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We break down the best, the worst, and the downright ugliest moments on the latest edition of WWE RAW. From Alexa Bliss and Ronda Rousey's opening segment to Jinder Mahal's new character to Bobby Lashley's mic flubs, we leave no stone unturned in our entertaining and widely read coverage of Monday's hottest show.
The Good - RAW's Opening Alexa Bliss/Ronda Rousey Segment
RAW's opening segment was nothing, if not absolutely brilliant television. In what was supposed to be a WWE RAW Women's Championship celebration for Money in the Bank Ladder Match winner, Alexa Bliss, the segment quickly turned into absolute mayhem once an incensed former UFC fighter Ronda Rousey entered into the fray.
After RAW GM Kurt Angle unenthusiastically presented the RAW Women's Championship to Alexa Bliss, Little Miss Bliss took to the microphone to rub her victory into the faces of the Grand Rapids, Michigan WWE faithful in attendance. Bliss continued to hype herself drawing the ire of an intensely perturbed Ronda Rousey. Rousey angrily made her way to the ring to confront Bliss, who unimpressed with the former MMA star's tactics, impressively stood her ground. Rousey's dwarfing presence didn't deter Bliss who carried on, "If you ever want a championship opportunity, you better get in the back of the line you over hyped rookie."
The comment drew the ire of the former UFC Champion. Not even former Olympic gold medalist, Kurt Angle, could deter Rousey, who pounded on the WWE Hall of Famer with Bliss' Money in the Bank briefcase. The blows obviously affected Angle, who favored his arm for much of the evening. When Rousey finally did get her hands on Alexa Bliss, she did not relent and inevitably put the new RAW Women's Champion through a table with a devastating power bomb. Officials then attempted to calm Rousey; but, she beat on them, as well until they all cleared the ring.
The entire incident earned Ronda Rousey a thirty day suspension from RAW General Manager Kurt Angle. Wrestling fans earned television gold and memories that will last a lifetime.
The Good - Dolph Ziggler Answers the Open Challenge & Wins The IC Title
Seth Rollins' confidence was at an all time high coming off a victory over Elias at Money in the Bank. Perhaps his confidence was a little too high as the obviously maimed former SHIELD member issued an open challenge that Dolph Ziggler swiftly and gladly accepted. In a back and forth affair that featured high spots, super kicks, frog leaps, and more the match ended with Seth Rollins distracted by Ziggler's tag team partner, Drew McIntyre. Eventually the once forgotten Dolph Ziggler rolled Rollins up and grabbed a handful of tights to score a pinfall and the Intercontinental Championship to go with it.
Ziggler has always been one of the best technical wrestlers in the WWE; but, has been unfairly criticized as unoriginal due to his in-ring likeness to WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels. Meanwhile, most wrestlers only dream of such a comparison. Ziggler, along with his new partner Drew McIntyre, have been gaining momentum on RAW and The Showoff has once again proven to be a major force on the RAW roster.
After the match Ziggler informed Renee Young that, "Monday Night Rollins," had been officially cancelled. Meanwhile, Drew McIntyre promised that the championship victory was the first of many to come for the impressive new duo. After soundly defeating RAW's hottest Superstar, we believe him.
The Good - Corey Graves Gets Honest About the New Monster in the Bank
Whether it was a Freudian slip or not, we'll never know for sure; but, RAW announcer Corey Graves levied a brutally honest mic drop on Braun Strowman, "Somehow a briefcase in the hands of Braun Strowman doesn't exactly fit." Graves then stuttered and gathered himself momentarily as if he heard a screaming Vince McMahon in his ear. The RAW commentator then issued a quickly put together statement about how Strowman doesn't exactly look like a business man.
Regardless of the circumstances of Graves' initial comment, he is wholly accurate. There doesn't need to be a Monster in the Bank. Monsters don't require anything that tips the playing field in their favor. The proverbial playing field is already tipped in Strowman's favor due to his size, sheer strength, and brutality to go with. Strowman doesn't need the element of surprise and the briefcase seems a wasted opportunity on such a dominant Superstar. The Money in the Bank briefcase is reduced to irrelevancy in the shade of Bran Strowman's lofty shadow.
