RAW Review and Reactions
After the shocking ending to last weeks Monday night RAW that saw Sting return to the WWE once again, to target Seth Rollins and the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, this weeks show kick started with the vigilante himself. The icon stepped in the ring to cut he's first televised promo since Wrestlemania season and this time he was out there addressing Seth Rollins. Sting didn't dance around the fact that Rollins is one of the greatest on the roster right now and one of the best the company has seen but he also made it perfectly clear that the architect is not half the man that Triple H is, touching on the moment the two shared at Wrestlemania were they shook one another's hand after their match in respect, and he vowed to prove that Rollins was not and never would be the man that the thirteen time world champion is. Now, I really liked the promo. Usually I would be sitting here complaining about the opening of the show but I had no issue with this weeks at all. I strongly believe that Sting is one of the most underrated speakers that the company has seen. I'm not calming that he is the best in the world and we don't realise it but I'm simply saying that I don't think he get's enough credit for he's talents on the mic. The promo last night was short and sweet and really proved that you don't have to cut a big lengthy speech for it to be effective. Last night the opening promo really did help sell the up and coming match for Nigh Of Champions between Sting and Rollins. The story followed through and continued from last weeks show really really nicely and it was refreshing seeing something different start the night off. After the promo we saw Rollins complain to Stephanie McMahon backstage about the missing statue witch helped set up scenarios for later on in the show and it tied everything together really well.
The first match of the night this week was a SummerSlam rematch as Rusev got the chance to go one on one with Dolph Ziggler yet again. I mentioned in my prediction post that I was delighted this match was taking place. I really did enjoy their match last Sunday but just like everyone else I was extremely disappointed with the ending. I did not like the fact that we had a double count out conclusion. I've been enjoying the storyline/feud so so much and so I was expecting much more than we had been given at SummerSlam. Now, these guys do have a great deal of chemistry and their first one on one last week was shaping up to be a great match so I was very interested in seeing what would unfold the second time around. Rusev did dominate the first half of this match. It was as if he was genuinely taking out months of frustration on Ziggler and didn't hold back what so ever. The amazing thing about Rusev is even though he's a larger superstar he's got a great deal of speed and athleticism that still manages to surprise me. Last night saw Rusev use he's strength advantage to just that to keep Ziggler grounded and allowing the Bulgarian Brute to stay in full control, keeping momentum at a high. Nearer to the end of the match we saw a shift in that momentum when the action moved to outside of the ring and Ziggler sent the former US Champion through the steel steps and with the referee counting to eight we were all left praying that we wouldn't see a second double count out finish. The closing moments were predicable but done well. As Dolph was just about looked to be closing in on the victory, Summer Rae took it upon herself to intervene causing a DQ ending. The ending was a great way to keep the storyline going and strong so I can't complain at all. Throughout the match we did see Rusev in full control, really taking it to the former Heavyweight Champion and the story telling as a result was fantastic. From Lana's facial expressions, to the selling from Ziggler, right to the ending witch saw Summer Rae play her role, everything was done well. The match itself was neat and solid. We can always expect to see a more than decent match when these two square off against one another. I liked how they teased a second double count out. It was effective and had the impact that the WWE were hopeing for. The match was strong and lived up to my expectations without a doubt as it was one of the best of the night. Throughout the rest of the show we saw more of the story developed with a couple of segments and backstage interviews that highlighted tensions between Lana and Ziggler thanks to Summer's scheming. Once again the plan worked. I'm very invested in the storyline and I genuinely cannot wait to see what is coming up next in this feud.
