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.
-As long as WWE doesn’t regularly open Raw with a hot open like they did this week with Bobby Lashley, I’m on board with it. It’s something that should be used sparingly, but when properly deployed, it can really add a sense of urgency to whatever angle it’s being used for. Such was the case this week with Lashley and Lesnar. Both men acted like they wanted to destroy the other and the audience ate it up. It’s a shame that match is happening at a Saudi Arabia Crown Jewel event.
-This week was another effective week for The Judgement Day vs. The O.C. feud. Gallows and Anderson got a nice win to make sure they are relevant for the big Saudi Arabia showdown, but still look to be background players in general. Put your torches and pitchforks away, for this next one ok?
-Nothing wrong with Dominik Mysterio defeating A.J. Styles. It was obviously not a clean win, but the sleazy nature of the “W” gives Dominik another talking point to use moving forward. WWE wants you to be angry about this outcome. Remember that.
-Look, I appreciate Seth Rollins and the work he can do in the ring, but this mixed gimmick of playing to the audience for cheers, but being a heel is almost unbearable. If nothing else, it gives the babyface he’s working with an impossible task of getting over strong.
-Mustafa Ali had his best TV week in months opposite Rollins. Ali came across as likable, but determined and aggressive too. If Rollins ditched the audience pandering, Ali would be in a better position to come out of the match with Rollins — an inevitable loss — in a better position. With Rollins being wishy-washy, that scenario is cloudy at best.
-A decent women’s tag match, but that’s all it was. Bayley vs. Belair is coming up on Raw next week, but the Raw Women’s Championship doesn’t appear to be on the line. Cue up the Bayley pins the champion finish, so she can jump the line and have a claim to Belair’s title. Lame.
-Roxanne Perez vs. Rhea Ripley? Cora Jade, I know you’re a heel, but thank you for this.
-What’s up with JBL’s pants?! I can’t analyze his work on this show effectively without knowing just what the hell he was thinking with that get-up. I’ll try, though. JBL is a good talker and can get heat whenever he wants it. Baron Corbin has been around forever at this point, so it’s a bit of an odd pairing, but it can work in terms of establishing Corbin as less of a joke than he was before. For that reason along, I’m willing to see this play out for a few weeks.
-We have a mystery on our hands, folks. What is the “truth” that Johnny Gargano alluded to regarding The Miz and Dexter Lumis? Who knows, but at least there is some context around this story now, which was desperately needed to keep momentum and interest behind it.
-I guess I can just do without Elias. I don’t see what he brings to the table outside of a little chuckle here and there. Riddle being around the Elias act will hurt his stock in the long-run. Hopefully, this week was a one-off to get Elias started.
-Good main event match between Riddle and Rollins. No surprise there, right? The surprise was Mustafa Ali standing tall opposite Rollins as WWE Raw went off the air. Paul Levesque building to television matches with angles like this finish has been really refreshing and has given those matches the juice they need to draw some eyes during a challenging part of the year opposite Monday Night Football.
Dexter and Miz had a great time hanging out and having fun.
I’m glad they seem to have pulled Ciampa away from the Miz.