After last week’s edition of Raw received one of the poorest ratings for the show in recent years, WWE needed to bounce back this week with a strong episode that kept viewers interested. In some areas, they succeeded, with the women’s main event, Perkins vs Kendrick, and the Rusev-Roman Reigns opening segment all delivering.
Despite this, the three-hour format led to a number of weak filler segments such as celebrity guest commentators, Sami Zayn vs Titus O’Neill, and the ridiculous number of backstage segments. But, overall, the good did outweigh the bad, as WWE presented a strong episode of Raw. So, what segments thrived, and what segments failed? Let’s find out, as I Analyse and Grade Each Segment for the 3rd October Edition of WWE Raw.
Roman Reigns, Lana and Rusev Opening Segment:
Grade: 7.5/10
This was a solid opening segment that highlighted Rusev and Reigns’ ongoing issues, as well as keeping the United States Championship important. Reigns’ mic time was kept short and simple, as the brawling ensued quickly.
Rather than reverting to the silly humour, Reigns was presented as the menacing badass, which is the character for Reigns that fans accept and enjoy. The brawling between Rusev and Reigns had the crowd hot, as the personal nature of the rivalry was emphasised.
Their announced Hell in a Cell match could steal the show at the PPV, with both men capable of wrestling an incredible bout inside the Cell. Expect a very physical, extreme match in the cage.
T.J Perkins vs Brian Kendrick:
Grade: 7/10
The in-ring action in this bout was splendid, although the match was a tad short. Perkins looked awesome here, hitting a number of big moves in addition to being over with the crowd. Kendrick was also well-presented, being highlighted as the desperate veteran heel.
Although some fans may complain that a loss for the champion Perkins was unnecessary, Kendrick picking up the victory over the champion (through a rake to the eyes) was a smart decision to set up another rematch for the Cruiserweight Title. Overall, a strong bout that allows the Kendrick-Perkins rivalry to continue in the near future, with a Cruiserweight Championship rematch seeming plausible.
Seth Rollins Interview with Michael Cole:
Grade: 8/10
This was the best representation of Rollins as a babyface so far. Focused on bringing Kevin Owens, Chris Jericho and Triple H down, Rollins came across as the determined babyface that he needs to be going forward. His villainous traits of whining and complaining were thrown aside, and replaced by determination and grit.
If Rollins is continually portrayed like this in the near future, his expected babyface run will run extremely smoothly. Overall, a solid promo that presented Rollins extremely well as the babyface fighting the authoritarian tyrant.
Braun Strowman vs Chase Silver:
Grade: 7/10
My first thoughts on this segment were that WWE was unwisely taking a step back with Strowman, pitting him against local talent once again. But, Strowman’s promo after the short bout reset my opinion of this segment. Rather than being content with destroying local talent every week, Strowman demanded better competition, stating his talents were being wasted by GM Mick Foley.
Foley’s response to this demand is an intriguing development, as fans will be enticed for Strowman’s future opponents. Whether more destruction of midcarders is coming, or a potential future feud, Strowman’s future appearances on Raw have become a lot more intriguing.
JeriKO and New Day Promo Segment:
Grade: 8.5/10
From New Day’s trash talk to The List of Jericho, this was a hilarious segment that allowed all five competitors to shine on the mic. The teased tension between Jericho and Owens over championships only added to the entertainment, and this was a great way to set up a match between the teams for later in the show.
Despite WWE’s usual lack of skill in regards to comedy, this was one of the funniest and most entertaining segments on WWE TV in a while, as the chemistry between Owens, Jericho and the New Day glowed. Overall, this was one of the best segments of the night, and the banter between New Day and JeriKO was incredibly entertaining.
Sami Zayn vs Titus O’Neill:
Grade: 5/10
Although it was good to see Zayn back on Raw after his absence last week, his continued lack of direction is troubling. Despite being one of the most over babyfaces in the roster, Zayn is stuck in the lower mid card. A continued feud with Chris Jericho would have been helpful, but instead, Zayn is left without a rival. Hopefully WWE will provide Zayn with something to do at Hell in a Cell.
