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Another Monday, another edition of Monday Night Raw, WWE’s Flagship show. After the WrestleMania fall-out and Superstar Shake-up, this episode felt more like a fresh start. We got a look at a number of new additions to the roster such as Samoa Joe and Cesaro.
Casual fans were formally introduced to Cedric Alexander. In addition to that, there were a lot of fun matches too, especially the opening triple threat between AJ Styles, Rey Mysterio, and Samoa Joe.
Last night's episode was better received than last week's show by the WWE Universe. Although the episode stumbled at times, the positives this week were clearly enough to outshine the negatives.
It's necessary for WWE to listen to its audience and improve its product accordingly. While last night's episode was filled with fan-pleasing moments, it wouldn't matter if WWE doesn't remain consistent in putting out a good show every single week.
So, without further ado, here are 3 moments from last night that prove WWE actually listened to what its fans have been demanding.
#3 The Viking Raiders
Last week, a shocking NXT call-up took place on Raw. The reigning tag team champions of the black & yellow brand, The War Raiders, arrived on the main roster.
Their debut match on Raw saw them picking up a dominant win over a 4-man team, featuring the current Raw tag team champions. However, all of the cool moments were ignored by the WWE Universe because of a weird decision taken by the creative.
The team's name was changed to "The Viking Experience" and all focus of the fans was on this questionable change. Many attributed the reason for this change to WWE being hesitant in using the word "war" on its flagship show. However, the new name was met with backlash and endless trolling! This week, the team's name was once again changed.
Now, the team of reigning NXT Tag Team Champions is going by the name, "The Viking Raiders". So, it looks like WWE was coaxed into changing the name after checking out fan reaction.
#2 Bobby Robert Roode
Bobby Roode had a remarkable run in NXT. Ever since he was called up to the main roster in 2017, he has been pushed down the card. Late last year, he was paired up with Chad Gable and the duo went on to win the Raw Tag Team Championships.
Even after that, the WWE Universe wasn't satisfied as most people thought that Roode's true potential was being wasted. Enter the Superstar Shake-up, Gable was sent to SmackDown Live while Roode remained on the red brand.
This week, Roode got a new makeover and a new first-name (Robert, which he actually used in TNA for years). The new gimmick has reminded many people of the "Ravishing Rick Rude" gimmick. Roode's first match, since splitting from Gable, saw the "Glorious One" racking up an impressive win against Ricochet.
It remains yet to be seen whether it was just a one-off or WWE actually has plans for Roode in the near future.
#1 A dream match
We got a first look at the challenger for Seth Rollins' Universal Championship at Money in the Bank. It was none other than the newest member of the Raw roster, AJ Styles. Styles ended up winning two matches to punch his ticket to the main event of next month's pay-per-view.
AJ Styles vs. Seth Rollins is a dream match that the WWE Universe has been demanding for more than 3 years now. Although the two have crossed paths on Independent promotions over a decade ago, seeing them compete now is a whole new deal. Both the Beast Slayer and the Phenomenal One have established themselves as two of the best superstars in the wrestling world.
Although many people wanted the match to take place at one of the big 4 pay-per-views to ensure a proper build-up, it is still a dream match regardless. There is plenty of time to heat up the program, and there's no doubt that Rollins and Styles will steal the show at Money in the Bank.