Over the weekend it was announced by the WWE that all three member's of team PCB would be competing in the first ever divas beat the clock challenge to determine the number one contender for the divas championship and while I liked the fact that we were getting something different in the division I hated how it was done. Don't get me wrong, I'm a fan of all the NXT divas and that includes Becky Lynch and even Paige, but I have no idea why they decided to give Becky and Paige the chance at becoming the number one contender when they haven't even managed to get a victory over the divas champion. Now, correct me if I'm wrong but the last time I checked it was only Charlotte and Sasha Banks who had managed to make Nikki Bella tap out witch in my books makes them the only divas in the running for the number one contender-ship. I understand that Team PCB were the ones to knock off team Bella at SummerSlam last week but I couldn't help but feel Sasha got cheated a little last night. So that as a whole didn't sit well with me and to be completely honest I think it's clear that there is a lot of frustration amongst the WWE universe when it comes to the divas division and I have to admit I'm one of them angry fans. I've been watching the WWE product for as long as I can remember and so I have watched how the women's division has gone downhill over the years and it's reached the point where I just want to give up with it all. The WWE have shown that they clearly do not care about it's female talent. There's a lack of effort in the division from the writing to the overall performance. The divas revolution story started out great and very promising but there was only so long that the WWE could fool the fans. We had around three weeks of strong matches and then we slowly started to see things go back to how they used to be. There has been no strong story telling and the whole meaning behind the movement has gotten lost amongst the hype. Everything has become predicable and repetitive and last night was another major disappointment. Before I get talking about the three matches, I need to mention the one thing that I did like from last night and that was the countdown clock that began to countdown the day that Nikki Bella becomes the longest reigning divas champions. You all know I'm not looking forward to that day but it added the story and interest we have all been looking for sure and it sure did get a reaction from the fans. The first match of the beat the clock challenge was between Becky Lynch and Alicia Fox. Alicia is a former divas champion and took it to Becky giving her the challenge that she needed but the match as a whole was disappointing. It was a sloppy match and the time was not long enough what so ever. None of the girls were able to showcase any actual skill but in the end Becky picked up a win in just over three minuets.
Ryback was in action next as he defend he's Intercontinental Championship against the Big Show. This feud does seem like it is never ending and I have to admit I was far from jumping up and down with excitement for this part of the night. If I'm being completely honest I'm bored of this whole feud now. It's not doing anything for the superstars involved, there's no strong story behind it and I do feel like I'm sounding like a broken record but it's gotten very predicable and repetitive. Anyway, to be fair, the match last night was much much better than I was expecting it to be. I didn't like that the Miz was at commentary. I have said it a million times before but he has no place in this feud and for me personally is ruining the whole thing. Big Show spent a lot of time in control and was without a doubt that star of the match. He surprisingly brought a lot of character witch was refreshing and great to see. At one point in the match we saw Show take the time out to grab hold of a mic and address the fans/crowd who for months now have been calling for him to retire. It was one of my favourite parts of the match and woke me up a little, getting me more interested in the action. Ryback had a couple of impressive spots as he managed to build he's way up. We saw him kick out of a choke slam and hit a clean spine buster. The Miz had a well timed distraction witch allowed the big guy to deliver a nice big shell shocked to the Big Show to keep him hold of the Intercontinental Championship. I was surprised with just how much I got into the match. I still don't like the feud but the chemistry between the two superstars allowed them to put on a pretty good match for two big guys. I was genuinely left on the edge of my seat after the several near falls witch was a nice touch. However, even though it was a good night for the two superstars, Ryback as the Champion should be moving onto bigger and better things and I'm hopeing that they get him out of this stale feud as soon as possible because it's doing nothing for him and it not entertaining the WWE universe.
We then had the second the divas beat the clock challenge match and former NXT Women's Champion Charlotte was up next as she took on Brie Bella and the time to beat was three minuets twenty one. By this point I had no interest in the beat the clock challenge. The times were a joke and it felt like the WWE were taking the piss out of the fans and the divas involved. Brie had a good tactic in the match witch was to keep herself out of the ring, stopping Charlotte from setting a new time to beat and ultimately becoming the number one contender, but the matter of the fact is the match was not long enough in the slightest and it felt like a joke. There was nothing to it what so ever and it doesn't even feel right calling it a match. Charlotte did beat the time at one minuet forty but apart from the good story telling there's nothing good I can say about this match and it's a big shame.
