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By no means was RAW the worst show I have ever seen. But it was bad if you consider that it was a go-home show before WrestleMania because it lacked intensity and excitement in several parts. There was much to like about the three-hour long ride we witnessed. There was much to dislike about it, as well.
Let me separate the wheat from the chaff in this post-show review. Let me know your own thoughts and comments in the section below. Did you think that the show lived up to your expectations this week?
Also, how excited are you guys about WrestleMania? Do you think that the build-up has been good or has it been lacking?
I always get a chance to voice my thoughts through these articles, but I'd love to know your perspective too.
#1 Best: The women get arrested
We all know that the women will be main-eventing WrestleMania this year. This is truly a commendable feat and it speaks volumes about how far the women's division has come in the recent past. But truth be told, as amazing as this statistic may look on paper, none can dispute that Rousey vs. Lynch vs. Flair has been lacking in terms of a build. I felt like this week's segment was the shot in the arm that the match needed.
It was by no means a great piece of cinema, that will be reviewed and recalled by experts. It was a fun, trashy segment with three handcuffed women, who would not say die even when confronted with authorities. When you cuff their hands, they fight with their legs.
I think we all chuckled while this segment was happening. And who doesn't enjoy a laugh?
As I said in another article, this was either the best or worst thing that I've ever watched.
#1 Worst: Making WrestleMania 35 opponents team up
I never get the point of a match like this, to advertise a big pay-per-view contest. While I liked the brawl that followed the contest, I did not care for having Ronda Rousey, Becky Lynch, and Charlotte Flair team up at all, really.
I mean, there was no way that their team was going to lose this one, of course. But my issue with this whole episode is that a real team in The Riott Squad had to take the loss because the 3 big stars had to go over in what was a pointless contest.
The Riott Squad were serious contenders for the Women's Tag Team Championships before last week's episode. For two consecutive weeks, they've been used as little more than enhancement talent.
I daresay that this is a shame and could certainly hurt their credibility in the long haul.
#2 Best: Return of The Demon
Finn Balor is one of the most exciting superstars on RAW right now. He can do things in the ring that most mortal men could not even imagine pulling off. And yet, on bigger stages, he taps into a certain side of his persona that gives him a distinct edge.
Balor will look at reclaiming his Intercontinental Championship as the Demon King when WrestleMania 35 comes around. I think that the sight of him walking down the ramp in the special avatar will certainly be quite the sight to behold. It also almost certainly means that he's winning his big match at WrestleMania.
Finn Balor has never lost in the main roster after adopting the Demon Persona, and there's no way that he loses at WrestleMania as well. Well, Bobby Lashley, you had a fun run as the Champion for as long as it lasted!
#2 Worst: The booking of Braun Strowman
How do you go from being the most over guy and most protected monster in the entire roster to becoming such a joke? While everyone else is deeply entrenched in their feuds for WrestleMania 35, you have Braun Strowman taking on a pair of local competitors? And why is he doing this?
He's only doing this because WWE wants the eyes of the mainstream world to focus on WrestleMania. I am not a billionaire and Vince McMahon is, but I don't know how many people will watch the show because a guy from Saturday Night Live is on it. And in this huge hoopla and mess, Braun Strowman has been booked as a joke.
Braun Strowman should have ideally been in a triple threat with Roman Reigns and Drew McIntyre. He deserves much better than this and being paired with Nicholas in consecutive WrestleManias.
#3 Best: The incredible RAW Tag Team Championship match
I was fortunate enough to connect with Scott Dawson during a recent media telephone call and I've literally never come across anymore who's more passionate about pro wrestling. I guess Sasha Banks would be a close second in this regard.
The Revival took on two extraordinary athletes in Aleister Black and Ricochet and proved that 'the top guys' are certainly the best workers in the company. They told a fantastic story and picked up a victory via count out, through a move that nobody really saw coming.
In an age where professional wrestling is so easy to predict, it is great to see how The Revival is keeping things fresh, not with a million flips but by telling a story. Also, how incredibly athletic is Ricochet when he carries off those flips and dives with sheer panache?
Now, this was awesome!
#3 Worst: Rollins levels Lesnar with a low blow
Isn't a babyface supposed to play fair? Okay, let me rephrase that statement! Isn't the top babyface of your brand supposed to play fair especially when he's going up against a monster heel? 'He's a nice guy and that's why people will gravitate towards him' is the philosophy I always assumed WWE has been following.
But Seth Rollins hit Brock Lesnar with a barrage of low blows to gain the upper hand. He left him laying on the mat and delivered a curb stomp to the Beast Incarnate. In doing so, he came across as the heel and Lesnar, the babyface.
Is WWE setting the stage for a heel turn down the line? Especially now that Reigns is back?
I still do not see the WWE Universe cheering for Reigns over Rollins, even if Reigns has returned after battling a life-threatening disease.
#4 Best/worst: Baron Corbin pins Rey Mysterio
So, I have mixed feelings about the whole thing and I'll tell you guys why. I know that Rey Mysterio needed to pick up a big win against Baron Corbin to look strong for his US Title match. But then, Vince McMahon probably does not care for the US Title match as much as he does for the Angle vs. Corbin match. That much is certainly obvious.
So, it's a good thing that Corbin won, in that case. He's most likely going to win the match at WrestleMania too. This can be gauged from the fact that Kurt Angle left him laying after RAW was done.
The veterans always do the honours for the youngsters in WWE. This may have been a passing of the torch from Mysterio to Corbin.
As always, here's a completely unassociated gif of Alexa Bliss doing incredible stuff.
