Unlike the weeks prior, this week’s episode of Raw was taped. This is because the show happened in an international location, namely The SSE Hydro Arena in Glasgow, Scotland. While international shows are generally forgettable, this week’s Raw had enough good moments to qualify as one of the better shows at a foreign location.
However, there were plenty of moments that left us scratching our heads, because they were completely baffling. So as usual, we delve into what made this show work; and what WWE should stop doing so that it can deliver a better product on a weekly basis. Here’s our assessment of Monday Night Raw, from Glasgow.
#1 Best: The main event was perfect/ KO gets physical with fan
Watch out, AJ Styles and Dean Ambrose. The talent on Raw delivered a winner this week.
This match achieved everything it set out to do. It made Braun Strowman look dominant, it teased a Shield reunion, it teased friction between KO and Jericho because of the end result, there was a table involved, and most importantly it was a solid and entertaining match.
Kudos to Kevin Owens for tearing up an ‘I (Heart) Roman Reigns’ sign. That was a master stroke. Just when the show was beginning to drag, these guys picked up the pace completely. But this leads us to our first ‘worst’ point.
#1 Worst: Complete lack of logic
If you have picked 5 of your top athletes to be part of the Raw Survivor Series team, and they have friction between them, wouldn’t you want them to learn how to work together, so that they can defeat Smackdown’s team as a unit? Pitting them against one another so that they can ‘get it all out’ does not make any sense at all.
In fact, things are now worse than they ever were. Is it just us, or does Smackdown sound like a more logical brand, every single week?
#2 Best: The crowd was on fire
The problem with weekly shows in America is how dead the crowd is, in certain cities.
This international crowd was loud, intense and thankful that they finally got a chance to see their favourite superstars in action. The noise was deafening, even through our television sets, at times. Because of their enthusiasm, every segment felt important, and the three hours did not quite feel like three hours, most of the time.
#2 Worst: Then, the crowd got annoying
The same crowd that we praised in the last page, simply took over proceedings during the women’s segment.
And they simply wouldn’t stop chanting, even when the talent were trying to cut promos. Bayley and Charlotte looked visibly flustered at times. While we do appreciate an enthusiastic crowd, could you guys tone it down a bit maybe? It may be fun inside the arena, but for people watching at home, it does get a bit uncomfortable...truth be told.
#3 Best: Hometown hero
Week after week, we saw how little America seemed to care about the Cruiserweight Division. WWE played its cards right in Scotland.
Hometown hero Noam Dar made his debut, and the hot crowd was backing him from the word go. In fact, while the match in itself was fun; Kendrick getting heel heat for striking Noam Dar was the perfect touch that the division really needed. Side point, now that Swann has pinned Kendrick twice...does he get a title shot anytime soon?
#3 Worst: Reigns entering after KO
Shouldn’t the Universal Champion be the most important person in the show? Isn’t that Raw’s equivalent of the WWE Championship that AJ Styles now holds on Smackdown? As a result, shouldn’t he have been the last man to enter in the fatal 5-way match?
However, surprise surprise! WWE had their golden boy Roman Reigns make his grand entrance after Universal Champion Kevin Owens. It is obvious that Reigns will be pushed to the moon once again very soon. The tragedy of the matter is that Kevin Owens deserves better, and this just devalues the championship.
#4 Best: Goldberg/Lesnar promo
WWE has very, very, very good editing and production staff. The sit down interviews of Goldberg and Lesnar were a thing of beauty, and it built up their match like an encounter of legends. We are thrilled indeed to see how their showdown pans out next week.
The promos told a better story, than Raw’s booking has done in the lead up to Survivor Series so far.
#4 Worst: The Golden Truth vs The Shining Stars
A Stale match, stale story and an encounter that nobody cares about except Vince McMahon.
In conclusion, this wasn’t the worst show at a foreign location...but it was definitely far from perfect. We give it a 6/10. Here’s Lana addressing the village of Scotland, and wearing a dress that will make you fall in love with her, quite instantly.
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