SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
In the second of three episodes of Raw taking place during WWE’s European tour, this week’s show was live from Glasgow, Scotland. In addition to being in Europe for the second straight week, we saw John Cena open the show to a hoard of boos for the second straight week. After letting the audience know how he really felt about them last week in Belgium, Cena doubled down on those feelings this week in Glasgow. In addition to lashing out at the audience, Cena clued everyone in on what he plans to do if he wins the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 41. Reflecting on something that happened 20 years ago, what he has in mind is something that will hurt the fans the most.
Listening to what Cena had to say long enough, Cody Rhodes came out to confront him once again. In addition to this segment, we saw Jey Uso team with a mystery partner to take on A-Town Down Under, another shake up in the Iyo Sky, Bianca Belair, and Rhea Ripley situation, and Bron Breakker defend his Intercontinental Championship against none other than Penta. While this week’s show felt a little too similar to last week’s, it at least progressed some key storylines in the way they needed to be.
Cody Rhodes vs. John Cena
Latest Developments:
Last week, John Cena made his first TV appearance since attacking WWE Champion Cody Rhodes at Elimination Chamber. Receiving nothing but boos from the audience, Cena lashed out at them for the awful way they’ve treated him over the last 25 years. He referred to his relationship with the fans as toxic and said that he was now breaking up with them. Cody came out to interrupt and before Cena could say anything to him, Cody cut him off. Cody said that he will easily run through this current version of Cena if he shows up at WrestleMania and referred to this current version of him as a whiney bitch before walking away.
This week, Cena once again opened the show to a hoard of boos from the Glasgow crowd. Reflecting on the negative reaction to when he debuted the spinner belt in 2005, Cena told the audience that his new mission is to ruin wrestling for them. The way he said he intends to do that is by winning his 17th championship and then retiring as WWE Champion. Cody came out to interrupt and after unbuttoning his shirt and tie, he dared Cena to take the WWE Championship after he laid it down in the middle of the ring. Cena instead walked away but as he was leaving, Cody told him that just like this scenario, he will also leave WrestleMania empty handed.
Analysis:
While still an entertaining segment, this didn’t feel that much different from their segment last week. Once again, there was no back and forth on the mic between Cena and Cody and there was noticeably no mention at all of The Rock. The parts that stood out here was when Cena referenced when he debuted the spinner WWE Championship 20 years ago and tied that into how he now wants to ruin wrestling for the fans. In addition to that, saying that he’s going to retire as champion was a brilliant way to get the audience to hate him even more. For all the years that he was the face of an era that the crowd didn’t care for as much, it made perfect sense for him to say these things.
The one issue with Cena’s heel turn is the fact that it feels like it’s more about the fans than about Cody. These last two promos have been solely directed at them, and he hasn’t really said anything at all about Cody. Another bright spot of this segment was Cody’s intensity, especially when he put the belt on the mat and dared Cena to come and take it. While he was spot on with his intensity, it is odd that these two still haven’t traded shots against each other on the mic or come to blows after everything that’s happened between them. Considering that next week’s Raw is Cena’s last advertised appearance until WrestleMania, something different from these last two segments needs to happen next week if they really want to make this really feel like the WrestleMania main event.
Grade: B
ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…
Check out the latest episode of the Wade Keller Podcast weekly Tuesday Flagship episode with guest cohost Jason Powell: CLICK HERE to stream (or search “wade Keller” on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or any other iOS or Android app to subscribe free)
Gunther vs. Jey Uso
Latest Developments:
In addition to dealing with World Heavyweight Champion Gunther as he’s set to challenge him at WrestleMania, Jey Uso has also been dealing with A-Town Down Under over the last three weeks. After defeating Grayson Waller two weeks ago, Austin Theory attacked Jey from behind after the match and despite fighting them both off, Jey was trapped from behind with a Sleeper by Gunther. Still having to fight them both off after quickly defeating Theory last week, Jey lost his balance as he jumped over the top rope onto both of them. Later in the night, it was announced that Waller & Theory would face Jey and a mystery partner this week.
