With unique settings and high stakes, the November 28th edition of Raw prospered, despite no appearance from Goldberg or Brock Lesnar. Feuds began to take shape for WWE Roadblock: End of the Line and championships were the main focus of this week’s Raw (besides the US championship, but we’ll get to that).
Although the match card for the upcoming Raw-exclusive PPV wasn’t filled, WWE provided fans with an extremely strong episode of Raw this week. So, which segments impressed, and which tarnished an otherwise strong showing for the red brand? Let’s find out, as I analyse and grade each segment from the November 28th edition of WWE Raw.
Cedric Alexander vs. Tony Nese and Rich Swann vs. Noam Dar/ New relationship storyline
Grade for both: 7/10
This was a fine Cruiserweight match for what it was, although neither competitor gained anything from this. Alexander seemed set to gain some momentum with a big win in his hometown, but instead, he appears to have been paired, in a love story, with the directionless Alicia Fox. Rumors have also indicated the two would be in a relationship storyline going forward, so that's that.
Tony Nese, despite winning, only emerged victorious due to interference from Drew Gulak, and nothing will come from this win for the Premier Athlete. Hopefully 205 Live will inject some momentum into the floundering Cruiserweight division, as it appears to be the new filler matches on Raw. Overall, this was a fine match, but it did nothing for either competitor.
Somehow, Noam Dar has lost all momentum after a hot debut in his home country of Scotland, and he was bafflingly portrayed as the heel in this match. Rich Swann continues to impress, however, and he picked up a solid win to gain some momentum for his Cruiserweight title match against Brian Kendrick on 205 Live tomorrow.
Still, this match was nothing special, although Swann getting some promo time after the bout was a nice touch. However, the Cruiserweight division still has a long way to go in regards to improvement, and this didn’t help matters much.
Braun Strowman vs. R-Truth/Mick Foley
Grade: 8/10
This match was not the highlight of this segment by a longshot although it kept Strowman strong as he decimated Golden Truth single-handily. No, this segment shined in regards to the Zayn-Strowman-Foley storyline, which was centre stage after the bout. Zayn played his role perfectly as the courageous, never-say-die babyface, as he stood up to Strowman once again.
Zayn’s tensions with Mick Foley has also given the Underdog from the Underground some development in regards to his personality, with Zayn confronting Foley about his previous success and calling Foley a hypocrite for not letting Zayn go all-out like Foley did in the prime of his career.
Where this goes from here is very intriguing, and the Zayn-Strowman story continues to be a highlight of Raw, with both men benefiting from it. Overall, a strong segment that furthered the Zayn-Strowman feud, which has been extremely well-done, up to this point with both men being portrayed excellently.
Kevin Owens on the Highlight Reel:
Grade: 8/10
This was a strong way to open the show, as it stemmed directly from last week’s main event and its controversial ending. Jericho and Owens continue to be incredibly entertaining, with their chemistry being terrific.
The tensions between the two were at the forefront once again, as the slow build to their eventual implosion continues while the fan anticipation grows. Reigns was fine on the mic here, and WWE wisely kept him toned down to a few strong one-liners.
This was also a great way to set up the Reigns-Owens match for later on, as Owens was goaded by Reigns into having something to prove. Overall, a solid segment to open the show, as Jericho and Owens’ tensions continued to grow, while Reigns appeared better on the mic as he capitalised on Owens’ need to prove he can win on his own, setting up their match for later in the night.
Seth Rollins attacks Chris Jericho:
Grade: 8.5/10
This was a memorable, unique segment, which introduced an aspect of WWE TV that has been missing far too often, a parking lot brawl.
Rollins came across as the vengeful, determined babyface, as he attacked the sneaky heel, Jericho, for his actions last week. His introduction into the segment drew a huge pop from the crowd, and the imminent rivalry with Jericho will do well to give his babyface run some steam until Triple H returns to face him.
This also ruled out any interference in the Reigns-Owens match later, which was a nice assurance of a clean bout. Rollins hitting the Pedigree on top of a car was an awesome spot, and if ‘The Man’ continues to be booked like a cut loose, daredevil babyface, he will start to gain some incredible momentum heading into Royal Rumble season.
Overall, a strong segment that saw Rollins and Jericho kick-start their rivalry in a unique manner, and the feud is sure to be entertaining.
Rusev vs. Enzo Amore:
Grade: 5/10
So, while the women’s revolution is going on, Lana is being targeted by male superstars for her looks? So far, Roman Reigns, the Rock, John Cena and now Enzo Amore have used the Ravishing Russian in a vulgar manner to anger Rusev, and it does little to portray Rusev as a heel, as he is only defending his wife’s honour.
