WWE Payback is less than one week away, which means Raw was tasked with one final push to get fans to watch their brand-exclusive show. There weren’t any strong matches on this card but that is expected this close to a Pay-Per-View.
Not a tonne of solid wrestling definitely hurts a three-hour wrestling show. Even the much-anticipated Dumpster Match between Kalisto and Braun Strowman was capped off with a spot that merely paled in comparison to the far more impressive feats by the Monster from weeks prior.
Simply put, there wasn’t nearly as much in-ring excitement as would’ve been hoped.
It’s a struggle to talk up the highlights from this episode. Thankfully, there’s no shortage of the outrageousness. Examples of this include Dean Ambrose making history with Chris Jericho’s list (even if it was only temporary) and Kalisto’s letdown of a big spot from his mismatched showdown with Braun. All of that and more lie ahead.
So without any further delay, continue on to see some of the lowlights and quirkier moments of the night...
#5 Wake up, Maggle!
So Booker T and Corey Graves are just going to no-sell any time Michael Cole appears unconscious? The show must go on, sure, but they need to have the man’s back in case he dozes off and certain color commentators decide to turn a sleepy cheek into a canvas for their ink pen artwork.
It’s logical to assume that Michael Cole was seen here listening intently to something over his headset. He simply didn’t realise that he looked like he was asleep or disconnected from the Matrix. It’s sort of a hypnotic clip to watch.
#4 Most outrageous fan reactions of the night
Production was on its A-game when it came to close-up fan reactions on this episode of Raw. Here were a few of the best, compiled into one gif.
Spread across the 3-hour show, there was a guy with a Jack Gallagher sign that was absolutely ecstatic to see the Gentleman, a fellow with bluish hair that did not hold back with the arm movements as he spouted out Enzo Amore's catchphrases and one kid in a Zelda shirt who was fairly happy that Seth Rollins’ team won their six-man tag match.
The Seth Rollins kid is most notable because he saw himself on the big screen immediately and made sure not to do anything dumb in front of millions of at-home viewers. Kudos to you, kid. You are wise beyond your years.
#3 That’s it?
Braun Strowman flipped an ambulance with Roman Reigns inside of it two weeks ago. One week ago, he destroyed a ring after giving Big Show a top rope Superplex. To continue this stretch of Monday night annihilation of anything and everything, he pushed a dumpster filled with his least favourite luchador off of a steep cliff.
Well, it wasn’t all that steep. It was more like a size that equalled half the height of Kalisto himself, which is not super tall. It wasn’t exactly an ambulance-flip level of cool, but it probably gave the Lucha Dragon a couple of nasty bruises.
It seems that not every dumpster spill can be on the level of that one time on Raw when the New Age Outlaws pushed one off the ramp with Cactus Jack and Chainsaw Charlie inside.
#2 Dean un-made the list
This backstage skit landed on this list because it marks the first time a wrestler un-made Chris Jericho’s List. That’s an outrageous feat for the Lunatic Fringe. Ambrose offered a cheap knock-off version of Y2J’s $15,000 light up jacket that he destroyed the last time the feuded and the goodwill was received warmly.
However, this turned out to a be a very short-lived first. As Dean excitedly celebrated his List removal, he transitioned his thoughts to the match ahead. He was psyching himself up while smacking Chris pretty hard. By the time he left, Chris already regretted taking his name off and re-added it.
#1 The first ever Dumpster Match on Raw?
The Dumpster Match between Kalisto and Braun Strowman was announced over and over again as the first of its kind ever on Raw. Many fans, myself included, collectively scratched our heads in confusion over this claim. Didn’t The New Age Outlaws have one against Mick Foley & Terry Funk back in the Attitude Era?
WWE unwittingly created their own Mandela Effect as many took to social media to straighten out what were thought to be untruths. The claim even offended Billy Gunn himself, who took to Twitter and wrote, “@WWE really the first time ever on Raw dumpster match. Whatever you do don’t mention me and @WWERoadDogg made this famous.”
Gunn even wrote “Thank You” along with a re-tweet of a fan directly saying that somebody needs to tell Michael Cole that James/Gunn vs. Foley/Funk in a Dumpster Match did once happen on Raw.
So what’s the truth?
Michael Cole later set the record straight that there have been a couple of Pay-Per-View Dumpster matches, including the Outlaws’ one at WrestleMania 14. There was a segment beforehand on Raw involving Foley and Funk getting rolled off the top of the entrance in a dumpster, but it wasn’t actually a match.
Billy Gunn might’ve remembered his history slightly incorrectly, but to his credit, his dumpster spot was way cooler.
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