If you bought your tickets to attend Raw at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado; we’re sure you had a night to remember. Those who were watching professional wrestling during the Monday Night Wars, and also during the Ruthless Aggression Era must have goosebumps all over their body, and a tear in their eye.
Of course, you know what our first point for the ‘Best’ section will be, but before we get into it...let us ask ourselves a question. Was this really a good show, or are we letting ourselves be carried away by the insane moment that just transpired? Read on!
#1 BEST: The myth is real
Going into Raw this week, there was excitement and anticipation in the air! After Paul Heyman’s challenge last week, Goldberg was returning in person to reply to the beast’s advocate and his mammoth challenge. 12 years later, the kind of pop that he received was deafening to the ears!
We could tell that Goldberg himself was moved by how well the crowd remembered him and was humbled by the fact that he got to have this moment in front of his wife and son. As he said – ‘Not only are you next, Brock Lesnar...you’re last!’, we couldn’t help but Mark out.
This is a genuinely big match, that requires no hype or build, but is a story that writes itself. This is truly and definitely awesome!
#1 WORST: The idiot in the audience
Even during such an iconic moment, we had this one guy in the audience chanting ‘What!’ during Goldberg’s iconic speech. If there’s someone who deserved to be speared and jackhammered to hell and back, it is this man! Can someone ban that word from the crowd-chant vocabulary?
#2 BEST: No meaningless filler match
Going into this Raw, one thing we were dreading was another permutation of the Charlotte-Sasha Banks pairing, before their historic encounter. Thankfully, their sit-down interview with Women’s Wrestling icon Lita did more to build up this historic match than another meaningless match would.
If the two of them can go another week without actually making contact (because we’ve seen them wrestle far too many times), we may actually look forward to Charlotte and Sasha Banks making history inside Hell in A Cell.
#2 Worst: Snoozefest planned for next week
It is the year 1997. The nWo is running wild in WCW. But in the rafters exists a dark, shrouded mysterious figure named Sting. A man who went almost a year without wrestling, even though he was the hottest commodity in the company; before challenging Hollywood ‘Hulk’ Hogan for the championship.
Starrcade 97 did an amazing buy-rate. Cut to the year 2016. A year when we see the same combination of matches on Raw, before they happen on PPV. Why would we be excited to see The New Day vs Cesaro/Sheamus in a non-title bout before it happens at Hell in A Cell?
What is the point of the triple threat showcased here? Even if these matches are not happening inside a HIAC, they honestly seem pretty pointless.
#3 BEST: David vs Goliath
Braun Strowman has been running through his opponents like a freight train. From one jobber to two, to three jobbers this week; he beats them all in record time. Also, he’s really improved in the ring and on the microphone. Finally, he has his first real opponent.
Sami Zayn will engage with Strowman and attempt to topple the giant. As long as Sami does not keep jobbing to him, this is bound to be an entertaining feud.
#3 WORST: The burial of Bayley
On one hand, there’s always something for the women on Smackdown. On the other, there’s one primary storyline for the women's division on Raw, and several meaningless feuds which are sometimes even forgotten (where is Nia Jax?).
Bayley went from getting one of the biggest pops in women’s wrestling after her call up...to losing clean against Dana Brooke, a talent who’s not even very talented. Unless Bayley's winning a big match soon, this can make her lose momentum.
#4 WORST: Rusev’s family
We get it! Sure, the segment was meant to be boring, so that when Roman comes in and saves the day, he gets a babyface reaction. No, the modern wrestling fan is smarter than this, and won’t fall prey to your cliched 80s programming, Vinnie Mac. As expected, the segment was a yawn and a half, and got nobody over.
If Goldberg wasn’t returning, we’d have turned off our TVs.
In conclusion, Sasha is hot.