Despite this continued weak portrayal of Lana, Enzo and Cass were very entertaining as usual on the mic, and somehow they got listing Thanksgiving food to be fun. The potential Cass and Rusev rivalry, that has been hinted will be strong if WWE decides to go for it, and it would be a great use of Enzo and Cass while the tag title picture is a tad crowded.
Still, this match was extremely short, and the use of Lana continues to be weak, but at least Rusev vs. Cass will be solid.
Cesaro and Sheamus unite at a bar:
Grade: 9/10
This was an extremely entertaining segment that kept Cesaro and Sheamus’ tensions and alliance present, as a subplot in the tag team division, and this was the best moment of their pairing so far. Speaking about how dominant they could be if they united, the Europeans cleared house in a bar by decimating a number of fellow barmen.
With another unique setting, this drummed up a tonne of intrigue for the Cesaro-Sheamus pairing moving forward, and fans may start to warm up to the duo sooner rather than later. They seem poised to beat the New Day for the titles soon, and this was a great start for the two men united as a team.
Overall, another fun, unique segment that highlighted the dominant unity of Cesaro and Sheamus, who seem set to win gold sooner rather than later.
Roman Reigns vs. Kevin Owens:
Grade: 8/10
Considering the quality of these two men’s previous bouts, it was obvious this would be another strong matchup. Intense and hard-hitting, Reigns and Owens have great chemistry in the ring, and their feud looks set to be thoroughly entertaining.
However, Reigns beating the Universal champion clean, was a shocking booking decision, as the US champion should not be booked stronger than the world champion of a brand, no matter the face/heel alignments. Owens’ poor booking as champion continues, while Reigns is treated as a megastar despite supposedly being a mid carder.
Worse yet, the US championship has been completely ignored and doesn’t seem to be relevant until after WWE Roadblock. Still, Reigns and Owens have great chemistry and wrestle splendid matches, so this feud should be very entertaining.
Overall, this was a strong start to the impending rivalry between the two men, but Owens’ booking has been terrible as champion once again.
Paul Heyman on Brock Lesnar’s Loss:
Grade: 9/10
This was an incredible promo from Heyman, who knows exactly what to say and how to say it.
Looking distraught with tear-filled eyes and a scruffy beard, Heyman’s message on Lesnar’s current condition and state of mind was all the more powerful due to his obvious dismay. Stating that Lesnar now has something to prove, Heyman increased fan anticipation incredibly for Lesnar’s impending return, and it appears that a reinvigorated Lesnar will be where his character is headed.
Finishing the promo off with the announcement that Lesnar will be in the Rumble, Heyman did a brilliant job increasing fan anticipation for Lesnar’s return, and his inevitable confrontation with Goldberg at the Rumble. Overall, an amazing promo from Heyman, as this was a perfect segment to handle the fallout of Lesnar’s shocking loss at Survivor Series.
The New Day vs. Gallows and Anderson (Tag Team Championships):
Grade: 7.5/10
Considering how many times we have seen this match, this was not a much-anticipated title bout. Although WWE may think fans will be invested in these matchups because of the possibility of New Day losing, it is obvious that the New Day will retain, despite what WWE want us to believe.
However, this was still a strong match that kept Gallows and Anderson strong in defeat, as they decimated New Day for the majority of the matchup. The New Day retaining by using the pull of the tights is the second week in a row of cheating to win, and a heel turn may be imminent for the trio.
Given how stale their tag title run has been, a heel run against Cesaro and Sheamus could be a breath of fresh air in the tag division. Overall, a solid match that kept Gallows and Anderson strong while planting more seeds for a New Day heel turn.
Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte (Falls Count Anywhere, Raw Women’s Championship):
Grade: 8.5/10
Despite how many times these two have clashed, their chemistry is undeniable, and it was showcased here in a stellar matchup. The falls count anywhere stipulation, certainly helped this match feel less overdone than it has been, and Banks and Charlotte made history once again by main eventing the show.
The awesome spots that would usually only be saved for the men (moonsault off the announce table, kendo sticks, brawling in the crowd) made this feel special, and it was a pleasure to see the two women, main event the show in a vicious bout.
Banks winning was a surprise, as the women’s title has been flip-flopped so much that it has begun to feel less prestigious. Hopefully ‘the Boss’ will have a longer reign this time, and this feud has hopefully been finished for the time being.
Ric Flair endorsing Banks after she dedicated the match to him was a nice way to close the show, and his return drew a big pop from the crowd. However, it is time for this feud to step aside, as Bayley and the other Raw women, deserve to be making history rather than Charlotte and Banks.
Still, this was a fantastic matchup that was a perfect way to (hopefully) finish this rivalry. Once again, the women main evented, and the women’s revolution seems to be completely underway. Let’s hope other women get a chance now, however, not just Charlotte and Banks.
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