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This week's edition of WWE RAW had something for all wrestling fans. From a historic opening segment with Triple H, Vince McMahon, and Stephanie McMahon to the RAW Tag Team Championships being defended to a new #1 contender being named for Brock Lesnar's Universal Championship, RAW hit just about every conceivable angle. If RAW did anything this week, it progressed the WWE storyline to its ultimate destination: SummerSlam.
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History was made and RAW had its moments; but, it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows. Join us as we break down the very best, worst, and downright ugliest moments in this week's episode of WWE RAW.
The Good - The Women Finally Get Their Due
It's been a long road for WWE's female Superstars. That proverbial thoroughfare included many bumps, twists, and turns. It was only last April that the WWE delayed the incredible progress their Women's Division made. When it came to the Greatest Royal Rumble, money won the day and the WWE caved to the archaic demands of the Saudi Arabian government. It was regressive and a sad day for wrestling that resulted in no female representation at the inaugural Greatest Royal Rumble pay-per-view.
WWE's decision was met with outrage from fans of women's wrestling and some even suggested that WWE put on an all-female pay-per-view as an act of contrition and penance. Fast forward three months later to tonight's RAW and those fans received the desire of their collective hearts.
The moment was nothing if not spectacular. The entire RAW roster stood on the entrance ramp accompanied by women representing RAW, Smackdown, and NXT. The television audience at home never saw Vince McMahon's introduction. It wasn't about him. It was evident that he had one purpose on tonight's show and that was to pass the torch of progress.
Gone are the days of pillow fights and lingerie matches, an era for which McMahon is largely responsible. He stepped back as Triple H, an unsung hero in the WWE Women's Movement, spoke. Triple H was visibly emotional as he addressed the women,
"We have stood in awe watching you, some of us with a tear in our eye, as you have stolen the show again and again...we are so proud of you."
Then the microphone was passed to who may go down in history as wrestling's most influential woman ever: Stephanie McMahon. Stephanie has been absolutely integral in the WWE's Women's Revolution. Perhaps this is why destiny tapped her on the shoulder to be the one to make the announcement that would move the company forward into a more equitable future.
McMahon addressed the female roster boldly,
"Because of you 30 second matches became main events and Divas became the Superstars they were born to be."
She then made the announcement that this October the 28th, WWE will host it's first all-female pay-per-view ever. The event, aptly titled Evolution, will feature women from the past (Lita, Trish Stratus, Beth Phoenix), the present, and the future. RAW, Smackdown, and NXT will each be represented on the show. To add, the event will also feature the finals of the second annual Mae Young Classic.
The women, overcome with elation, applauded. Some teared up. So did members of the audience and little girls at home. Tonight the WWE spoke to its future and boldly declared to women all around the world: you can do absolutely anything.
The Good - Roman Reigns Earns His Opportunity
The fans chose Roman Reigns, not Vince McMahon. In fact, it was the WWE Universe who tapped Roman as the heir apparent, when he dominated the WWE as a part of the feared SHIELD stable that raised hell on the entire WWE roster. Ever the opportunist, Vince McMahon followed suit.
As soon as McMahon began to give Roman Reigns even the slightest push, fans began to turn their backs. Their rebellion was fueled by what they considered a great betrayal. Their chosen one was now just as much corporate's chosen one. This incensed WWE's anti-corporate largely blue-collar fan base and they began to take their hatred out on Reigns. Roman Reigns; however, never stopped working.
He is the man he declares himself to be in promos: a grinder who shows up to work every day and even when odds seem stacked again him, he toughs it out. He wrestles with the football mentality he learned at Georgia Tech and his unparalleled work ethic fuels him to exceed expectations night in and night out. That is why RAW is in it's most comfortable position when Reigns closes the show. He is the biggest star in wrestling even though the WWE's top merchandise mover happens to also be one of its most hated wrestlers.
Reigns and Lashley put on yet another stellar bout. Like always, fans booed Reigns as he made his way to the ring; however, if one pays careful attention, something very peculiar happens during a majority of Reigns' matches. Fans begin to cheer as the match progresses. Blinded by Reigns' ability as a wrestler, fans begin to forget their prejudice and pre-conceived notions and actually enjoy WWE's most bankable Superstar doing what he does best: wrestling.
Reigns bested Lashley this time & will have yet another opportunity to dethrone Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam. Whether he does so or not remains to be seen; but, one thing is absolutely certain. Reigns has earned his opportunities every step of the way and no amount of hatred from a rabid fan base can ever take that away. Plus even the most ardent anti-Reigns WWE fan deserves a Universal Champion that actually shows up to work.
The Good - Kevin Owens
He was irate. He was vengeful. He was motivated. He was terrifying. Best of all, he was believable. Perhaps most importantly Kevin Owens saved Braun Strowman from a terrible promo (more on that later). Kevin Owens interrupted Strowman and reminded the Monster Among Men that he is still here and won't be going away anytime soon. Owens, more terrifying and realistic than ever, emoted, "When I tried to befriend you, this time it was for my 10-year-old son."
This time it was very obviously personal. Owens plays a villain on television; but, he is a stellar family man & it is well known that he is an excellent father at home. He continued to tell Strowman that his son wanted to be like Nicholas and join his side as a tag team partner; but, that dream was essentially killed when his father was thrown off the steel cage and onto the unforgiving ringside announcer's table.
Owens let Strowman know that now his daughter is fearful of her Daddy getting his spine crushed. Owens vowed, once again, in incredibly believable fashion, that he would do as Strowman attempted to do to him and take everything from him.
