RAW Review and Reactions

Hello everyone and welcome back to Talk Wrestling World, I hope you are all well. It's Tuesday witch means it's that time of the week and your getting my RAW Review and Reactions. We are now just under two weeks away from Wrestlemania thirty one. I have been saying it throughout the past month but I have no idea where the time has gone! It feels like it all just flew by, one minuet it was Fastlane and the next we are less then two weeks away from the biggest show of the year. I have been so busy throughout Wrestlemania season but I have loved it so much and really really enjoyed it, it's nice however, to see it come to an end and be able to relax a little. Anyway, you will get the long speech in my Wrestlemania review and Reactions so just wait and dread that. Last night's show was actually pretty decent. I had a little sleep in the afternoon so I was able to stay up but at the moment us UK viewers are very very happy because instead of going to be had quarter past four in the morning we get to go to sleep at quarter past three in the morning, all thanks to the US clocks going back (I think it was back). I thought a lot was scheduled for the show meaning there was a lot to get through but this is the final stages of Wrestlemania season and everything is going to have that busy, full, feeling. We got some great story development and a strong build up to Wrestlemania. But did Seth Rollins accept Randy Orton's Wrestlemania challenge? Did we get to actually see the divas champion in action? and did we get any other returns in time for the biggest event of the year? Today, I'm going to take you through everything that took place last night and what I felt about it all. Some quick reminders before we actually get in the post; my Wrestlemania predictions will start next Monday with each day up to Saturday being up to two prediction post uploaded. Information on Wrestlemania Q&A will be bellow and the links to any recent post including my top five of the week from last week and last weeks RAW review and reactions will be bellow. Finally. You can let me know what you thought of last night's show by leaving a comment bellow or by tweeting me at @TezangiVictoria.

Last nights show kicked off with Seth Rollins in the ring with the rest of the Authority, J&J Security, the Big Show, and Kane, were literally none of them had a glimpse of a smile on their face. After what happened during the closing moments of last weeks show, the show very quickly became all about the fallout and the next chapter in the Randy Orton/Seth Rollins feud. Before the show actually started we got an amazing little video package of Orton witch by the way I really do enjoy, it was really well put together. Anyway, enough highlighting the great job of the editing team, Rollins cut a promo to begin the show and decided to start off by insulting he's home town, witch is always a great heel move. He went on to talk about the man everyone was talking about, the viper, Randy Orton. Discussing what went down last week on RAW, Rollins made it clear that what Orton did last week was not the same as what he did to the Shield last year, witch of course got a "you sold out chant" at perfect timing. The promo itself was great. Well cut, full of character,and was yet another example of how far he has come with he's mic skills. We then got Big Show on the mic and before he could eve speak he received a pool of boos from the live crowd, and my first reaction was "why is he even speaking". Both Kane and Big Show have no place at the moment on the roster and really have been struggling for a while. What they did last night, alongside J&J security was give Rollins a good old fashioned ass licking. In the end Rollins accepted Orton's challenge for a Wrestlemania match under one condition, that he faced Rollins that night in the RAW main event. It wouldn't take long for the man himself to appear getting a pretty dam strong reaction from the crowd if I must say. Accepting Seth's challenge, Randy also cut a great promo and in the process I realised, that this feud is currently my favourite feud going on right now. It just has everything you could possibly want, and I cant wait to write up my predictions for their mania match. The opening saw Orton have the last word.