Jey came out for the match and within a few seconds, his mystery partner was revealed to be none other than his brother Jimmy. Jimmy & Jey won the match after nailing Theory with the 1D but as they were standing on the second ropes celebrating, Gunther appeared and knocked Jimmy off of it. Jey hit the champion with a few superkicks but as he attempted a Spear, he slipped and Gunther hit him while he was down before Jimmy came in to chase him away. Later backstage, Jimmy gave Jey a motivational speech after he kept saying he couldn’t beat Gunther and several moments later, Jimmy confronted Gunther and challenged him to a match next week. Gunther accepted and told him not to trip up like his brother did, then Jimmy slapped Gunther hard in the face before walking away as the champion simply smiled.
Analysis:
As this feud was feeling stale over the last three weeks, this week felt more like a step in the right direction. For one, it was refreshing to see Jimmy & Jey team up together in a traditional tag match for the first time in a year and a half. This match was far better than either singles match that Jey had with Waller & Theory over the last two weeks. After what happened last week when Jey lost his balance when he jumped over the top rope, this week made it seem like they’re now implementing it into the storyline. Considering how Jey tripped when he attempted the Spear and the announcers pointed it out, those slip ups are now playing into the doubts that Jey has about beating Gunther.
In addition to that, we’re also getting Jimmy against Gunther next week. Seeing how Gunther just smiled when Jimmy slapped him, it’s obvious that he’s going to give him a brutal beating next week to send a message to Jey. After Jimmy gave Jey that motivational speech about how the old Jey needs to show up if he has any chance of winning the title, the beating that Jimmy suffers at the hands of Gunther is going to fire up Jey even more. The attention being put on Jey’s recent slip ups combined with the recent inclusion of Jimmy have saved this feud from completely fizzling out before WrestleMania. With less than four weeks left until then, this match is slowly starting to feel like a big deal again.
Grade: B
Iyo Sky vs. Bianca Belair vs. Rhea Ripley
Latest Developments:
Last week with Adam Pearce as the moderator, Women’s World Champion Iyo Sky and Bianca Belair were in the ring to sign the contract for their title match at WrestleMania. After both women signed, Rhea Ripley came out to interrupt. Rhea and Bianca once again got into each other’s faces and as Iyo tried to get in between them, Bianca pie faced her. Rhea headbutted Bianca as she fell onto the table and then Powerbombed Iyo on top of Bianca on the table, which didn’t break. Rhea then signed the contract herself and left with it as Pearce went after her.
This week, Pearce came out to the ring and said Rhea’s signature on the contract means nothing because she already knows she has a rematch before he was interrupted by Iyo. Iyo said she didn’t care about the contract and that she would take on both women before Bianca Belair came out next to interrupt. As Bianca stated that Rhea didn’t deserve to be in the match since she didn’t earn it, Rhea then came out to demand her rematch and when Iyo once again tried to get in between her and Bianca, Rhea pie faced her. Pearce held Iyo back and announced that Rhea would get her rematch for the title next week and after he angrily left the ring, all three women hit each other with various moves until Bianca hit Iyo with a KOD over the top rope onto Rhea to end the segment. When Bianca stormed into Peace’s office later in the night, he informed her that she’s going to be the special referee for the Iyo and Rhea title match next week.
Analysis:
Much like the last two weeks, this segment felt like more of the same between these three women. With WrestleMania still being a few weeks away and WWE being on their European tour, what we saw here felt more like something just to kill time. The main take away from this is that we’re getting Iyo vs. Rhea for the title next week with Bianca as the referee. For the way this whole storyline has gone down ever since it started almost a month ago, it’s clear to see that the match next week isn’t going to have a clear-cut winner. Regardless of that, it will at least be something different from the segments we’ve seen with these three women lately.
Whether it’s the European crowds or just how this storyline has played out so far, Iyo continues to be the babyface in this feud. What was very noticeable here was the negative reaction that Bianca received. While it seemed like a few weeks ago as if Rhea was going to be the one to turn heel in this whole scenario (although it’s still possible), the fact that Bianca’s been acting different lately combined with the boos she’s been getting are making it feel as if she’s going to turn heel. While brief, one highlight of this segment was the moves all three women exchanged with each other before Bianca was the one who stood tall in the end. No matter what anyone thinks of this storyline so far or whatever will happen within the next few weeks, there’s no way that the Triple Threat match between these women at WrestleMania won’t deliver.
