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This was an odd episode of Raw, even by its own standards. The main stories on the brand mostly took a backseat. Instead, WWE decided to do something different by bringing up four of NXT's brightest stars for a sojourn. Credit to the company for trying something different and breaking out of its stultifying formula. Long may it continue.
How successful was it, though? A few things worked against last night's episode, including a worst of all time level crowd. If WWE knows what's good for it, it will never do another TV taping in front of that crowd.
Let's take a look at who got the most and least out of last night's episode.
Winner: Ricochet
It wasn't long before the first of the four NXT stars debuted. Ricochet came out to assist Finn Balor against Bobby Lashley and Lio Rush, who are still mysteriously together despite Lashley's attack on his hype man the night before.
The crowd was awful, but that didn't stop this from being a great tag team match. Ricochet looked excellent here, showcasing why he truly is "the one and only." Lio Rush was a great choice for him to showcase his skills against and his encounters with Bobby Lashley were fun also.
When he got the hot tag near the end of the match, things picked up, and it didn't appear that he had been limited in what he was allowed to do.
Ricochet promised he'd be back and the announcers said we'd be seeing a lot more of him in the future. Does that mean a call up could be coming soon? Ricochet is one of those guys that still feels like he has mileage left in NXT, but it isn't like he's not ready to move to the main roster.
Losers: Lacey Evans and Heavy Machinery
Speaking of NXT call ups, this reminded us that they still exist, though it didn't do them any favors. This was an awful segment. In everything from Heavy Machiner's scripted to death dialogue to Lacey Evans' bizarre behaviour, it was just a strikeout from the very beginning.
Some people are saying that Lacey Evans is angling to be Heavy Machinery's manager, but that pairing would make no sense at all.
Already it feels like the latest batch of NXT call ups have failed spectacularly. Granted, they were supposedly seen as disposable by Triple H anyway, but it just shows how clueless the company is in using its talent. Thankfully, the big four from NXT last night were used much better, suggesting greater investment in them.
It appears that the latest batch of call ups have all chosen Raw, despite nothing being official yet.
Winners: Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa
Thankfully, after the bizarre segment, we got DIY vs. The Revival - on Raw. While there was no chance that this match was going to come close to their TakeOver classics, it was still a great one, and still shows what these four could potentially do on a pay per view. In a dilapidated tag team division, it would be just what the doctor ordered.
But are we close to seeing that eventuality? Certainly, with Ciampa and Gargano holding gold at the moment, no call up is coming from NXT just yet. Gargano in particular still feels like he has something to do.
And this all raises the question - do we want them as a tag team on the main roster? For Ciampa in particular, it would feel like a waste. The best (or second best) heel in the company should be going after the top titles.
Either way, them scoring the win here suggests that there are decent things in store for them. WWE might not be high on the Revival, but NXT talent pinning main roster champions will always be a big deal.
Losers: Sasha Banks and Bayley
The night after their big win, Sasha Banks and Bayley said what we knew - these titles would be defended across brands. Intriguingly, they also said they would defend the titles against NXT talent. As soon as Sasha uttered those words, the Sky Pirates came to mind. If ever there were one definitive match to legitimize a new title and a championship reign, that would be the one. Sasha Banks and Bayley taking on Kairi Sane and Io Shirai has "match of the year contender" written all over it if given the appropriate time and venue.
Unfortunately, what we got next was the opposite of the Sky Pirates. It was Nia Jax and Tamina, arguably the least exciting duo in WWE today. Their presence, including a sloppy instance of physical contact, indicated that their feud would be continuing.
The good news is that it suggests that this won't be the WrestleMania match. The bad news is that for the immediate term, Sasha Banks and Bayley will be put into a dud of a feud that doesn't do them or the titles any favors.
Winner: Aleister Black
Aleister Black unfortunately had the weakest debut of the four NXT stars. That isn't entirely his fault. It was soon interrupted by commercials. Thus, the time needed to be filled by Elias restholds that lingered over after the break ended. Still, it was jarring to see Black sell so much for Elias. We heard a lot about his strikes but barely saw any of them in the match.
The match did, however, sell his Black Mass finisher as instant death. As soon as Elias got hit by it, the match was over and it didn't matter what else had happened prior to that point.
Black also got his full entrance, which is arguably the best in WWE today. He was treated as a star with his appearance to shut up the annoying Elias.
Of all the NXT stars there that night, Black is probably closest to a full time call up, and we'll probably see him after WrestleMania. This was a good preview, but I hope he ends up on SmackDown.