The first match of the night was surprisingly divas action. I say surprised because usually we don't #GiveDivasAChance. What I am hopeing is that after Wrestlemania we will see more diversity with the booking of the female talent. Now, I know that Nikki gets a heck of a lot of hate on social media. Whether it be for her mic and wrestling work or her fake boobs and relationship with John Cena, but the reality of it is is that she keeps on proving she is not a half bad wrestler at all. She really has worked her butt off this past year to change fan opinion of her and her wrestling ability and what she and may of the other main roster divas have proved is that once the girls are given the right amount of time they can put on some great matches, all you have to do is look at her matches on main event against Paige and Naomi to know that and watch some of the stuff she has done in the ring since being divas champion. Last nights divas match was much longer than what we usually get, I still have a problem with the timing of commercials, we were halfway through the match and it was at such a great, crucial point, yet they cut to an add break. It makes no sense at all. Nikki dominated a good chunk of the match and continued to show her strength throughout the match. She played her role of the perfect, mean girl, heel diva from start to finish. AJ also had a great showing, going up top, using her speed advantage and really telling the story. Towards the end of the match, Nikki used a distracted AJ to pick up the victory. The little tensions between Brie and Paige at the end of the match was a real nice addition. When we started Give divas a chance, this is what we were asking for. A really good match and an important one in the build up to their Wrestlemania tag team match. Good job.
see the divas match of the night take place until later on in the show towards the end so it was a nice little change. With the main focus in the divas division being the feud between AJ Lee and Paige VS The Bella's and their Wrestlemania match (prediction post for this match will be up on Monday) last night was saw the next part in the saga as just as I predicted we saw AJ Lee in action as she took on, surprise surprise, Nikki Bella, aka the current divas champion. I'm not gonna lie, after Naomi had that great match and clean win over Nikki last week on Main event I would of liked to have seen a championship match between the two last night but I understand that they need to build up the Wrestlemania match. What I am going to moan about however, is how the WWE are using

We then got what was actually a pretty good segment between Big Show, Kane, and Seth Rollins, witch little did we know, was playing a huge role in the show. It was real good story telling and helped the storyline going on between the member's of the Authority. I will however, be the first to admit, I'm not feeling this little growing feud between the Big Show and Kane, what so ever. Later on in the night we saw J&J Security quit backstage. There was also a kick ass interview and video package of/with Brock Lesnar.

We also got a contract signing between the Current US champion, Rusev and the challenger John Cena, after their title match was announced last week and it was time to have it on paper and official. I tweeted out last night how much Rusev has turnt my opinions on him completely around. I would never have guessed that I would be such a major fan of Rusev. I think regardless on whether or not you like he's gimmick/character, you cannot deny that he is a great Wrestler with so much potential it is unreal. This feud really has been the making of him and I would never ever in a million years think I would be so interested and even consider this feud between Cena and Rusev to be one of my favourite feuds going on right now. It's been such a well put together, passionate, and strong feud and the story telling has just been great. I can honestly say I cannot wait to see what goes down at Mania between these two. Last night, before Rusev could come out, Cena cut he's typical Cena type promo witch I was not a fan of at all. I've heard too many of these over the years to actually pay attention and enjoy it but this was a contract signing, you have to accept it. I think my main problem is clearly that I don't like patriotic storyline's but it's so good seeing the United States championship get so much attention and a good feud, it's been a while. And also, it's nice to see a young star get put over so well and be used as such a major heel so early on in he's career. One thing that gripped everyone's attention about this segment was the fact there was no Lana. In case you didn't know Lana is going to be off TV for a while due to filming a film. Her replacement was the joke of the night when he put on quite literally the worse Russian accent I have ever heard. Rusev may have gone a little deep with he's words last night but I liked it and after spending ten minuets bitching and moaning about the situation, he signed the contract and the match was made official. A great segment, really well put together.