Grade: B-
C.M. Punk Promo on Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins
Latest Developments:
Two weeks ago, Roman Reigns returned during the C.M. Punk and Seth Rollins Steel Cage match and accidentally helped Rollins win after he pulled him out of the cage. After laying out Rollins outside the ring with a Spear and a Curb Stomp, Reigns attacked Punk inside the cage after he saw Paul Heyman checking on him and hit him with a Spear. Last Friday on Smackdown as all three men along with Heyman were in the ring, Punk thanked Heyman for delivering Reigns to him on a silver platter. Punk attacked Reigns from behind, which led to Rollins getting involved and all three men brawled throughout the ring area as officials constantly tried to separate them. After the show went off the air, a Triple Threat match between Rollins, Reigns, and Punk was made official for WrestleMania.
This week, Punk came out to the ring to cut a promo on Rollins and Reigns. He got into the fact that while this whole issue is personal for them, it’s just business for him. Punk then mentioned that they’re all going to have a contract signing at Smackdown on Friday and that he can’t wait to get his hands on the contract because he wants to see if this match will get him closer to what he wants. He reminded Rollins and Reigns that neither of them has ever defeated him without the help of the other because they can’t. Punk ended the promo by saying that he brought them into this business, and he can’t wait to be the man that takes them both out of it.
Analysis:
Considering that Punk, Rollins, and Reigns are all technically Raw guys, it is kind of odd that this feud has been playing out more on Smackdown recently. While it was a bit of a letdown that all three men weren’t at Raw again this week, this strong promo from Punk at least made up for it. He once again showed here that he has very few equals on the mic and this segment succeeded in building anticipation for what we’re going to see on Friday. Considering that Punk pointed out the favor that Heyman owes him last Friday and also pointed out here that he wants to see if this match gets him what he wants, it feels like we could possibly get some answers to all of that at the contract signing. Chances are, it’s going to be revealed there that this match is going to be the main event of night one of WrestleMania.
While it isn’t official yet, it doesn’t feel like there’s any other match that’s big enough to headline night one over this one. Even though the Gunther and Jey Uso feud seems to be picking up steam again, it just doesn’t feel like a main event in the way that this match does. For much star power and potential as this feud has, it is still odd that there’s no stipulation or prize at stake. While that can still change as soon as this Friday, to only keep this as a basic Triple Threat match would be underwhelming. Whether they end up adding something more to this match or not, it does seem so far like the road to getting there is going to be a fun ride.
Grade: B
Bron Breakker vs. Penta
Latest Developments:
After defeating Ludwig Kaiser last week, Penta said his focus was now on the Intercontinental Championship. Later in the night, Bron Breakker successfully defended the Intercontinental Title against Finn Balor after Dominik Mysterio’s interference accidentally cost Finn the match. As Dominik & Carlito attacked Breakker after the match, Penta came out to help Breakker fight them both off. Penta briefly held the title in his hands before giving it back to Breakker and the two of them stared each other down as the show went off the air. Over the weekend, it was announced that Breakker and Penta would face each other for the title this week.
This week in the show’s main event, Breakker defended his Intercontinental Title against Penta in a match where Dominik & Carlito showed up at ringside in the middle of it. Breakker Speared Carlito after he pulled him into the ring when he stood on the apron, and then Dominik chop locked Breakker to cause a disqualification. As Breakker tried to fight back, Finn showed up out of nowhere and hit him from behind with a chair and after he contemplated hitting Dominik with it, Finn instead handed it to Dominik so that he could hit Breakker with it in the gut repeatedly. Dominik then handed the chair to Penta as he had previously talked about Penta joining the Judgment Day, but it backfired as Penta threw the chair at him and Super Kicked it in the face. Despite being visibly upset at Dominik for what happened, Finn attacked Penta from behind, hit Breakker in the back with the chair as he fell out of the ring, nailed Penta with the Coup De Grace, and helped Dominik back up as they stood tall with Carlito to end the show.