The Good - Constable Corbin
What a difference a hair cut makes. Baron Corbin went from being an afterthought on SmackDown to one of RAW's major players in the matter of only weeks. Corbin was a mid-carder on SmackDown who had a dull personality to go and now this newfound cleanly shaven man with movie star good looks lights up televisions every week on RAW. His chemistry with Angle is increasingly superb and he showed great athleticism in tonight's main event. Unlike most wrestlers on the RAW roster, Constable Corbin did not cower in fear when confronted with the new Monster in the Bank, Braun Strowman. Instead Corbin asserted himself as a fellow worthy big man and had no problem going toe to toe with Braun Strowman. Corbin did extremely well for himself and looked like a formidable foe in the process. To add, Corbin closed his remarkable night on RAW by cleanly pinning Finn Balor for the main event victory.
The Bad - Jinder Mahal's New Outlook
While Jinder Mahal may have found a new outlook on life, the Punjabi Superstar is simply the same old boring Jinder Mahal. While Mahal pontificated about inner peace, enlightenment, and an all around new take on things, he failed to get over with the audience in the same old way. In fact the audience was so dead during Mahal's promo that RAW sounded more like a library than a wrestling venue.
It's not all Mahal's fault either. With WWE being a publicly traded company, he isn't allowed to generate the kind of heat the anti-American Iron Sheik did in the 80s or Sgt. Slaughter did in the early 90s. He could easily be a hated anti-American heel; but, in 2018 that wouldn't get over well with WWE's front office. Ask Sami Zayn. He was reportedly forced to read an on-air apology letter distancing himself from the company after questioning Bobby Lashley's military service.
Jinder Mahal has all the makings and physical tools to get over as a monster heel; however, the politically correct format of a publicly traded company makes that an increasingly difficult task. Mahal is instead forced to portray a Hare Krishna more reminiscent of Serrano from the movie Major League than any of pro wrestling's classic villains of yesteryear.
The Bad - Sasha Banks & Bayley Feud
The WWE really dropped the ball on the Sasha Banks vs Bayley feud. Their friendship started to break apart months ago and culminated in an intense backstage brawl before WrestleMania 34; but, the WWE did absolutely nothing to build the feud between the two former best friends. Banks & Bayley had two of the greatest women's matches of all time while competing in NXT; but, since their fall out, there hasn't been so much of a mention of either of these classic bouts.
WWE had an opportunity to put the two women in what could have been a show stealing bout at WrestleMania 34; but, instead put both Superstars in the inconsequential Women's WrestleMania Battle Royal instead. Two of the most hyped female wrestlers ever to get a call up to the main roster were relegated to pre-show duty.
The WWE seems to be attempting to re-ignite the feud now, months too late. In an era where attention spans are notoriously short, many fans likely don't even remember the origins of their feud, much less their illustrious NXT history. The WWE has done nothing to remind fans either, as both women have been an afterthought on weekly television.
After a brief reunion on RAW, the two lost to the Riott Squad and then broke up once again. Bayley seemed desperate begging for her friends attention and the two ended up brawling backstage once again in a near identical repeat of their brawl only months ago.
Bayley begged some more and took her desperate pleads to the parking lot, where Sasha Banks refused her overtures and awkwardly left the arena in her ring clothes. In a moment that perfectly encapsulated this feud, a frustrated Bayley threw a whimsy plastic water bottle at Sasha's car, as Sasha left without changing out of her ring gear.
The Ugly - RAW's Tag Team Division
RAW's once rebuilding tag team division is now in dire straits once again. The division is filled with quickly put together teams of singles stars that lack any legitimate chemistry. Included in this mix are Matt Hardy & Bray Wyatt, The B-Team, and Heath Slater & Rhyno.
When a tag team does have chemistry and works well together in-ring, WWE has no significant creative plans for them. Such was the case tonight with The Revival, who fought another quickly put together team of singles stars, Roman Reigns & Bobby Lashley. Instead of strengthening the tag team division with a Revival win, the WWE chose to put Reigns and Lashley over which accomplishes little to nothing in the grand scheme of things.
With rumors of Jason Jordan making his return, the reunion of American Alpha could change things; but, that's only if Jordan can shake the bad creative decision making that turned him into Kurt Angle's son. That's a big if.
The Ugly - Bobby Lashley's Mic Skills
Bobby Lashley looks like Tarzan; but, talks like Jane. No one seems more uncomfortable in their character's skin than Lashley. Instead of coming off as a world beater, Lashley sounds more like the soft spoken Michael Jackson than a world class athlete hell bent on domination. When calling Roman Reigns out he comically flubbed his lines, as the Grand Rapids, Michigan audience took notice.
As he enters into an apparent feud with Roman Reigns, he won't have Sami Zayn to carry him through this one. Reigns is now passable on the microphone; but, he is far from Zayn. If Lashley continues to falter on the mic, his WWE run may become derailed before it really even gets started.
