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The Raw after the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view was not mind-blowing at all, and what can really be said about an episode of Raw after a pay-per-view that has not been said before? Every episode just feels the same.
Maybe it's the fact that WWE has implemented the same booking methods they do every single time when it comes to structuring these shows, and the thing is WWE has all the tools to make Raw a show that stands levels above any other wrestling show out there.
But WWE has become lazy with their booking; there is no creativity anymore, there is no surprising aspect to any of Raw's episodes, everything we see on a three-hour episode of Raw is something we have seen before.
And look at this week's episode of Raw, it was a broadcast that had all the creative freedom to be a thoroughly entertaining show, as WWE called up four of the most popular NXT wrestlers right now to turn up the heat on Raw, but due to a dull crowd, it was a failure. The question the head honchos at WWE need to ask themselves is why was the crowd so unenthusiastic.
Well, that question can be easily answered if you take all the factors affecting the show and sum it up into one answer, that answer would be the WWE Universe not expecting much from WWE anymore, and who could blame them? The company gives us the same matches, angles, and story beats every single week. It has become embedded in wrestling culture to not expect much from WWE and Raw in general.
While this may sound like a rant, it is not. It is just the truth. As fans, we always hope things could get better, and they do. With all that said, let us now go through some of the key mistakes WWE made on Raw this week.
#7 A Throwback To The Old Era
The biggest complaint fans had with the "old era" of Raw was the fact that every single episode started with an Authority figure coming out to the ring, giving fans a rundown of what is going to happen throughout the show, take out their frustrations on a superstar that would defy them and set up the opening match in predictable fashion.
Last night on Raw, Triple H did all three of those things, as he came down to the ring to recap the events of the Elimination Chamber, spoke about Becky Lynch's actions and set up Braun Strowman vs Baron Corbin.
It may seem like a petty thing to point out, but why can't Raw start with a match or a segment between the hottest superstars on the roster? Those things will at least get the show off to a hot start.
Instead, the creative team took the easiest route possible and set the bland tone for the show which the crowd decided to emulate the entire night. We need exhilarating opening segments to open Raw that get the crowd on their feet and fans all over the WWE Universe excited to sit through three hours of wrestling.
#6 What Is The Point?
The rivalry between Braun Strowman and Baron Corbin is one of the stalest rivalries WWE has produced over the last few months, as the initial reasons for these two superstars going at it had some really weak reasoning behind, and ever since WWE has not given any better explanations for why this narrative is still a thing.
Last night at the Elimination Chamber fans thought they would see the last of Corbin trying to take down Strowman, as WWE actaully wrapped up this narrative at the TLC pay-per-view in December. So the match at Elimination Chamber was not really warranted, but WWE went through with it anyway.
And once again we were treated to another screwy finish that saw Drew McIntyre and Bobby Lashley aid Corbin, which meant this narrative would continue all the way to Wrestlemania. Despite all that occurred at Elimination Chamber, this week on Raw WWE gave us the same match of Strowman vs Corbin, and this time it was Strowman who picked up the victory.
But the real question is for how long will WWE implemented 50/50 booking to keep this angle going? As the longer, it goes on, the deeper Strowman's career is being driven into the ground.
#5 There are Better Ways To Showcase NXT Talent
NXT talent has not had the best track record when it comes to staying afloat on Raw and Smackdown Live, aside from a few exceptions like Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose, Charlotte Flair, and Becky Lynch. There are a plethora of other NXT breakout stars right now that are either lost in the shuffle or are not even in the shuffle at all.
NXT standouts like Finn Balor, Shinsuke Nakamura, Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, Bray Wyatt, and Sanity are some of the hottest stars NXT has ever produced but on Raw and Smackdown Live most of them are struggling to stay on TV at a consistent basis.
And now WWE has brought on more NXT stars to the forefront, as Heavy Machinery, Lacey Evans, Nikki Cross, and EC3 are newest additions to the roster, but can WWE use them in a way that makes them stars?
Well, so far it seems like that is not the case, as this week on Raw, the creative team didn't know what to do with some of their newest recruits. From confusing promos that made little to no sense to debuting four of the hottest stars from NXT in somewhat lackluster fashion, WWE could have done much better with the NXT stars this week, but they sadly did not.
#4 New Era, Same Old...
Wrestling is repetitive. At some point, the superstars that once fought in the past will fight again, as the most successful matches in wrestling history are repeated. Whether it was the "once in a lifetime" match between John Cena and The Rock, the WrestleMania encounters between The Undertaker or Shawn Michaels or the dream match between AJ Styles and John Cena, if matches sell, you are sure you will see it again.
That makes sense for matches that are box office attractions, but what about matches like Lucha House Party vs Curt Hawkins and Zack Ryder or The Boss N' Hug Connection taking on Nia Jax and Tamina for the umpteenth time? How does WWE look at these matches and come up with the conclusion that they are beneficial to the show?
