The Raw after a PPV is always an important event. New feuds are formed and old storylines are buried. It is the first step into the next edition of WWE programming. And as they say, “if the first step is crooked, the end result is gonna be crooked too.”
This week’s Raw had both the high points and low points. From Seth Rollins’ scintillating promo to Styles’ fall into depression, it had everything. Below is a list of the things that worked and the things that did not.
1. Bad – Groundhog Day
Let’s start with the bad. Just when we thought we’d seen the last of the Baron Corbin vs. Dolph Ziggler saga we get a backstage confrontation between the pair that leads to a match being made for next week’s Raw.
If this was a series of intense back and forth matches then this would be great but the crowd have been indifferent to this feud from the beginning. Hell, their first match on the post-WrestleMania Raw has overshadowed by a beach ball in the crowd.
Hopefully next week’s bout will be the last and we can move on from this seemingly never-ending story and Corbin can show his full potential as a future top heel in the company.
2. Bad – That’s not a birthday!!
Surely I wasn’t the only one scratching my head at this week’s New Day segment. They come out to a cake in the middle of the ring which is apparently to celebrate a birthday. Who’s birthday you ask? Well, it’s Raw 1200th episode of course.
Last time I checked, birthdays were the anniversary of the creation of someone or something, which is January 11th in Monday Night Raw’s case, just the 4 months off then. Celebrating the 1200th episode is a milestone and a mediocre one at that, it certainly isn’t a birthday.
Anyway, the segment was fun besides that and it’s The New Day after all, maybe I need to lighten up.
3. Bad -Great again?
There are many questions that come to mind whenever I see the Darren Young and Bob Backlund vignettes come on. Why has Bob Backlund agreed to become D-Young’s life coach when he apparently can’t stand to be in the same room as him? And how on Earth can you make Darren Young great again? He was never great.
But this week’s Raw left me questioning exactly where they are going with this storyline, then I remembered, I don’t care. Darren Young has never struck me as an entertaining person which is why I’m baffled as to why they are putting him in backstage segments, his best work has always been in the ring but even then he was normally in Titus O’Neil’s shadow.
It makes you wonder where he was hiding when WWE made the recent releases, surely he was considered for the cut when talents far more popular than he were given the boot.
4. Bad – Fading Fast
Another couple of wrestlers who managed to escape the recent releases are the recently re-packaged Shining Stars, Primo & Epico. They seem to have the same issues as Darren Young, while they are both talented in-ring workers they have never managed to form a connection with the audience and surely that’s what this business is all about.
Primo debuted in WWE 8 years ago and the highlight of his career is probably teaming with his brother, Carlito, and that was 6 years ago. To be fair, he’s never been packaged as a star and the new gimmick that he has found himself in is already showing signs of falling flat. I may be wrong but The Shining Stars look as though they are fading fast and this could be yet another underwhelming run for the Colóns.
5. Bad – Lacking Flair
This might come as a surprise to some that it’s made the ‘bad’ list as some elements were strong in this segment and storyline-wise this could be the way to go.
At certain times, Charlotte looked like a star. She looked confident and a lot of what she was saying felt real and garnered sympathy for Ric Flair and generated heat for the Women’s Champion. However, the segment floundered and Charlotte looked lost at times, acknowledging the crowd too much and losing her focus on what she wanted to say to her father.
While overall this promo was good and did what it needed to do, it was a reminder that although Charlotte clearly has huge potential and is one of the most talented females on the roster, she is still a rough diamond and has things to work on to become a well-rounded performer.
1. Good – Revenge of the Seth
On to the positives and where better to start than the return of Seth Rollins. The former WWE World Heavyweight Champion kicked off this week’s Raw to a big babyface pop from the crowd. He began his promo by working the crowd and teasing a face turn, but before long he switched it up and returned to the whiny, arrogant heel we all love to hate.
He made his intentions clear, he wants to reclaim the Championship that he never lost and doesn’t need the fans, he didn’t need them when he won the title and he doesn’t need them now.
This was an excellent promo and establishes him as the heel he was before the injury, some people wanted him back as a good guy but whoever was trying to climb onto the Seth Rollins’ bandwagon has been well and truly kicked to the curb.
2. Good – ‘A hard sneeze’
Another welcome return was that of Enzo Amore, reunited with Big Cass and picking up exactly where he left off without missing a beat.
Already one of the most popular acts on the roster, Enzo & Cass reunited by cutting a typically entertaining promo referencing Enzo’s concussion, or as he likes to call it, ‘a hard sneeze, achoo!’. Then got back to business by calling out the Dudley Boys and having Big Cass get a clean win over Bubba.
Although early in their main roster run, the charismatic duo look set for a long and successful career in the WWE and it’s great to see the ‘realest guy in the room’ back from his recent injury.
3. Good – Bank on it
The Money In The Bank pay-per-view is usually one of the better shows of the year and the this year’s edition looks set to be no different.
Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, Cesaro, Dean Ambrose and Chris Jericho have already qualified and with two spots left to fill, this is already looking like a dream line-up for the fans. Also, there isn’t a clear favorite, it doesn’t feel as though any of them are there just making up the numbers and all have a legitimate chance of claiming the briefcase.
The event is still a few weeks away, but this is a strong build from the get-go and could potentially lead to a classic ladder match on June 19th.
4. Good – Things have changed
Despite AJ Styles’ efforts to end his association with The Club amicably, a feud between the former friends looks inevitable and I for one look forward to seeing it play out.
This could finally be what allows Gallows & Anderson to show the WWE audience exactly what made them stars in Japan. So far, The Club have failed to live up to the hype that surrounded their arrival, more down to booking than anything they’ve done, but nonetheless a high profile feud which they will be the focal point of should give them more exposure to establish themselves as a top tier talents.
Also, with The Club now finding themselves without a leader, could the founder of The Bullet Club soon be on his way to reunite with his former allies?
5. Good – The Kevin Owens Show
Kevin Owens in the main event on Raw and winning clean? More of this please WWE.
KO has been the most entertaining performer in WWE for the last few months and now appears to be getting a well deserved push. A win over AJ Styles is big for Owens and doing it with no outside interference or underhanded tactics sends a huge statement. It builds Kevin Owens as a major force and also brings into question whether AJ Styles does actually need The Club at his side, furthering his current storyline.
A strong main event match with what looks like a logical finish for the long term booking of both talents has been a rare occurrence on Raw in recent years. Let’s hope they can build on this over the following weeks.
