, it’s not that big of a surprise to hear him say that he’s now focused on the Intercontinental Title. From what he said here and after what happened at the end of the show (more on that later), it’s very possible that this could be a match we see at WrestleMania. While there’s still over a month left until then, there’s a chance that this match could even happen before then. Considering the momentum Penta has had since his debut, a marquee match at WrestleMania would serve as a much better showcase for him.
Grade: B
Iyo Sky vs. Bianca Belair vs. Rhea Ripley
Latest Developments:
Two weeks ago, Bianca Belair sat at ringside as Rhea Ripley defended her Women’s World Championship against Iyo Sky. At one point in the match, Rhea got into a shoving match with Bianca outside the ring due to Rhea being upset at Bianca for encouraging Iyo to get back in the ring. This distraction led to Iyo taking advantage and hitting Rhea with the Over the Moonsault to win the title. Last week, Iyo’s championship celebration was interrupted by both Bianca and Rhea. As Iyo was pie faced by both women when she attempted to get in between them, she responded by slapping both of them and pointed out the fact that she’s the champion.
This week, Iyo and Bianca were in the ring with Adam Pearce for the official contract signing for their title match at WrestleMania. After both women signed, Rhea came out and said she was just there to watch before she and Bianca got into each other’s faces. Iyo was once again pie faced by Bianca as she tried to get in between them, and Rhea headbutted Bianca as she fell onto the table. Rhea then picked up Iyo and Powerbombed her onto Bianca on the table, which didn’t break. With both women down, Rhea signed her name on the contract and left the ring with it as Pearce went after her.
Analysis:
After what’s happened with these women the last two weeks, we all knew that this was going to lead to a Triple Threat match at WrestleMania. It was clear that Rhea was going to get involved in this contract signing once it was announced and find a way to sign the contract herself, like what Shawn Michaels did going into WrestleMania XX. The way they went about setting it up here was kind of strange as Rhea waited until after Bianca and Iyo had signed the contract to come out and sign it also. While this segment was fine for what it was and accomplished what it needed to, it would’ve made more sense and Rhea would’ve had more of a case if she signed the contract before Bianca did. Even though it hasn’t been made official yet, this all established the fact that Rhea is going to be added into the match.
Something else this segment accomplished was establishing that Iyo is the clear babyface in this storyline. With how childish Rhea has been acting lately and the fact that she and Bianca keep treating her like an afterthought, it’s hard for anyone not to get behind Iyo in this scenario. For Iyo to be getting cheered more than Bianca and Rhea considering their star power and popularity says a lot about her and the way this storyline has been booked so far. After what happened here, it really feels as if Rhea or possibly Bianca is going to turn heel within the next few weeks (Rhea more than likely). In just two weeks, Iyo’s rising popularity combined with the heat between Bianca and Rhea have made this one of the three best storylines going into WrestleMania.
Grade: B-
ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…
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Gunther vs. Jey Uso
Latest Developments:
Jey Uso was attacked from behind by Austin Theory and Grayson Waller two weeks ago and even though he eventually fought them off, Jey was trapped from behind in the Sleeper by World Heavyweight Champion Gunther. As a result of all of this, Jey went one on one with Waller last week. Jey picked up the win over Waller with the Spear, but he was attacked by Theory after the match. Despite the attack, Jey was able to fight off Theory and Waller before once again being put in the Sleeper from behind by Gunther. It was announced later that Jey would face Theory one on one this week.
As Jey was backstage this week about to come out for the match, he got into a brief confrontation with Gunther before the two of them were separated. Jey made it out to the ring for the match with Theory, which Jey won with a running Cross Body in 30 seconds. Jey jumped over the top rope onto Waller & Theory after the match, but he lost his balance on the way down. Gunther once again snuck up from behind and put Jey in the Sleeper, but Jey escaped by ramming his head into the turnbuckle. Jey then took the title from Gunther’s waist, pulled the ropes down to make Gunther fall over them as he attempted to lunge at him, and held up the title as he stood on the second rope before throwing it back at the champion.
Analysis:
While the ending to this segment was at least a little different compared to the last two weeks, this feud between Gunther and Jey Uso still feels very stale. Compared to those first few weeks after Jey won the Royal Rumble, this storyline has really cooled off. Although Jey got to stand tall this week instead of getting laid out with the Sleeper again, this segment didn’t do much to get you excited for their match at WrestleMania. The short match combined with everything that happened after easily made this one of the weaker segments of the entire show. If there was ever anything that served as a wake-up call that this feud needs to be spiced up, what we saw here was that wake-up call.
Unless they take a break from this story for a few weeks, there’s only one of two ways where this feud can be made interesting again. Either Gunther gives Jey a beating so bad that he has to be off TV for a few weeks, or Gunther gives that kind of beating to Jey’s brother Jimmy. Considering that they’ve had Gunther interact with Jimmy recently, it feels inevitable that the second option will happen. For how much this storyline has cooled off and how much others have heated up over the past two weeks, the chances of Gunther and Jey headlining night one of WrestleMania now feel slim to none. With there still being another month until then, there’s still time to make this match feel like a big deal again.
