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Last night's episode of Monday Night Raw was expected to be huge. Everybody expected to come out in full force and deliver us a solid episode, in response to AEW. Instead, what we got was nothing of the sort, as the show fell completely flat on its face.
The fact that WWE seemed to not care last night is very frustrating. Hearing the fans chant " This is boring" and "AEW" isn't something any boss or a diehard fan of WWE would want to see on TV. It does seem that any segment involving Shane McMahon or Baron Corbin are usually the most hated. This is when the crowd started the chants last night on Raw.
A point to note last night was Sami Zayn name dropping AEW. It did seem like it was part of the script originally but was regretted instantly backstage upon the crowd's reaction. It was edited out of WWE's online video.
From an analysis or critic's standpoint, there are many reasons why this show could be picked apart. If you watched the show as simply nothing more than a casual fan who enjoys petty humour and little in-ring action, last night's show is for you.
This article is not to criticize Raw, but to find out 3 things that WWE vicariously told us throughout the show. Let's begin..
#1. WWE are pretending that they aren't concerned about AEW.
Throughout the episode of Monday Night Raw, we saw various segments of WWE superstars partying and having a good time. It seemed like they didn't have a care in the world what was happening anywhere else. This seemed to be an indirect statement to both the fans and AEW that they aren't worried in the least bit about the new rival company. This obviously isn't the truth though.
We may not know everything that goes on behind the big screen, but it is almost certain that AEW has got WWE's attention. Knowing how Vince McMahon is, he was pretending like WWE isn't concerned. Many of the segments that happened support this theory of Vince covering his tracks. WWE is far behind their game and they would be extremely concerned at their ratings compared to how AEW did for their first TV show. It almost looks like WWE came into this completely unprepared and full of confidence that they can beat any competition.
If you think about it, WWE does have a right to be a little confident. They have the experience of going into battle with other companies. Vince McMahon has never exactly backed down from a fight or threat that these promotions may put up. Both TNA Impact Wrestling and WCW tried and both failed miserably.
While WWE may be concerned about AEW, you won't find WWE making constant jabs at them. They will probably not get mentioned on TV again unless it's for a very good reason. This is the correct way to deal with it and makes WWE the " bigger man" in this scenario.
It proved over the weekend that AEW hasn't learned one thing from the past that was detrimental to both TNA and WCW which is, don't constantly acknowledge or take jabs at your competition. It is a rookie mistake by AEW and could cost them dearly if it keeps happening.
#2. WWE keeping their approach focused on entertainment to be different from AEW.
Yet another thing WWE hinted strongly throughout the show, was how their style will be kept different from the competition. WWE does not seem at all keen to focus on what we expect to see, wrestling.
This was nothing more than a direct statement to everybody who criticizes their product or wants them to change. WWE basically said that they are happy showing us childish humour segments, which none of us wants to see. It speaks volumes because it shows how stubborn and ignorant Vince can be sometimes.
What it also told us was that WWE is what they have always said they were, sports entertainment. Wrestling is not a high priority to WWE because they would rather find ways of showing bad humour segments. It tells us they care very little for what the crowd want and pay to see. This was evident by the crowd reactions at certain spots throughout the night.
WWE probably feels that there are enough other promotions out there who focus on the wrestling aspect, more than character development and fan interaction. That is why this week, it was all about them making a statement of their own to prove they operate differently.
#3. Brock Lesnar will continue being a thorn in the side of everybody despite his new gimmick.
Brock Lesnar has completely shocked the WWE Universe since he won the Money in the Bank contract. He now has the briefcase set up as a boom box (not a beatbox Seth Rollins). He came out on Raw last night with the boom box playing music and even doing a dance. Who is this guy and what has happened to the boring, bouncing around person who shows up when he feels like it?
Even I can't find a single thing to criticize Brock for this week. I found his segments absolutely hilarious and refreshing from his usual stale character. Seeing him on Raw for two weeks in a row is also something that is a rarity from him. This isn't going to last though because no doubt he will go into hibernation after Super Showdown.
It appears that the Beast may be a thorn in the side of both Kofi Kingston and Seth Rollins in the coming weeks or maybe months. His presence as Mr. Money in the Bank is putting that familiar dark cloud over the World title scene again. It seems that he was chosen to win either to become champion for a little while if ratings keep going down or just to add another accolade to his list. This really isn't good news to hear and shows how badly WWE has failed in building up new stars.
Whatever WWE actually have planned for Brock is unknown, however, it is strange that they now want people to say who they will cash in on. This is one of those cases where WWE have modified the rules to suit their needs. The whole aim of being the briefcase holder is to cash in whenever you want in the next year without notice. Of course, Brock seemed to not know this till Paul Heyman read it out. WWE is probably going to let him have another short title run for the Fox launch.
What are your thoughts on about these observations? Please comment below and thanks for reading.
