Monday Night RAW in Long Island, NY
Hot off the heels of a historically bad, Backlash PPV, Monday Night RAW rolled into the new arena on LINY aka the home of Zack Ryder.
2018 for WWE has been a tale of two cities. It’s been either absolutely awesome, or downright awful.
On the awesome side of things we’ve been treated to excellent matches, the shenanigans of Braun Strowman, blisteringly brilliant promos from The Miz, the renaissance of Seth Rollins, a Women’s Royal Rumble, an unexpectedly strong in-ring debut from Ronda Rousey, and of course, the in-ring return of Daniel Bryan.
On the awful side of things we’ve been treated to the never-ending Brock Lesnar/Roman Reigns feud which has rendered the crowd completely in apathy of both men, the bland return of Bobby Lashley, the train wreck that is the Styles/Nakamura feud, the illogical nature of the Superstar Shake-up, the de-push of Elias, and question “positioning” of certain wrestlers like Bobby Roode.
Tonight’s RAW exemplified the duality of a WWE to a T. Let’s examine…
The Awesome…
Braun Strowman: I’ve said a number of times on the site — I should hate Braun Strowman. His fee-fi-fo-fum promos, his limited move set, the shenanigans (tipping trucks, grappling hooks, etc.) — but I don’t. I actually love it. To me, Braun is the modern day “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. He’s a charismatic character that is able to be charming and funny at one moment, and then a legitimate world destroying bad ass in another moment.
His match tonight, with one of my all-time favorites Kevin Owens, was another feather in Strowman’s cap. Yes, KO sold like a mad man for Braun…but Braun gave as good as he got. He sold and sold for KO, and not in that slow, plodding monster way. He made you feel his hurt, and put things in doubt that he could win. He told a story in his match. Braun Strowman could’ve easily been another Gene Snitsky, Nathan Jones, Chris Masters, or Mike Knox. A big man pushed too hard that fizzled out shortly thereafter. Instead, he’s a top guy in the company, and one WWE should be using as their figurehead and not a certain vest wearing guy.
Ruby Riott vs. Sasha Banks vs. Ember Moon: Remember a few years ago when it was painful to watch a WWE women’s match? These were always the bathroom break, drink/snack refill, let me check my e-mail, does my dog need to go out? matches. Now, they’re must-see. Ruby, Sasha, and Ember killed it. Absolutely did. The day is coming when we get an all woman main event at Wrestlemania, and an all-woman WWE PPV (not the Mae Young Classic, but an entire PPV). As a father of a daughter, it’s awesome to be able to show her (eventually) women’s wrestling that is actually good and not a series of slaps and hair mares, and/or blatantly misogynistic garbage.
Seth Rollins: Remember Matthew McConaughey’s McConnaissance? This Seth Rollins’ Rollinsaissance. Rollins was just on this middle of the road tract that was doing nothing for him. The Shield reunion was fine for what it was. Their never-ending feud with the Bar was okay at best. Like McConaughey, he was a talented guy saddled with “meh” stories to work with. But then came the gauntlet match where he went nearly an hour. Like McConaughey’s turn in True Detective, everything changed. Everyone remembered he was one of the best in the world — and you could see a change in Rollins. This new air of confidence surrounded him, and he seemed to find a new gear to switch into. He was reborn, and he’s back to being the main man again…and possibly, the man who should dethrone Brock Lesnar.
Drew McIntyre: Everyone is finally seeing what I’ve watched for the past three years. Drew McIntyre is a damn beast in the ring. Seeing him in ICW, PWG, and even TNA — I saw how vicious, and talented he is in the ring. The man is a star, and in his new role, he’s going to prove it. And let’s face it, his team with Dolph Ziggler, is pretty damn great (and should easily beat The Deleters of Worlds for the straps).
The Awful…
The Potential Ziggler-ization of Elias: Who was the hottest act in WWE before Wrestlemania? Elias! Who was the hottest in act in WWE before Wrestlemania? Elias! That’s what I thought. Since Wrestlemania, Elias has been the punching bag for everyone. He was squashed by John Cena’s at Wrestlemania. He was crushed by Lashley in his return. He’s been the butt of the joke for No Way Jose multiple times, and has eaten one too many Glorious DDTs. This is a problem, and one we have historical evidence to prove this is a problem. Remember when Dolph Ziggler, that super popular guy, kept losing all the time? How do we view him now? As a guy who can’t win. Keep doing this to Elias and you’ll lose one of the top acts in WWE.
Bobby Roode as a Good Guy: Speaking of Bobby Roode…what the hell is going on with this guy? Look, I’ve followed this guy since debut in TNA/Impact, and I’m super stoked he’s in WWE and getting to ply his trade on a grand stage. But, watching him as the smiling good guy is infuriating. Skipping to the ring, smiling like a 1960s blue eyed babyface in Memphis, does not compute. Bobby Roode has always worked best as an arrogant heel, or as a hard nosed good guy. This is just a square peg in a round hole. I get people like his theme song, but this is not the best version of Bobby Roode.
Jinder Mahal: Again, another guy who deserves success given his long career in wrestling. But … make me care. He’s the definition of bland. His move set is fine. His character is fine. But fine doesn’t make you a top of the card guy. Give me something to latch onto with this guy. Jinder, the wrestler, puts everything he’s got into his work, but creative isn’t giving him anything to work with outside of saying he’s “The Modern Day Maharaja.”
This is Bobby Lashley: It’s great you’re giving us a background on Lashley … it’s just that no one cares. He wasn’t in WWE long enough for people to be like “OMG he’s back!” and then have some sort of sustained love for him being back. He’s not Daniel Bryan. He’s not Kurt Angle. Nor did he reinvent himself like a Drew McIntyre. He’s a big dude. He can dominate in the ring. But what’s special here outside of him being Bobby Lashley? The answer so far is nothing.
“The Uncrowned Champion” Roman Reigns: This has to stop. The opportunity to make Roman Reigns “the guy” is gone. You’ve burnt out the crowd on him — even his most loyal fans. No one wants Brock/Roman anymore. Why? Because the result is the same every time, even when it shouldn’t be. Now you’ve turned “The Big Dog” into a sniveler. He’s the “uncrowned champion” — something a whiny heel would say. The only time an “uncrowned champion” angle worked was with Taz in ECW, and he did that to infuriate his way into a title match. Last night, the biggest pop came when Finn Balor and Sami Zayn put the boots to him. That’s sad. People are over WWE’s obsession with making Roman Reigns not only the “top guy” but the “always in the chase underdog.” We don’t feel sympathy for a guy when he’s constantly crow barred into the main event. And the lines about backstage politics and Brock being Vnce’s guy — they don’t help Roman at all. They hurt him. Someone else needs to beat Brock, and fast. But unfortunately, given recent reports, we might not see Brock for a long, long time.
