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WWE burned it down this week on Monday Night Raw and the company did a lot to prepare fans for the upcoming Stomping Grounds pay per view. The show also had a bit of an Attitude Era feel to it, which, along with the wild booking decisions, the star-studded main event, and a few decent mid-card booking decisions, made for an amazing show.
Sure, this week's edition of Monday Night Raw might not be everyone's cup of tea. Beyond that, some of the WWE Universe has already soured on the product to the point of no return, but this was a treat for those that stuck around. Furthermore, it might be what propels WWE to defeat AEW in the upcoming rating's war.
With that being said and another edition of Monday Night Raw in the books, here are five ways Monday Night Raw got better this week. As always, let us know your thoughts in the comments below and be sure to tell us if you think Monday Night Raw was better this week or not.
#5 Edgier Content
Whether it lasts or not remains to be seen, but it's very obvious that WWE is taking an edgier approach to their storytelling. In fact, between Lacey Evans's extra sexy saunter to the ring and Kevin Owens taking shots at the production crew for not having signs ready, WWE seems to be in the midst of a revolution of sorts.
With that being said and WWE giving up on this kind of storytelling in the past after only a few in the past, it's not really known whether the company will stick with it though. If they choose to continue however, it does give them a lot of room creatively and also allows them to pull from the Attitude Era for inspiration.
#4 Opening Match
A five-man elimination match to determine the new number one contender for the United States title was an interesting way to start off the show, but it also a decision that ended up paying huge dividends. Beyond that, the finish to the match and Ricochet being the one to win the whole thing was only icing on the cake.
Maybe this ends in WWE just using Ricochet until a more permanent contender can be decided upon, but it does give fans a reason to start watching the United States picture more closely. It even allowed all the competitors in the match to get their stuff in, which only helped make it the classic that it ended up being.
From Strowman running laps around the ring and destroying everyone in his path, to Ricochet and The Miz battling it out in a white-hot sequence, this match had everything for fans to enjoy. In the end, it also showed that sometimes sticking with the formula can work to WWE advantage depending on how they wield it.
#3 Firefly Fun House
Bray Wyatt's Firefly Fun House has been the high point for WWE over the course of the last month or so, and that trend continued Monday with The Eater of World's latest edition. It also revealed that Bray Wyatt is some kind of cult leader, hell bent on brainwashing kids and intimidating them with his Fiend persona.
Of course, this wasn't the big live reveal that fans wanted, but it was a positive step forward in the storytelling of the character. Not only did it do a lot of to flesh out what the character was, why it existed and the purpose of the Fun House, it was also an interesting take on subliminal messaging in kids' shows, which only helped the aesthetic.
Again, it wasn't what everyone wanted, but WWE had some bizarre imagery in there, a very creepy approach to origins and the look of The Fiend and ultimately set the stage for it to be debuted soon. Whether it will or not or just end up being a failed idea remains to be seen, but the possibilities are endless!
#2 Roman Reigns
It's no secret that Roman Reigns is one of the most polarizing figures in WWE today and while he has struggled to get fans behind him in the past, that just doesn't seem to be a problem anymore. In fact, WWE keeping him off of television for a week turned out to be an amazing decision and only helped further the impact of his actions on Raw.
If nothing else, Roman Reigns was all business as he made his way to the ring and quickly made it known that he was looking for a fight with Shane McMahon. Unfortunately for Reigns, McMahon didn't want to show, which, along with a rant by McIntyre about Reign's family, spurred the Big Dog to come find the group backstage.
In the end, who knows if it will last or not, but right now, Roman Reigns has a lot of momentum on his side. He also has helped boost the quality of Monday Night Raw, which is going to make him an invaluable asset as time goes on and the rating war with AEW on TNT begins.
#1 Chaotic main event
This main event had everything!
From a series of run-ins that forced officials to restart the match, to the overall dream match feel of Seth Rollins versus Daniel Bryan, this main event delivered on all levels. Beyond that, it made Seth Rollins look like the perfect fighting champion, which will help to create reasonable doubt as to whether he will retain or not.
Think about it! Not only did WWE succeed in telling a wild story throughout the main event of Monday Night Raw, but they also had pushed Rollins to the limits in the process. In fact, between multiple chair shots from Corbin, Daniel Bryan working the shoulder of Rollins during the match and Rowan getting a few shots in during his run in, The Kingslayer won't be 100 percent come Stomping Grounds.
In the end, WWE did everything they could to get fans excited for the upcoming pay per view and it will be up to fans to decide whether that is good enough for them or not. However, WWE pulled out all the stops throughout the entire show and they honestly should be commended for it.
This episode was straight fire!
