There’s no question that WWE Raw has had better days. Tonight’s Raw had some good moments, but it also showed some of the key problems with the product.
The show opened with Goldberg and Kevin Owens going back and forth on the mic. Goldberg’s promo was okay, but Owens didn’t come off nearly as good as he did last week. I’d like to say I’m invested in their title match, but I can’t make myself care that much since Owens has been booked as such a weak champion. I just hope the match goes at least five minutes.
Seth Rollins returned (though not to in-ring action), and so did Triple H. This is another feud that would’ve been better if they hadn’t let it lie dormant for a few months. Now with Rollins hurt, they’re doing what they can to keep it alive. While the match may be okay when it does happen, I don’t like where this is going.
It seems Triple H is forming a “New Authority” with KO and Samoa Joe. Other members have been rumored, but I can’t be the only one who isn’t excited about this. Authority storylines have been done to death. The entire purpose of the brand split was to give talent more time to shine, and to put more of a focus on wrestlers rather than authority figures.
Akira Tozawa had a great match, and I’m loving his feud with Kendrick. It’s the classic mentor/student storyline with a twist. It’s a straightforward angle, but Kendrick’s mic work and Tozawa’s exciting persona are making this a feud worth watching.
The women’s match was okay, but the current feuds seems kind of stale to me. I’d love to see a Jax vs. Charlotte feud, as well as heel Sasha vs. Bayley.
Samoa Joe killed it again, with great promos and great in-ring work. I love how they brought up Joe’s history with Cesaro. Cesaro built tension throughout their match by feigning an injury, and Sam Zayn actually got some payback for last week. Continuity on RAW? More of that, please. I’m looking forward to Zayn/Joe at Fastlane, and hoping we see a Cesaro/Joe feud in the future. However, that “You Mad Bro?” line was absolute cringe.
The New Day stuff does nothing for me. I know nothing about Jinder’s character and I think Rusev deserves much better. A clear example of filler content with no real direction. The same could be said with Big Show vs. The Shining Stars. You could even toss Cass vs. Gallows into this category, although that was mainly to tease the upcoming title match.
TJ Perkins and Jack Gallagher teamed up to take on Neville and Tony Nese. The match was solid, and I’m glad Gallagher looks strong going into Fastlane. This was a well-built feud and I’m actually invested in seeing who comes out on top.
Braun Strowman cut a great promo on Foley, who finally stuck up for himself. Kind of funny how Foley can stand up to a 6’8 behemoth, but not to the almighty Stephanie McMahon when she was demeaning him earlier in the show. Her character continues to be a massive problem. It’s confusing and weird to say the least. The worst part is that I’ve got a sinking feeling this ties back in with the New Authority angle.
Roman came out to make the save, and the results were underwhelming. In any other case, this should’ve resulted in a huge climactic scene. The big bully trashing the legend in the ring…so why does the guy coming to save him get booed? Roman still doesn’t have the starpower he needs to be the top guy, though he and Strowman did have an interesting skirmish. The security guard spot and the turnbuckle breaking were both nice touches to express the physicality of this segment.
Reigns ends up catching a beating, but musters the strength to…sign the contract? Oh yeah, this was a contract signing. I’m sorry, but this feud doesn’t really interest me. The signature thing seemed as lame as Reigns’ tug-of-war with Lesnar over the belt a while back. And I’m betting both ideas came from the same person.
Overall, Raw has a few interesting things going on and a few interesting places it can go. But poor character-building and a three-hour timeframe still lead to some rough spots. Here’s to hoping SmackDown Live will be great!
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