Up next was another SummerSlam rematch. Last Sunday we saw Kevin Owens defeat Cesaro in an amazing match, one of the best of the pay per view even, and last night the two went head to head for a second time and they didn't disappoint in the slightest. I was a little confused as to why the match was booked but I wasn't complaining what so ever, I would never turn down a match between these two. The start of bout saw Cesaro take early control using a vertical suplex and a double foot stomp to get the upper hand early. Throughout the match Cesaro put he's everything into everything he did. He of course was very very impressive as usual. There wasn't a single sloppy moment in the match from either superstar and it was without a doubt the match of the night. One of the most on the edge of your seat moments and best moments of the match was when Cesaro used the cross-face on Owens. It was the moment of the match that I was genuinely on the edge of my seat. Owens had just as much of a good night as Cesaro if not better. He showed great ring awareness and as usual used he's surroundings to get the upper hand and take control.Every move he hit was neat, clean, and amazingly well executed. As usual we saw, Owens take away the energy and pace of the match as soon as he was able to shift the momentum to favour him. One of the biggest and well done moments of the match was when we saw Cesaro crashing off the ring apron and landing ribs first into the announce table witch gave the match a final does of story. From that moment it was nearly impossible for Cesaro to get back in control and while he tried to fight on in the end Owens worked on the injured ribs to gain the upper hand and eventually hit the popup powerbomb to get the victory. There's no doubt that Owens and Cesaro are two of the best and hardest working superstars that the WWE have this match was just another to add to the list that proved that. They both had an amazing showing last night putting on a phenomenal match yet again. The moment that Cesaro went crashing into the announce table was one of the highlights of the match. It was very convincing and looked liked it killed. I wasn't sure at first about Owens getting the win for a second time but it did make sense and Cesaro won't suffer in the slightest. It's about time we started looking at the other heels on the roster ad build them up even more. I really enjoyed this match and once again was the best of the night.
After the shock arrival of Braun Strowman last week on Monday night RAW, yesterday the new guy in town made he's much anticipated debut when he took on Dean Ambrose in one on one action. I have to admit, I was really looking forward to this match. I have been sceptical about the arrival of Strowman but me and my brother went into deep conversation about the whole thing and my opinions have changed a lot. From the moment he came on the scene last week I have been very excited and have had nothing but positive things to say about him and the development in the storyline but of course I have had my doubts and wondered why he was brought up so early but for this only I'm planning on not over thinking it and I just wanted to enjoy the action. Just like everyone else I could not wait to see what Braun could bring to the table. We of course have never seen him compete in a match before so it was going to be interesting seeing what he had to offer. Throughout the night the announce team had done a great job hyping up he's in rig debut making a big deal of it, getting everyone excited to see him in action and it paid off a heck of a lot because the longer the night went on the more I began to anticipate he's debut. Before the match he did address the WWE universe briefly and while he didn't have much to say he's defiantly a superstar I would want to hear more from in the future. He carries that unpredictability factor that comes with being a Wyatt and you genuinely want to know he's story. This match was ninety nine percent dominated by Strowman. He completely man handled Ambrose, tossing him around the ring and handling him like he was a rag doll. It was a total beat down and he was very very impressive. He's such a dominate figure and has a fantastic presence. It is still early days and so it's difficult to make many judgements but like I have said he is very impressive and has loads of potential. Mid way through the match Reigns had had enough standing in the corner watching he's best friend taking a beating and tried to take down the big guy causing the match to end in disqualification. Reigns did of course fail and Strowman went on to take out two of the companies biggest baby faces for a second week in a row. Last night was all about putting over Strowman and it was done down to perfection. He looked like a complete monster and made a huge impact, sending an even bigger message to the WWE roster. I t was great seeing Harper and Bray play their roles after the match too. This is exactly what they Wyatt family faction had needed and I'm very very excited to see what is to come in the near future.
