This column was all set to be about how the WWE had completely devalued the WrestleMania 32 results last week. Then Monday night’s episode of RAW happened.
Don’t be misled, the points about WrestleMania’s implications, specifically that Shane McMahon is getting control of RAW anyway despite losing to the Undertaker, are still valid. But after the WWE turned in an incredibly entertaining and interesting show on Monday, all of that seemed less important somehow.
The episode had so much to be excited about, from a Women’s Championship match that told a story to Dr. Phil gettting in a few “Woos” on Ric Flair to crowning No. 1 contenders. There were also matchups we haven’t seen yet or haven’t seen in a while, and all under the guise of Shane being in control of the show, even though that’s obviously just a part of the story.
And it was mostly, if not all, a load of fun to watch for the first time in weeks.
Matches that matter
Perhaps the biggest reason that the show was so compelling was that the matches all had a purpose, for the most part.
First up was an impromptu match between Cesaro and Kevin Owens for a shot at The Miz for the Intercontinental Championship. Now it’s important to note that by the rules that have been set forth in the WWE, Owens is owed a rematch, but Shane made him earn it and Cesaro came out on top. But it’s also important to note that when the matches are high-quality and the results are fan-friendly, those rules become even less of a concern than they are already.
Fans had also learned that there would be a tournament to decide who would be the No. 1 contenders for New Day’s Tag Team titles. The bracket is to include two recent NXT call-up teams in the Vaudevillains and Enzo and Cass, and a third new team in Golden Truth. On top of that, Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows made their WWE debut to attack the Usos to add even more excitement to the division.
Additionally, Charlotte defended her Women’s Championship against Natalya and AJ Styles faced Sami Zayn in a match that would’ve allowed Zayn a spot in a Triple Threat match for Roman Reigns’ World Heavyweight Championship. Natalya and Zayn came up short, but the matches were entertaining, and they drove a story.
Logic not always needed
The main event might not have gotten the crowd reaction that it should have, but that doesn’t mean the match wasn’t a treat. After Reigns and the Wyatts worked together to clear the ring of the League of Nations earlier in the evening, Shane placed Reigns and Bray Wyatt in a tag team match against Alberto Del Rio and Sheamus in the night’s finale.
Sure, Reigns and Wyatt were feuding late last year. Sure, Reigns made sure to say he didn’t trust Wyatt, and Wyatt made it clear that Reigns would always be his adversary. But in the end, both men dislike the League of Nations, and as such, they coexisted just enough to get the win after an incredibly cool moment when Wyatt pointed to Sheamus as Reigns speared him to protect the pinfall.
These two don’t need to ever be on the same team again. But for the first time in seemingly years, Raw closed with a matchup we haven’t seen that was hard not to be excited about after a night that saw plenty of high-quality action, including another solid match by Apollo Crews.
Still a catch
All that praise doesn’t come without a catch, though.
You see, the storyline might reflect that all of these positive changes are a result of Shane McMahon controlling RAW, but that isn’t real. The reality is that, unless there was a major shakeup on the WWE creative team recently that hasn’t been leaked, this is largely the same group of writers that have been working on the show for months or even years. So why was this show different?
Were they told this show had to be both different and better to fit the storyline? If so, why haven’t they done so before just to put on the best show possible?
Has someone – be it Vince McMahon, Triple H or anyone else – released control of parts of the show to make sure it improves?
Either way, Monday’s RAW puts pressure on the creative team from here on out. They’ve shown us that, with the current roster, they can put on a great show with endings that fans will like, and they don’t even have to use everyone on the roster to do so. There are no excuses if the show goes back to its stale, uninspired writing of recent months, and the WWE leadership has to realize that.