Grade: C-
Bron Breakker vs. Finn Balor
Latest Developments:
Three weeks ago, Bron Breakker defeated Dominik Mysterio by disqualification due to interference from Finn Balor & Carlito. Despite being outnumbered, Breakker back dropped Dominik out of the ring, nailed Carlito with a Spear, and made Finn back away as he stared him down when he attempted to attack him with a chair. Finn baited Breakker to meet him in the ring from the concourse the following week, which turned out to be a trap as Dominik & Carlito appeared out of nowhere as Breakker got closer to the ring. Breakker quickly ran through both of them outside the ring and as he was about to hit Finn with a Spear inside the ring, Finn was saved from it by Dominik. Last week, Dominik told Finn that he convinced Adam Pearce to give Finn a shot at Breakker’s Intercontinental Title for this week.
In this week’s main event, Breakker and Finn faced each other for the title and when Breakker ran across the outside of the ring to Spear Finn at one point, Finn surprised him with the Sling Blade. Dominik & Carlito later came out to distract Breakker, but the champion rebounded with a clothesline to Finn over the announce table. Breakker attempted a Superplex when the referee was distracted, but Dominik pulled him down onto the ropes. The interference backfired as this also caused Finn to lose his balance and fall onto the turnbuckle, allowing Breakker to hit Finn with a Frankensteiner and a Spear to retain the title. After Penta came out to save Breakker from a post-match attack from Dominik & Carlito, he picked up the title briefly before giving it back to Breakker and the two of them stared each other down as the show went off the air.
Analysis:
While the outcome was never in doubt, this was still a great main event that succeeded in making the Intercontinental Title feel important. Even though he usually loses, Finn showed here how much of a big match performer he is and that he’s capable of having a great match with just about anyone. Being in the ring with someone as explosive and athletic as Breakker, there was no way that this match wasn’t going to deliver. Even though the outcome was predictable, the way it played out with Dominik accidentally costing Finn the match was very well done. With all the issues they’ve been having with each other lately, what happened here is only going to create more of a divide between them.
In addition to the issues between Dominik and Finn escalating, what we also got here was the tease of a potential match between Breakker and Penta. After what Penta said earlier in the show about wanting the Intercontinental Title, it was only going to be a matter of time before these two cross paths. Having them do that at the end of the show was a great cliffhanger and from the vibes that was created from it, this feels like the right match to do at WrestleMania. With this year being the first WrestleMania for both men and the momentum that they’ve both had in recent months, there’s no bigger match that they could do for that title this year than that one. While adding more people to this to potentially make it a multi-man Ladder match wouldn’t be a terrible idea, Breakker vs. Penta one on one at the biggest show of the year feels like too good of an opportunity to pass up.
Grade: B+
Other Raw Highlights
The Mystery Lucha Dore Strikes Again
After their loss to the New Day last week due to interference from a mystery Lucha Dore (presumably Chad Gable), Rey Mysterio & Dragon Lee faced Gable’s protégé’s the Creed Brothers this week. Mysterio reversed a Powerslam attempt by Julius into a DDT, then Lee hit a Hurricanrana onto Brutus from the apron to the floor. Mysterio finished off Julius with a 619 and the Dropping the Dime to get the win. As Mysterio & Lee celebrated their win, they were attacked once again by the mystery Lucha Dore from behind. The mystery Lucha Dore took down Lee with a delayed German Suplex, followed by Mysterio with an inverted German Suplex on top of Lee, and he hit Lee with a Diving Headbutt before security chased him away.
Analysis:
After what the mysterious Lucha Dore did to Mysterio & Lee this week, you knew he was going to strike again. The match itself between Mysterio, Lee and the Creeds was good, but all of it was an afterthought because of what happened after. Gable in the Lucha Dore mask getting the better of Mysterio and the L.W.O. is clearly going to be a regular occurrence on the show from now until at least WrestleMania. This will all eventually blow off into some kind of six-man tag, or possibly a single’s match between Gable and Mysterio. Even though this type of storyline has already been done before and comes off as goofy, it can still develop into a fun part of the show if the audience is at least willing to give it a chance.
Seth Rollins Promo on C.M. Punk and Roman Reigns
After the beating Seth Rollins and C.M. Punk received at the hands of Roman Reigns last week, Rollins was the only one of them present on the show this week. Rollins came to the ring to cut a promo about how Roman still can’t come up with his own plan after all these years, and that he always needs Heyman to come up with one for him. He then called Punk a lucky loser and said if he was able to have just a few more seconds with him in the Steel Cage last week, he would’ve finally put his career on ice. Referring to both men as his “best friends,” Rollins pointed out that both Punk and Roman are going to be at Smackdown this Friday. He vowed to also be at Smackdown this Friday so that he could put himself right in between them, and concluded the promo by asking the audience to sing his theme music.
Analysis:
While the promo from Rollins here was fine, it’s not hard to see why the live crowd was unhappy that Reigns and Punk weren’t there too. After how hot the angle was at the end of Raw last week between all three men, to have only Rollins show up this week to cut a promo was a bit of a letdown. While we didn’t get much of a follow up from last week’s events here, it at least gave us something to look forward to going into Smackdown this Friday. Considering that the Cena and Cody segment was the main selling point of this week’s show, it made sense to save the major follow up to this storyline for Smackdown where it could be more of the primary focus. With Rollins, Reigns, Punk, and Heyman all set to be there, no one should expect anything less than pure chaos when that segment goes down on Friday.
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