3 Interesting observations from WWE RAW (October 28, 2019)

Rusev and Lana's marriage exploded in the very controversial 'Divorce Court' segment
Rusev and Lana's marriage exploded in the very controversial 'Divorce Court' segment

This week was certainly a very interesting time for the Red brand, as the go-home show for Crown Jewel made headlines for reasons you wouldn't have expected at this point.

For starters, the episode closed out with a very controversial segment featuring Rusev, Lana and Bobby Lashley. It was cheesy in all the inappropriate ways, but one doesn't expect "Divorce Court" to end a show that is solely focused on promoting the upcoming Crown Jewel Pay-Per-View.

But I guess that is what defines Paul Heyman as a creative head in general.

The episode struck a perfect balance between wrestling and entertainment, even though both elements appeared very contrasting to each other after it was all over.

Let us take a look at some interesting observations from this week's episode of Monday Night RAW (October 28, 2019):


#3 'Seth Rollins vs. Erick Rowan' set a perfect standard for the Universal Champion's Falls Count Anywhere match against The Fiend at Crown Jewel

It is a risk to put on a gimmick match featuring one of your top Superstars a few days before the same gimmick match is supposed to take place at a huge Pay-Per-View.

In this case, Seth Rollins defeated Erick Rowan at last night's Falls Count Anywhere matchup. Rollins is supposed to defend his Universal Championship against "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt at Crown Jewel in a Falls Count Anywhere contest that 'can't be stopped for any reason'.

Unexpectedly, Rollins and Rowan put on a great contest last night. The match didn't feature any twists or 50/50 booking - It was entertaining as well as quite rich plotwise.

If you remember, a forklift was involved in Rowan's attack on Roman Reigns in the past. Ironically, Seth Rollins used a forklift to pin Erick Rowan last night, thus ending this storyline for good.

Everything came full circle when it comes to the aforementioned plot last night, but can Seth Rollins and Bray Wyatt put on a Falls Count Anywhere match that exceeds expectations at Crown Jewel?

See WWE RAW Results, Highlights of event, & more on WWE RAW Results page

#2 Here's why Paul Heyman isn't afraid to break traditional storytelling rules in Pro-Wrestling

Paul Heyman's influence on RAW can be felt throughout the show, speaking as a viewer.

Some of his booking techniques work, and a lot of times, they don't.

For example, I loved how the Kabuki Warriors have been propelled to the top of the Women's Division on RAW. Despite being the Women's Tag Team Champions, they also have beef with the RAW Women's Champion, Becky Lynch.

Asuka also revealed the duo's feisty, unpredictable nature by spewing the green mist on Paige's face (a former ally). We have also seen the inclusion of wrestlers speaking in their native languages without any context, which seems like a 'Paul Heyman move' too, and the Kabuki Warriors are just another example of that.

Similarly, Humberto Carrillo's unexpected push also seems to be another one of Paul Heyman's booking traits. What's similar here is that a lot of things on RAW happen without any context - sometimes they work, as highlighted above.

But other times, for example, we have the Street Profits making an entrance on RAW only to exit the stage by dancing with the crowd just for the sake of having fun. Does that work in the overall scheme of things during a 3-hour show? Probably not.

But breaking traditional storytelling rules just to experiment on such a big stage says a lot about Paul Heyman's creative direction, and it has certainly been a topsy-turvy ride so far.

#1 Why Rusev is back to becoming a fan-favorite in the weirdest way possible

The Rusev-Lana-Lashley love triangle is what it is - a steamy sleaze fest meant to induce cringeworthy reactions from the fans at the same time.

The only way to enjoy this angle is to laugh at how cheesy it is. Things took to a brand new level last night, as several plot twists were introduced into this love triangle.

You have to watch the segment to grasp the dramatic premise in its entirety. If there is one notable moment from last night's "Divorce Court" segment, it is that Rusev looked like he is finally getting over one more time.

There were several "Rusev Day" chants during this segment, and the way it all ended makes Rusev appear as a sympathetic figure, which will surely garner more support for The Bulgarian Brute.

The weirdest thing about this is that a lot of fans are disgusted by how cheesy these segments are, but at the same time, people are subconsciously rooting for Rusev to emerge as the victor here.

In a way, Rusev is benefiting (character-wise) from these Attitude Era-esque segments. On a side note, Lana deserves some praise for showcasing some of the most over-the-top on-screen performances on WWE TV this decade.

What did you think about the controversial "Divorce Court" segment from last night's RAW?


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