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A brand new era of WWE programming has begun and the action is ferocious. With Paul Heyman in charge, it felt like a very different RAW with more energy and shock value, all throughout.
But shock value does not necessarily translate into good television as a few segments proved this week. That said, I'd still say that this was one of the better RAW episodes that I remember watching in a long time.
Will Eric Bischoff be able to continue the same level of shock and awe on the blue brand? We will find out in just a few hours.
For what it is worth, here is my assessment of this week's show in terms of what worked and what didn't.
#1 Best: The best start to RAW in some time
We all knew that Paul Heyman had taken over RAW and that big changes would be afoot in the red brand after this move. Expectations were certainly sky high when RAW kicked off and two monsters in Braun Strowman and Bobby Lashley stepped out to compete against one another in what was a heated brawl.
And then Braun Strowman would just push Lashley into the LED board, leading to a series of explosions taking our breath away, all at once, fireworks signalling the start of the Heyman Era. There were chants of 'Thank you, Heyman' that resonated through the crowd because even the most die-hard fan knows that the product has not been the strongest in recent times.
I don't know if Paul Heyman is the solution to WWE's problems, but this was certainly a great start in the right direction with him steering the ship towards the promised land. Let's hope that this form continues every single week.
See WWE RAW Results, Highlights of event, & more on WWE RAW Results page
#1 Worst: The Maria and Mike segment
There was a lot that was surprising about RAW this week, for sure. I mean Corey Graves pretty much said the S-word on air to the shock of everyone listening at home.
And then Mike and Maria Kanellis would confront Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch, challenging them to a Mixed Tag match. It would devolve from a match to a real cringy segment as Maria Kanellis announced on air that she was pregnant.
And then she went on to bury her man, saying that he was incapable of impregnating her at all. It was a segment that made no sense, got nobody over at all, wasn't funny or amusing, and just made us shake our heads in dismay.
We all know that the Paul Heyman kind of programming comes with its own share of sleaze, but this was still quite cringy and lame.
#2 Best: AJ Styles turns heel once again
Look, it wasn't surprising when AJ Styles turned heel against Ricochet. In fact, I'm a little surprised that the whole turn did not happen sooner than it eventually did. I quite enjoyed the brief altercation between Ricochet and Styles backstage which resulted in two really hard slaps.
I quite enjoyed their match, despite the fact that I found the false finish annoying. And then, when AJ Styles turned heel, he hit a massive Styles Clash to the delight of the crowd in attendance. I think that AJ Styles is a great heel and this new role also keeps Gallows and Anderson on TV.
Plus, there was no way they could turn Ricochet heel because he is such a natural babyface. Having Styles turn heel actually freshens his character up and potentially even sets up a rivalry with the likes of The New Day, down the line.
#2 Worst: Miz vs. Elias again
See, I'm a fan of the 2 out of 3 falls match when there's a lot of heat between the two individuals; when they're telling a long term story. The Miz vs. Elias feud has certainly run its course and then some because nobody seemed excited about the contest.
And I know why 2 out of 3 falls matches are happening, and it is because the man himself, Vince McMahon does not want anyone to wrestle when commercial breaks are taking place. It has just led to an abundance of 2 out of 3 falls matches in the roster, that have taken away from the charm of this contest.
Can you believe that I didn't slot Shane McMahon into the worst column this week? And that is because you simply cannot hate on a segment that also features The Undertaker.
Well you can, if it features Goldberg against him.
#3 Best: Samoa Joe made to look like a beast
I am still not a fan of the WWE Championship contenders competing on WWE RAW, quite honestly. But that said, I was glad at how this week's show played out because Samoa Joe was made to look strong.
I don't know if you remember Samoa Joe's program with Brock Lesnar when he was furious that he wasn't a Paul Heyman guy. I'm guessing that Paul Heyman is a fan of his from the time that they worked together.
Because Samoa Joe was able to choke Kofi Kingston out, he now heads into Extreme Rules with a lot of momentum. This is the first real challenge that Kingston has faced since the time he became Champion, with all due respect to Ziggler and Owens.
Kudos to the advocate, Paul Heyman for realizing what a special athlete and individual Samoa Joe truly is.
#3 Worst: Calling up the Street Profits already
In a division where The Revival and The Usos aren't getting any screen time, is it a wise idea to call the Street Profits up already? I mean they're incredible, but they haven't even really had a feud in NXT yet.
I would have loved for them to get over with the crowd in the black and yellow brand before they get called up to RAW because now they're bound to get lost in the shuffle entirely. Plus, it just seems like they were brought up to make a statement without any real plan in mind.
Why couldn't WWE actually elevate their existing teams, instead of relying on call-ups? Isn't this precisely what happened to SAnitY?
As glad as I am for the Street Profits, it would be a real shame if the duo were to be relegated to the No Way Jose spot because there are no plans for them.
#4 Best/worst: Waiting too long?
In the latest WWE NEWS, Bray Wyatt's Firefly Fun House was absolutely brilliant when it was still a vignette. I also love the fact that his puppets are making surprise appearances during WWE RAW. I'm just wondering if WWE may just be waiting way too long to pull the trigger with him.
I've been noticing comments on our social media pages with regard to the fact that fans are sick of waiting for Wyatt. I'm a bit divided on this front, which is why I placed the cameos from the puppets in this section. In case you missed it, Mercy The Buzzard appeared behind The Miz on RAW this week.
So, what is your verdict about the new era of RAW? Do you think that Paul Heyman can implement changes that will lead RAW to ratings and success again?
Or do we need a Goddess' blessings for that?
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