With Survivor Series done and dusted, the Raw brand began the build towards Roadblock, which airs on December 18th. Championships were once again the focal point on the red brand after a few weeks of brand warfare, and a number of superstars shifted their attention back to the belts.
Cesaro and Sheamus challenged for the Tag team championships, attempting to dethrone the New Day as they edge closer to breaking Demolition’s record. Sasha Banks evoked her rematch clause for the Raw Women’s championship, but first, she had to team up with Bayley to overcome Nia Jax and the champion Charlotte.
T.J. Perkins, Noam Dar and Rich Swann competed in a triple threat match to determine, who would challenge the Brian Kendrick for the Cruiserweight Championship on the first ever 205 Live next week. Seth Rollins attempted to dethrone the Universal Champion Kevin Owens in a No DQ match, with Chris Jericho and Roman Reigns banned from ringside.
So, was this a strong post-Survivor Series edition of Raw, or did the build to Roadblock get off to a rocky start? Let’s find out, as I Analyse and Grade Each Segment from the November 21st edition of WWE Raw.
Goldberg Opens the Show:
Grade: 9/10
This was the perfect way to open the show after the intrigue created from the Survivor Series main event. Goldberg once again received a huge ovation from fans, and his promo here was short and direct. Not dragging on too long, Goldberg was humble after his victory over Lesnar and thanked the fans for their support.
Also read: Reason behind the short match between Goldberg and Brock Lesnar
The announcement that he will be a part of the 2017 Royal Rumble match is a great way to get fans hyped for the event and seeing a legend like Goldberg wanting one more title run, makes both the World and Universal titles feel like an even bigger deal.
Although he did not address the Lesnar match too much, this was a short, but strong promo that created intrigue for the Royal Rumble with Goldberg’s big announcement.
The New Day vs. Cesaro and Sheamus (Raw Tag Team Championships):
Grade: 8/10
Given the chemistry between the two teams, it was no surprise that this match was excellent.
With the tag championships on the line, the Toronto crowd were hot for this bout, and both teams looked great here. However, the finish left a lot to be desired. Sure, Cesaro and Sheamus were protected in a loss as they had the match won, but the way New Day retained made them appear to be the biggest heels on the roster.
Distracting the referee while Kofi Kingston tapped out to Cesaro, Xavier Woods used the typical heel manager tactic to have New Day retain. Instead of booking a different, smarter finish, the New Day were booked as massive heels once again. Still, a stellar match and Cesaro and Sheamus appear to have a reason for a rematch.
Cedric Alexander vs. Ariya Daivari and Enzo Amore vs. Rusev:
Grade for both: 6/10
Fans had little reason to care about this match, as neither Cruiserweight has been given any sort of character development whatsoever. The crowd were dead, as usual in Cruiserweight matches, but Alexander looked great here.
The bout’s goal to give Alexander some momentum was achieved, and hopefully he will be spotlighted in future weeks, as he hasn’t been given much opportunity thus far on Raw.
This was a complete squash and made Enzo Amore look incredibly weak, although he will still be over with fans come next week. This didn’t benefit the show at all, and nothing was really gained here, besides Rusev picking up an extremely dominant victory that gave him a little bit of momentum.
The only thing to note here was Big Cass and Rusev staring each other down, as a match may be in the works for those two soon. Overall, two filler matches that did little to entice fans for the show, although Alexander and Rusev gained some momentum with solid wins.
The Highlight Reel with Kevin Owens:
Grade: 8/10
This was a splendid promo segment between Owens and Jericho, with both men being incredibly entertaining, whether they were targeting each other or the fans. The first signs of how awesome an Owens-Jericho feud could be seen here, as the two appeared to implode as they threw insults back and forth.
Of course, it was all a gag, but when they do finally implode, fireworks will go off. Rollins’ promo was straight to the point and showcased his determination, as he didn’t try to be humorous. This was a much better look for ‘The Man’, and hopefully, WWE continues to portray Rollins as the revenge-seeker rather than the comedian.
Reigns received heavy boos despite helping Rollins, and his United States Title was completely irrelevant. Still, it was nice to see him aiding Rollins once again. Overall, a strong promo segment that did well to set up the main event for later in the night.
Gallows and Anderson vs. the Golden Truth:
Grade: 6/10
Why Golden Truth was even considered for a tag title match is beyond me, although Gallows and Anderson needed a team to beat. The result was obvious from the start, and this match ran too long for what It was. Goldust did have a moment to shine, and he is still a strong worker, but he is unfortunately stuck on a horrible team with R-Truth.
The crowd was dead for this, and Gallows and Anderson emerged predictably victorious, leaving both teams with the same momentum they had before the match started. Still, at least Gallows and Anderson are picking up wins, and it will be fun to see them challenge for the tag titles next week.
Sami Zayn vs. Braun Strowman and Cruiserweight Triple Threat:
Grade for Zayn vs. Strowman: 8/10
This was a great booking decision from WWE management, as they successfully portrayed Strowman as a monster while keeping Zayn as the never-say-die underdog. Strowman attacked Zayn from behind before he got a chance to fight back, and Strowman fed off of Zayn’s underdog aura by decimating him.
Zayn will receive a fair rematch in the next few weeks, as this feud looks to have been re-introduced, which is a smart choice by WWE. Overall, a strong segment that saw Zayn and Strowman both successfully portrayed, with Zayn set to seek revenge in the coming weeks.
Grade for Cruiserweight Triple Threat: 7/10
This was over before it started, and the high stakes of the winner facing Brian Kendrick on 205 Live for the championship, did little to add to this match. The three competitors (not even Perkins) have not developed character yet, and this led to another quiet spell for the crowd.
Fans didn’t seem to care about the Cruiserweight Championship either, which is a scary thought. Hopefully 205 Live will inject some life into the division, as the matches have a filler feel right now on Raw. Still, it was nice to see Swann pick up a deserved victory, and this was a decent match for what it was.
Sasha Banks and Bayley vs. Nia Jax and Charlotte:
Grade: 7.5/10
This was a fun women’s tag match, but it was short and largely forgettable. However, the pre-match promo set up Banks vs. Charlotte next week for the championship, and that should be another strong match between the two. Nia Jax looked great here once again, and she could be set for a feud with Banks after their pre-match interactions.
Meanwhile, Bayley and Charlotte will most likely clash as well, once Charlotte is done with Banks of course. For now, this segment just planted the seeds for Roadblock’s women’s matches, and it did what it needed to do.
Seth Rollins vs. Kevin Owens (Universal Championship, No DQ):
Grade: 9/10
This was a PPV quality match in my opinion, and a fitting way to close the show. The crowd was very hot with the title on the line, and the No DQ stipulation led to a fast-paced, high-octane matchup that spilt into the stand numerous times.
The use of chairs, tables and brawling in the crowd made this bout awesome, and fans chanted ‘This is awesome’ a number of times in appreciation. Owens and Rollins have incredible chemistry as well, and this was the perfect way to close the show.
Rollins’ dive from the top rail of the stands onto the floor was also a crazy spot and something you usually wouldn’t see on Raw. Even Jericho’s involvement, despite being banned from ringside, was great, as he concealed himself in a mask while allowing Owens to pick up the victory in controversial fashion once again.
Some may complain this made Owens look weak once again, but heels cheat to win, and if Owens were to win clean, it would leave the babyfaces he faces with no momentum. I for one, am excited to see where WWE take this Rollins and Reigns vs. Owens and Jericho rivalry next; as this was a fantastic main event that had the Toronto crowd going wild to close the November 21st edition of Raw.
Overall Grade for Raw: 8/10
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