The third and final match in the Beat the clock challenge saw Paige take on Sasha Banks. Once again, I had no interest in the "match" what so ever. I was happy that we got to see Sasha Banks even if it was just for a couple of minuets but this was such a disappointment. Banks is without a doubt the best female wrestler in all of the WWE right now. She is one of the women that the WWE should be putting all their effort into and centring the divas revolution around instead we saw her compete in a match less than two minuets long with nothing to it. Paige of course wasted no time taking control and delivered a shot of high knees and the Rampaige before Banks was pulled out of the ring by her fellow team BAD members witch of course meant that there was not enough time for Paige to get the victory.Throughout this little part of the night it felt like I was waiting for something to happen and we got nothing. Throughout the night Paige showed all the signs that she would be turning heel and I was convinced we would be seeing her turn but we got nothing and I was so disappointed. The beat the clock challenge as a whole was a disgrace. I had such high expectations of it because after all this was the first time we had ever seen a divas beat the clock challenge but it was such a let down. The women had no time what so ever to showcase any skill and the fact that all the matches were under four minuets was a joke. The WWE have once again let the fans down and it's clear that we should not be expecting a change in the division any time soon. All these matches could have been amazing but there was no effort. There was no pop for Charlotte being announced as the number one contender and I have to be honest, I'm not looking forward to the divas championship match at Night Of Champions.
Tag team action next and the New Day were set to take on a returning Dudley Boyz. I of course was super excited for this match. We have one of my all time favourite tag teams and my current favourite tag team in the same match, there was a lot to look forward too and with The Prime Time Players on commentary it added even more hype and interest to the match. The match was of course was very important and there was a lot to take in and remember. Earlier on in the night the Dudley Boyz made it perfectly clear that they have two goals in mine right now; the first it to put everyone through a table and the second was to become ten time tag team champions. We also had to remember that the Prime Time Players still have a rematch clause and they didn't hold back when it came to letting everyone know about that little fact. Throughout the match we saw the New Day use their numbers advantage to just that and distracted D-Von keeping him away from he's tag team partner as often as possible. Later on in the match the tag was made and that's when we saw the pace of the match speed up and the energy went up a whole other level. Eventually the Dudley Boyz were able to clear the ring and get the victory after pinning Kofi Kingston. I enjoyed the match a lot. I have to admit I was a little tired by this point of the night but I liked what I saw and the huge victory for Bubba and D-Von means that they are in the picture for a shot at the tag team championships. I predict a huge tag team match at Night Of Champions and I cannot wait.
As mentioned earlier on in the night, Seth Rollins was on the hunt for he's missing statue and eventually came down to the ring calling Sting out and demanding he returned the statue. However, instead of at attracting the attention of the icon, Rollins instead had a visit from Stephanie McMahon who as far from impressed with Rollins earlier words claiming he was as good and one day soon will be better than her husband, Triple H. Stephanie warned Rollins that he was falling into Stings trap and giving him what he wants witch is an attempt to break the authority apart. John Cena would soon appear and deliver the promo of the night. He reminded the champion of all the superstars before him that have followed Triple H and the Authority and have fell flat on their face, from Randy Orton, to Kane to Batista. He then moved he's attention to the United States Championship and claimed that if the Authority really cared about Rollins they wouldn't force him to defend the US Championship at Night Of Champions against Cena himself as well as defending the WWE World Heavyweight Championship on the same night. Cena would soon be proven right as with he's rightful rematch
Last night was a busy show and we had some amazing moments and some terrible moments. The whole divas beat the clock challenge was a disaster and I refuse to comment on that any more today. However, everything else went down well with me. It was great having Sting on the show, we had a couple of great matches, and we had some amazing story telling and development. I would personally rate the show a seen and a half out of ten (maybe an eight) but I want to know what you thought! Let me know what you thought of this weeks Monday night RAW by leaving a comment bellow or by tweeting me at @TezangiVictoria.
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