Analysis:
While it seemed as if Breakker and Penta was going to happen at WrestleMania after how last week’s show ended, the fact that it happened here so soon was a clear giveaway that this match wasn’t going to have a clean finish. With Finn & Dominik attacking both of them, it’s now clear that is leading to a Four Way at WrestleMania. While that direction isn’t a bad idea, giving the first Penta and Breakker match away so soon for it to end in a DQ felt unnecessary. Although the match was good for the time it lasted, to have it end the way it did was a disappointment. They still could’ve done the same thing they did here, but it could’ve been a tag team match instead of a singles match.
With the card for WrestleMania already as stacked as it is, throwing all these men together in the same match does make sense. As great as a singles match would’ve been between Penta and Breakker, adding Finn & Dominik to it combined with the different stories they can tell will add to it more than it will take away. Despite Dominik & Finn co-existing this week, it’s obvious that it’s not going to last. When you consider how upset Finn was when Penta kicked the chair that Dominik handed to him in his face, he’s likely going to call him out for it as soon as next week. While we all knew Penta wasn’t going to join the Judgment Day, that doesn’t mean that Dominik doesn’t have someone else lined up to eventually join the group and replace Finn.
Grade: B
Lyra Valkyria vs. Raquel Rodriguez
After defeating Bayley in a number one contender’s match two weeks ago, Raquel Rodriguez got her shot at Lyra Valkyria’s women’s Intercontinental Championship this week. At one point in the match, Lyra reversed a Vertical Suplex attempt from Raquel into a DDT, but Liv Morgan put Raquel’s foot on the rope to interrupt the count. Lyra got revenge when she ducked a big boot from Raquel and then drop-kicked Liv through the second rope. Raquel grabbed Lyra as she hung from the second rope and went for a Tahana Bomb, but Lyra reversed it into a roll up to retain the title. Raquel & Liv attacked Lyra after the match until Bayley came out to help her fight them off, and then Bayley handed her the title before she raised her hand.
Analysis:
While the match was fine for what it was, it accomplished what it needed to as it gave Lyra another credible win against someone bigger than her. Despite the win, the real story was what happened after the match when Bayley came out to save her. In addition to that, it did seem like Bayley was staring at the title as she raised Lyra’s hand. While some may think that this is leading to Bayley and Lyra for the title at WrestleMania, this feels more like it’s leading to the two of them challenging Raquel & Liv for the women’s Tag Team Titles at WrestleMania. Although both scenarios are appealing, the latter seems more likely as it would be a way of getting all four women on the show.
El Grande Americano vs. Dragon Lee
After Rey Mysterio & Dragon Lee were attacked once again last week by a mysterious Lucha Dore, a vignette that aired this week revealed the mysterious Lucha Dore’s identity as El Grande Americano. When Chad Gable came into Adam Pearce’s office claiming to be sick to get out of his match with Lee later in the night, he suggested that Lee take on El Grande Americano instead, which Lee and Pearce agreed to. As the match took place and both men were on the apron, Americano hit Lee with a T-Bone Suplex from the apron to the floor. Lee made a comeback later in the match with a Sit Out Powerbomb and as he was about to stomp onto Americano as he hung from the top rope, Americano pulled his mask off. As Lee covered his face, Americano took advantage and trapped him in the Ankle Lock to get the win by tap out.
Analysis:
From the vignette that aired earlier in the show, the theme music, to his mannerisms in the ring, this El Grande Americano storyline is turning out much better than expected. Considering the comedic chops that Chad Gable has, he’s really knocking this gimmick out of the park so far. In addition to how entertaining this storyline is becoming, this match between Americano and Dragon Lee was arguably the best match on the whole show. From the way this story is playing out, this is likely leading to a match between Americano and Rey Mysterio at WrestleMania (possibly Mask vs. Mask). Until we get there, it’s going to be hilarious to see what develops from this storyline in the next few weeks.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.