As for O’Neill, it was good to see some sort of character development, but he was ultimately squashed. If WWE is serious about a future push, O’Neill picking up some victories over local talent could do him well. Overall, a forgettable match that left both men with a serious lack of direction, especially Zayn.
Gallows and Anderson vs the Golden Truth:
Grade: 6/10
The pre-match promo depicting Gallows and Anderson’s dominant nature was how they should have been portrayed from the start. Instead, WWE has a tough task on their hands in rehabilitating the duo, although this quick victory over Golden Truth was a solid start. But, it was still a forgettable match, and Golden Truth put up too much of a fight against the dominant duo. Overall, a good invigoration of Gallows and Anderson, but still a relatively weak match and segment.
The New Day vs JeriKO, Seth Rollins Appearance:
Grade: 7.5/10
Despite the quality of this match, Ashton Kutcher and Danny Masterson’s guest commentary did distract from the action, as the focus was a bit too much on them. Despite this, they were entertaining in the backstage segments they were featured in, as well as providing some entertainment on commentary.
Overall, not a bad celebrity appearance, unlike most others in the past. In regards to the actual matchup, it was a decent bout that was aided by Seth Rollins’ interference, as Owens and Jericho were protected in defeat. Rollins’ pedigree on Jericho after the match while staring at Owens was a nice touch to his earlier promises of bringing JeriKO down, and his babyface persona was in full effect here.
The New Day were solid as always, and a win kept their momentum up as well. But, once again Owens was presented as a tad weak, as he looked like a chump after being distracted by Rollins. Overall, a decent bout that kept New Day and Rollins’ momentum, despite Owens and Jericho’s momentum being hampered.
Rich Swann vs Tony Nese:
Grade: 7/10
This was another splendid Cruiserweight match, with both Nese and Swann impressing. Despite the popularity and infectious energy of Swann, Nese was the focus here, and that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. His moveset is incredible, and his character of the ‘Premier Athlete’ is strong.
A clean win over Swann here was a smart decision, as Nese will hopefully be built up in the next few weeks as a credible challenger for the Cruiserweight Championship. Swann, despite losing, won’t take too much of a hit because of this, and will most likely be back next week without a loss of popularity. Overall, a splendid match, with a nice focus on Tony Nese.
Cesaro and Sheamus vs Raul White and Mark Carradine:
Grade: 6/10
Although I would like to give this segment a higher grade, the match being against local talent once again was questionable. Rather than rising through the ranks by possibly beating The Shining Stars, Cesaro and Sheamus were portrayed as dominant over local talent, which we already knew after their match last week.
Despite the actual match leaving a lot to be desired, the story of the tag team partners butting heads does have a lot of potential. In recent years, we have seen Kane and Daniel Bryan execute it to perfection, and if told right, the story between Cesaro and Sheamus could be just as entertaining.
Charlotte vs Sasha Banks (Raw Women’s Championship):
Grade: 9/10
This was another incredible bout between these two, as the hype for it throughout the show added to the anticipation. A wonderful pre-match promo referring back to their NXT days made this match have a big-fight feel, and the bout being the main event of Raw only added to the story. Although some spots weren’t as clean as they could have been, the emotion of the match made fans forget about that.
The lack of shenanigans made this match a lot better, and another huge title win for Banks was a great way to end the show. Overall, a wonderful main event from the women, and a testament to the success of the recent women’s revolution. Once Banks is done with Charlotte, expect WWE to book Bayley vs Banks as soon as possible.
What did you think of this week’s Raw? Leave a comment below! For latest WWE News, spoilers and rumours visit our Sportskeeda WWE section.
What makes Sting special? His first AEW opponent opens up RIGHT HERE.
