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I personally did not care for the episode of RAW that aired this week. Sure, it was newsworthy and it has a lot of consequences on future episodes, but I just thought that the pacing was off entirely. Except for the two triple threat matches and the main event, nothing really had any stakes. But I will try and be impartial as I recap the events from this week's show.
As always, I invite you to leave a comment. What do you think of the RAW roster following the Superstar Shake-Up? Do you think that RAW has emerged as the superior brand following the split, in your opinion?
So, let's glance across the three hours that were and recap what I liked and disliked. RAW could be a great show in due time, but isn't one yet.
I'm a lot more excited about NXT this week.
#1 Best: Robert Roode
While there is no outright indication of the fact that Robert Roode is the heel that Bobby Roode wasn't allowed to be, I have a feeling such is the case. After all, everyone loves Chad Gable and Roode did say that Gable was dead weight during his promo.
He also took on Ricochet and was clearly the heel in that match. I have a feeling that we will see a lot more heelish indications in the weeks that follow. Bobby Roode may have been everyone's loving, smiling babyface, but Robert Roode is certainly not one, I think.
Moreover, he has a moustache and you cannot expect anyone with a moustache to be a babyface, right? I mean Joey Ryan told me something to that effect when I interviewed him only a few days ago.
Bobby Roode needed this change in character!
#1 Worst: The botches
So, it's one thing that WWE introduced The Viking Experience last week and then already changed their names to The Viking Raiders. But then, the commentators were so confused while calling their match that they alternated between calling them both names through the course of the contest.
Moreover, shouldn't Cesaro be walking out to his own music, now that The Bar has split up? He walked out to Sheamus' music much to the puzzlement and the amusement of the WWE Universe, this week.
Moreover, Mike Rome had one of those moments where he forgot that The IIconics were two people and not one. So he referred to them by one name, namely Peyton Billie Kay.
These are not even errors that were made by the performers but those in the non-competing roster, who I'm sure got an earful from Vince McMahon and Kevin Dunn shortly afterwards.
#2 Best: Styles vs. Seth Rollins confirmed
AJ Styles and Seth Rollins are arguably the two best performers of our generation and have already clashed outside WWE. Now they have the chance to recreate the magic in a WWE ring and this should be quite the clash. I'm quite excited to see the match when it does take place at Money In The Bank 2019.
Now I know that there are some among you who're upset that the match is happening so very early and at a small stage. I have a feeling that this is only the beginning of their program and we're in for a lot of action from the two men, over the months to follow. In fact, I even foresee a heel turn from one of the men somewhere down the line.
Prepare to be excited, wrestling fans. This is the clash you've all been waiting for!
#2 Worst: Alicia Fox
The women of WWE have achieved new heights that none of us would have imagined possible, once upon a time. They have gone from gimmick matches where their sex appeal was the central highlight to the main event of WrestleMania over time. And then there's Alicia Fox who still wrestles like it's 1999 again.
The Women's Evolution has passed her by and it's a shame to see her attempt stuff that she cannot do in the ring and fail miserably. She took on Becky Lynch, one of the women who's taken women's wrestling to the next level and just had the worst match in history. This was not the match Lynch needed to have on RAW, following her big WrestleMania 35 victory.
Alicia Fox needs a stint in NXT more than a lot of women in the brand, I honestly feel. And there's no shame in going to wrestling's hottest brand, don't you think?
#3 Best: Sami Zayn's promo
One of the main issues that RAW will face in the weeks that follow is the absence of Elias in the WWE RAW roster. This is because Elias could get the crowd riled up like nobody's business and this would essentially make it easy for whoever comes in, to be an immediate babyface.
But now, Sami Zayn may actually take his place, because he's been cutting these incredible promos that we didn't know he could, once upon a time. Zayn gets the crowd, which may be on his side to begin with, to turn against him at once, and I'm certain a babyface can benefit from this.
It remains to be seen which babyface will be next to take on someone like Sami Zayn in a full-fledged feud. I think someone like The Miz can have a great war of words with him.
Perhaps even Rey Mysterio!
#3 Worst: Alexander loses his debut match
So, if you draft Cedric Alexander from 205 Live to RAW you imagine that he's going to get a big start in the main roster, do you not? You certainly don't think that he's going to be losing his debut match on RAW, because that's just stupid.
But that's exactly what happened when Cedric Alexander took on Cesaro in a singles bout. You can make the argument for Cesaro not losing a singles match after splitting from Sheamus, but there's no reason why Cedric Alexander needed to be Cesaro's opponent.
I mean WWE could just have had someone like Curtis Axel do the job for Cesaro or Alexander. If you remember, Ali won many matches, one after the other when he first made his main roster debut because he needed to be portrayed like a big star.
I guess this is certainly not the case with Cedric Alexander.
#4 Best/worst: Bray Wyatt's Firefly Fun House
So, I know that a lot of you are sold about Bray Wyatt's new character on RAW. I know that a lot of you are also up in arms about the radical transformation from his initial gimmick. I am on the fence myself and will not come to a conclusion until Bray Wyatt lets this gimmick play out.
I love the potential of this gimmick if you consider the scope of it. On the one hand, it allows for new characters to be brought in and a new Wyatt Family to be created in the roster. On the other, it allows for Bray Wyatt to freshen up his character and tease a war with the dark side of his persona.
But then WWE does not exactly have a great track record when it comes to telling stories. Let's hope that they do this one right for a change.
Alexa Bliss not being on the show was a worst.
