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There was a lot to like about the final RAW before the Royal Rumble. It certainly wasn't a throwaway show like other weeks are. But to be fair, there was a lot about this week's show that just fell flat. A few years down the line, it won't be recalled and remembered with great pride.
In this article, I shall list the good and the bad from the show. One thing that I will not touch upon in my points is the length of the episode. Three hours can be a trying affair if nothing memorable is happening on TV.
Even the most genuine WWE fan may tune out after a few hours because the length is far too much for anyone to take. Plus, a tag team match between Ronda Rousey and Natalya against Sasha Banks and Bayley is not enough to keep someone hooked for three whole hours.
Here's what I thought about the show otherwise.
#1 Best: David against two Goliaths
So we have seen Brock Lesnar take on smaller men before. Remember how he put on solid matches against the likes of Daniel Bryan and AJ Styles at Survivor Series for the past two years? The only difference in both cases is that neither match had a real build. Finn Balor vs. Brock Lesnar certainly will!
It is strange indeed that Vince McMahon went heel against Finn Balor. We'd seen the McMahons return after TLC and promise the WWE Universe that they would get what they want to see. Therefore, it was strange to see him undermining Balor.
But that said, I was thrilled to see just how much Lesnar sold for Balor. Lesnar made Balor look like a credible contender.
I can't wait to see their match.
#1 Worst: Really poor refereeing
So Vince McMahon made the match. Balor took on Strowman in a preview of the David vs. Goliath clash that will unfold this Sunday. At one point during the match, Balor got thrown on to Lesnar who suplexed him on the mat. In my opinion, the referee should have called for the bell at this point.
Not only did he not call for the bell when chaos ensued, but he did so when Lesnar involved himself in the match later. I found this very puzzling indeed and thought that the match should have come to an end much earlier. Did Lesnar go off the script with the suplex?
These inconsistencies that often take a member of the WWE Universe from enjoying a product to the very fullest. I hope that WWE makes a note of this and rectifies such glaring errors.
I am sure more than one fan spotted it.
#2 Best: Rollins is the common man
I could speak about the excellent match that Seth Rollins had with Drew McIntyre this week. But we all know that every time Seth Rollins steps into the ring, he is great. And this is why I will focus on the promo he cut before the match and connected with the crowd in attendance.
Rollins spoke about how he was a guy just like them, but a boy with a dream. He spoke about being born to working-class parents and mentioned how he would be in a regular job were he not a WWE superstar. In a lot of ways, this promo reminded me of the timeless 'Hard Times' segment with Dusty Rhodes.
Also, just how good is Drew McIntyre as an athlete? I hope that Rollins and McIntyre have a full-fledged program someday.
#2 Worst: The filler stuff
Every week, I bemoan the demise of Mahal. You take a guy who was the World Champion and put him in worthless exhibition matches that don't matter. This week, he teamed up with the Singh Brothers to take on the Lucha House Party.
This wouldn't have been a worst if WWE had made the segment matter or even made some kind of storyline out of it. But let's call it what it is really. It was a throwaway match on a three-hour show designed just to kill time and fill up the time slot with some wrestling action.
Mahal and the Singh Brothers actually went on to lose the match, which could have been used as a device to book Mahal back into some kind of serious contention again. Let's hope that all six of these men get booked in some kind of actual storyline soon enough.
#3 Best: Alexa Bliss gets cleared
Alexa Bliss is one of the hardest working women in the WWE roster. Often times when somebody gets injured, they return home to spend time with family. Bliss stayed on, became a talk show host and went viral on a YouTube video too. I think even if the WWE Universe does not necessarily like her, they respect her.
And this is why they cheered so loudly when she announced that she would be competing in the Royal Rumble match. It's always great news when someone gets cleared to make an in-ring return. She could potentially be one of the favourites to win the Royal Rumble match.
This is because Alexa Bliss has always been booked in an important position in the roster during her time the main roster. Could she potentially challenge Asuka for her title?
I am curious to see what happens with Alexa Bliss.
#3 Worst: Announcing all the contenders
Can we all agree that the best thing about the Royal Rumble is the surprise element? When you announce all the participants beforehand, that's a real dampener. I am not a fan of either the men or the women announcing their entry into the match. I feel like it takes away from the excitement.
Alexa Bliss rattled off all the names this week, during 'A Moment of Bliss'. We already know that Carmella will be at Number 30 in the match. The element of who's coming out last has already been spoiled for the WWE Universe.
This is, at its core, one of the most critical issues with all of WWE at this moment. The element of predictability is turning fans away from the product.
Let's hope that a few legends do show up during the match and a few NXT Superstars get called up as well.
#4 Best/worst: The NXT call-ups
Knight and Dozovic had a great first showing against The Ascension. But I have mixed feelings about how the rest of the NXT Superstars were presented this week. Especially the segment with EC3 posing in front of the camera with Dana Brooke trying to attract his attention was cringeworthy.
I have mixed feelings about how Lacey Evans interrupted Alexa Bliss during 'A Moment of Bliss'. I think she should have debuted with a match as well, to show the roster exactly what she's made of. She's really impressive in the ring and many in the main roster are not aware of this fact.
I really do not have any thoughts about the main event or the tag team championship match, honestly. They were both okay and did not bore me, but hardly anything of note happened in either contest.
Could Alexa Bliss win the Royal Rumble?