And while Smackdown Live and NXT do the same in repeating certain matches every week, those matches take the narratives they are working with to the next level, but the repeated matches and segments on Raw feel like they are just there to fill time. And that is where WWE is making a mistake, as fans are not sitting through three hours of Raw to pass time; we do it because we want to enjoy the show most of us grew up loving.
Furthermore, this week's episode of Raw had almost five matches and segments repeated from another episode, and while the NXT stars did provide a great outlet for something fresh, it was not anything groundbreaking. Something needs to change with regards to WWE's booking of matches on Raw, as the 'new' in our so-called new era will start to feel like a lie.
#3 Is This A Work Or A Shoot?
The Dean Ambrose situation might be the most interesting thing to happen to WWE since CM Punk's kayfabe walkout in 2011, and while this entire situation may be real, many fans believe that WWE is working us into thinking that Dean is leaving the WWE.
It's exciting to think that WWE could be planning such an elaborate narrative surrounding Dean Ambrose, as he is a superstar that deserves a huge narrative after being mishandled for so many years, but after witnessing Ambrose's booking over the last few weeks this is starting to feel less like a work and more like reality.
Ambrose's booking ticks every box of a superstar that is leaving the company, he is putting over every superstar he faces, he is getting buried, and rumors of him changing the script suggests he does not care anymore about the narratives and matches he is in.
And even with all that said, there is something truly disappointing with WWE failing to use Dean in one last good programme even if he is leaving. As this is a superstar that is possibly one of the most popular in the world, and by not using him in a narrative that makes good use of his ability is a big wasted opportunity from WWE.
As this week on Raw, Ambrose was squashed by Drew McIntyre, and while squashed is an extreme term to use in this situation, it feels appropriate due to Ambrose being a former World Champion that was put down like he was nothing.
If WWE does have a plan in mind for Ambrose, then all the fans' apathy will disappear once they understand it, but if this is the way they plan to use one of their most successful stars of the last ten years, it's a huge mistake.
#2 Second Time's The Charm
The match that disappointed fans the most at the Elimination Chamber was the Raw Women's Championship match between Ruby Riott and Ronda Rousey, as Rousey destroyed Riott in a matter of minutes. And the question many fans have been asking is why WWE made a decision like that.
It was probably to paint Rousey as an unbeatable force in front of her Wrestlemania opponent Charlotte Flair, or maybe it was to save time, as the post-match beatdown by Becky Lynch basically took the run time this match should have had.
Anyhow, it now seemed WWE realized that Ronda destroying Ruby was a decision they needed to amend, and the creative team booked another Raw Women's Championship match between these two stars in the main event of Raw.
And while this was the match WWE should have booked last night, it did nothing for Rousey and Riott, as everyone knew that there was no way Rousey was going to lose her title to Roitt after beating her like a ragdoll at Elimination Chamber.
So the aim of this rematch should have been WWE trying to give The Roitt Squad some credibility after they all failed to pick up any victories at the event, but instead, we got what we expected from this match.
Rousey defeated Riott and then took out the rest of The Riott Squad, and that was a mistake, as there are a very few legitimate teams in the women's division and The Riott Squad may be the team that feels like the most genuine team in the entire division. The teams of Tamina and Nia Jax, Sasha Banks and Bayley, and Carmella and Naomi feel like they could split up any moment if WWE needed them to.
So by jobbing out The Riott Squad WWE creates a problem for themselves when they need a group of superstars like Riott, Logan and Morgan to step up, but with their credibility completely destroyed no one will even take them seriously.
#1 Losing Steam Fast
The Universal Title may be the least important title in the WWE according to many fans who are sick of Brock Lesnar's terrible reigns as the holder of Raw's top prize. And while Lesnar does not look interested in making his reign anything more than what we see, WWE is dropping the ball in making his challenger Seth Rollins interesting enough to root for in this fued.
Many fans have said it in the past and keep saying it until today. Seth Rollins is better as a heel than a babyface, and its sort of hard to disagree with that statement, as WWE is not doing a splendid job of making Seth a convincing hero in his quest for the Universal Championship.
This week on Raw, we were treated to the same old tired promo by Lesnar's advocate Paul Heyman who told the audience things you have heard a million times before, and while those video packages about Lesnar's career was very well put together, it doesn't distract us from the fact that this programme between Lesnar and Rollins is a really disappointing narrative as each week goes by.
Instead of understanding what it means to Rollins to get back into the main event of Wrestlemania and what it means to be challenging for the World Title after a few years, all we hear from Rollins is how Brock Lesnar is ruining Raw, and that one note promo is not going to blow the roof of the building in any arena around the world.
WWE needs to add more depth, emotion and stakes to the build of this programme, as now it feels like match incomplete due to its emotionless booking, and that needs to change.
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