The weaker matches of the night consisted of Ryback VS The Miz, witch took place in the first hour of the show. As much as I hate to admit it, Ryback really is struggling at the moment and he has been since he's beyond poor performance at the Survivor Series pay per view. I do think he is the most likely Andre the giant memorial battle royal winner for this year, but for a man with so much potential and who has been put centre stage in the main event picture, he really has gone down a bad part of the roster and I think coming back from it is going to be real difficult. The Miz is going through a similar stage. Damien Sandow has really been out shining Miz pretty much from the get go and he just hasn't really been able to get on the right path. Before the match last night we saw a little promo from the Miz were he spoke about the battle royal and how he has Sandow/Mizdow in the match to help him win, when throughout, the only thing I was paying attention to was Damien's facial expressions and the fact he was trying to say something. I also think Damien is a potential Andre the giant memorial battle royal winner and I do think he will most defiantly turn on Miz at Mania and eliminate him. I really wasn't feeling this match at all and I just thought it was poor booking. I get that they were promoting the battle royal and the soon to come turn of Damien Sandow but I really believe Ryback deserves much stronger booking and if he is going to get back on the right track he needs more than a quick, predicable match against the Miz. He of course did get the win but it's not going to benefit him n any way what so ever. After the match however, Miz decided to hit the skull crashing finale on Sandow, witch left a sea of boos in the arena, it was a nice touch though and something to member going into Wrestlemania. There was also a tag team match between New Day member's Kofi Kingston and Big E and the current tag team champions, Cesaro and Tyson Kidd. I really do think that the WWE missed the ball with the new Day. Creatively they could of done so much with the faction and they could of become a huge heel group but they have just gone in all the wrong directions with these guys. I'm not liking where things are going for the tag division and the championships heading into Wrestlemania but with the way the WWE treat the tag division, you can't be surprised. Cesaro was able to get the win for him and Kidd. After the match we saw Los Matadores attack the New day and then turnt things around on the champs. I'm gonna be honest, I hated this.
The third pointless match of the night saw The Big show take on Erick Rowan. Literally the only thing that stopped me from even turning the TV over was the fact that Erick Rowan was on my screen. What took place however, really pissed me off. The match never even took place and we got a three minuet beat down. It really angers me that they have a young, up and coming talent with so much potential keep getting beat down by a superstar who in a years time probably wont even be competing. It really angers me and I'm not even going to go into this because it makes me so mad.It made no sense what ever and It made me wanna smash my TV.

There was then, after the ad break, a practise run if you wanna say, of the Andre the giant memorial battle royal, witch in the end saw Mark Henry the last man standing. Out of all the superstars in the ring, I would want Swagger to win but it is looking like Mark Henry is the most likely winner of the actual battle Royal. After that we got Paul Heyman and yet another one of he's outstanding promos, witch would grab the attention of the number one contender and Reigns made he's first appearance of the night, confronting Heyman. You know what, Reigns did a great job last night. He really got my attention and he really held he's own. I won't even deny how good this was.

Up next was a Smackdown rematch as the current Intercontinental champion Bad News Barrett teamed up with former champion Luke Harper and Stardust to face Dolph Ziggler, Daniel Bryan, and Dean Ambrose. Despite being a fan of all the superstars in this match when it first took place last week on Smackdown I was disappointed. It was a decant match, there was no denying that but it just failed to live up my expectations and I was left really disappoint. But I clinged onto the hope that the second time around would see a better all round performance. I thought the match last night started out pretty slow but it did speed up and get on track when things really got going. I do think this one was better than the Smackdown version. It was much better put together, it was more intense, more entertaining and I don't know, it just all came together really well. I was entertained throughout and it was such a good build up to the mania match up. The closing moments saw Dean Ambrose get a much needed win for he's team by pinning the champ, after the match all hell broke lose but in the end FNALLY the actual champ left with he's championship.

Finally, it was time for the main event and time for Randy Orton to take on he's Wrestlemania opponent, Seth Rollins. Finally, the viper was going to get he's hands on Rollins after months of wanting to do so. I had high expectorations of this match but was all round not expecting much mainly because well, were getting the real thing at Wrestlemania and showing too much last night would of just been a stupid decision. All night, we saw The Authority turn on Rollins but I had the suspicion all night that really, it was all one big set up and Orton and the WWE universe were about to be apart of one big massive joke and I could not have been more right. And also, just as I predicted Sting made an appearance (of course I marked out) and gave Orton a help in hand, clearing the ring. I literally got goosebumps from this moment and the crowd reaction was just mental. Such a well put together moment.

You guys can let me know what YOU thought of last nights show and what your Wrestlemania predictions are by leaving a comment bellow or by tweeting me at @TezangiVictoria.