Later in the evening, Owens and Constable Corbin interrupted a parking lot conversation between RAW GM Kurt Angle and Stephanie McMahon. Owens reveals himself to be so hellbent on revenge that it makes him sick. He tells Stephanie that he is not well and suggests a SummerSlam match between him and Strowman.
This time, Owens suggests, that if he wins yet again, he should be given the Money in the Bank briefcase. Stephanie McMahon agrees and just like that, the WWE's best promo man may have forever changed the course of wrestling history.
The Bad - Braun Strowman
Braun Strowman used to be WWE's most imposing monster; but, now he has been reduced to WWE's resident comedian. Once known for toppling ambulances over with his bare hands, the seven-foot-tall former strongman is now WWE's resident pitchman. Over-scripted and reduced of the sheer brutal physicality that initially won over fans, Strowman is struggling mightily with his mic work.
Strowman was preoccupied with getting the Cincinnati, Ohio RAW audience to chant his catchphrase and holding that briefcase, it was hard to miss the irony. He is no longer WWE's Monster Among Men. Strowman is in grave danger of becoming yet another corporate shill whose main objective is to sell tee shirts, action figures, and catchphrases.
Inevitably Strowman or WWE Creative, we can's be sure exactly who, led the crowd in chanting, "Get these hands." If you closed your eyes long enough you could almost hear it, "Feed me more. Feed Me More. Feed Me More."
The Bad - Sasha Banks & Bayley
Perhaps this pairing wouldn't be so frustrating if it wasn't so obvious as to what the WWE could have had. This feud began before WrestleMania 34 and was intense. Two best friends and two of NXT's greatest performers reached the boiling point just before the Show of Shows. The two have already proven to be more than capable of putting on a classic bout, the WWE had a sure thing at their fingertips; but, then inexplicably, just let it go.
What followed was a series of strange segments, she said she said moments and ineffective repetition between the two Superstars. Now it seems like the WWE may be moving away from the feud, at least for the time being. After giving beat downs and being beaten multiple times, Sasha Banks declared her undying affection for Bayley last week on RAW.
Now the two are best of friends again and nothing that happened previously seems to matter. It's like the Roseanne show. During Roseanne's eighth season, Dan Connor passes away and Roseanne wins the lottery; but, when the show returned for its ninth season some two-plus decades later, nothing from that season mattered.
Dan had returned from the dead and Roseanne was back to being middle class and miserable. Perhaps these two reconciling is WWE's way of cancelling this feud for the Roseanne show. If that's truly the case, it would be difficult to remember the last time the WWE bungled an angle with so much potential.
The Bad - Finn's Tiny House
Sometimes WWE relies too much on scripted nonsense and reduces even its very finest talent to a forgettable punchline. While talking with Chad Gable backstage, Balor notices someone moving his ring gear. He is informed that Constable Corbin has moved him to a new locker room. Finn eventually finds that his new locker room is a tiny funhouse that kids watching at home may enjoy playing in. Don't get the joke? Finn is smaller than Baron Corbin, so he belongs in a tiny kid's sized house.
It's juvenile humour and Finn Balor is better than this. This is supposed to hurt Balor's feelings; but, does the opposite. For whatever reason, one of WWE's top in-ring performers actually enjoys his new tiny home and Corbin is livid.
With the enthusiasm of a local television access station salesman and the acting skills to go with it, Corbin monotonously replied, "Fine; but, enjoy your match tonight with Drew McIntyre." It's safe to say that the RAW writers jumped the shark on this one.
The Ugly - The Authors of Pain & Titus Worldwide
The Authors of Pain are one of the greatest tag teams in NXT history; but, like The Revival and The Ascension, WWE Creative seems to be at a loss with Rezar and Akam. Instead of climbing the tag team ranks and challenging for the RAW Tag Team Championships, The Authors of Pain are stuck in reverse in a lacklustre feud with Titus Worldwide.
The two behemoths took to the microphone and said what most fans were probably thinking. This is all too common in the WWE. The heels tend to speak what's on the mind of wrestling savvy fans and WWE still doesn't understand why faces are routinely booed while heels are cheered. The Authors of Pain said simply that they were in need of competition; but, were tired of the likes of Titus Worldwide, to whom they are obviously superior, in just about every meaningful facet.
You could almost hear the groaning when Titus Worldwide interrupted the Authors of Pain. "Not this again." Titus essentially sold himself to the duo and offered his services; but, in painful fashion, the Authors of Pain replied, "What can you learn us?" Yes, "What can you learn us?" That's when Apollo Crews went into an infomercial that may as well have gone something along these lines, "Titus is a good person and not just a wrestler. Google him and you will find that the WWE does so much outside of the ring, not just inside the ring. Go ahead google him. Just do it and you will see."
Then inexplicably Apollo begins to recount everything Titus has done for him; but, there is nothing specific, of course. Apollo, like several other NXT Superstars on the main roster, has floundered since getting the call-up. Titus' presence has done nothing to advance him as a performer. There have been no legitimate title shots, no classic matches, and he has been relegated to mid-card status, to put it kindly. To think that the WWE Creative would go the route of, "Look what he's done for me," when the performer speaking has almost no main roster accolades is truly confounding; but, that is indeed where they went.
When the Authors of Pain suggested that Titus should retire, O'Neil responded in painfully delayed fashion and a quasi-brawl broke out that suggests this feud will continue to our dreadful detriment.
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