RAW Review and Reactions
Despite loosing he's match against the Undertaker at Wrestlemania and therefore failing to earn the right to have control of Monday night RAW, during last weeks must see RAW Shane McMahon was still gifted the opportunity to show the world what he was capable of when he's father Vince McMahon put him in charge of Monday night RAW for the night. Seven days later and due to "popular demand" the boy wonder found himself once again calling the shots for pro wrestling's biggest weekly show. Personally, I have no issue with Shane running RAW, in fact he does a pretty damn good job at it but I have to bring up that problem we all seem to have and that is that fact that Shane has been put in control of Monday night RAW for two weeks in a row completely takes away the whole point of he's huge Mania match up against the Undertaker and now I'm kind of sat here thinking to myself why on earth did I get so into the story and so passionate about the whole thing when the entire storyline was a waste of time. Now, when you put aside the flaws in the story of Shane being in control you have next to nothing but good things to comment on. Last night Shane made he's way to the ring, thanked the fans for their on going support and instead of punishing us with a thirty minuet predicable promo he made several huge announcements for the night including a women's championship match, the start of a tag team tournament, and a huge main event between Sami Zayn and AJ Styles where the former NXT Champion would be given the chance to capture the WWE World Heavyweight Championship after he's opportunity was taken away from him last week by long time rival, Kevin Owens. In fact, talking of Kevin Owens, the brash superstar made he's presence known when he interrupted the man in the charge demanding an Intercontinental Championship rematch. However, demands are something that Shane does not accept and he instead announced that Mr fight Owens Fight would have to earn he's right to an IC Championship match. Now, if there is one thing I love the most about Shane being in control of Monday night RAW is that feeling of championships actually meaning something being brought back to the WWE. It's something that has been missing for a very very long time and it's so refreshing seeing superstars have to earn their right to a championship match making the titles feel so much more important. Even though it's the same men calling the shots backstage there is something about how Shane presents himself and how he is being used that creates a different feeling to Monday night RAW. It really does feel like the start of a new era in the WWE. This opening left me actually wanting to stay awake and watch the action and I actually had a handful of things to be excited about.
Following that epic start to the show Kevin Owens was set to face Cesaro in the opening match of the night. The winner would go on to face The Miz for the Intercontinental Championship. Perfect. Honestly, I know we have seen these two go one on one on several occasions before but I will never ever get bored of seeing them compete against each other. These are two of the greatest professional wrestlers in the entire world and two of my personal favourite WWE Superstars of today and so there is not a chance in hell you will catch me complaining about the two of them going one on one to kick start Monday night RAW. What was so great about this match that I really did pick up on very early on was how badly both of these superstars wanted this victory. They both competed in this match with so much passion and you could genuinely see in their eyes how much that win and the chance to compete for the Intercontinental Championship meant to them. Throughout the match itself both superstars found themselves with highlight moments and of course with both being such phenomenal talents we got to see some great spots that translated on TV brilliantly. Kevin Owens of course brought loads of character as per usual but he very quickly found a way to gain control of this match; as we all know Cesaro was left out of action for several months due to a torn rotator cuff and last night a he sported a tape on he's shoulder that opened the door of opportunity for Kevin Owens. Focusing he's attentions on the injured shoulder of Cesaro the former IC Champion sent the Swiss superman shoulder first into the turn-buckle and ring post gaining full control of the match. However, Cesaro is a man who doesn't give in easily and fighting back the fan favourite bounced back keeping the crowd on the edge of their seats and cheering as he locked in a sharpshooter and flew around the ring with those gorgeous European uppercuts. In the end it was a neutraliser that put Owens to sleep and the Swiss Superman walked away with a big victory and a future IC Championship match under he's belt. What I loved about this match is not only the brilliant wrestling and chemistry between the two but how I wasn't one hundred percent sure how it was going to end. I was left hooked and paying very close attention. A great opening match and I loved the little backstage shots of the Miz and Maryse watching the action.
As announced at the top of the show by Shane McMahon a tag team tournament to determine the number one contenders would kick start during this weeks RAW and the first match of the tournament took place between the Dudley Boys and former NXT Tag Team Champions the Lucha Dragons. In all honesty I struggled to have any interest in this match. The New Day certainly did get me excited for the tournament even more than I already was but my expectations for the first match were not very high at all. I have to say quickly that I have to agree with the New Day in saying that the tag team division is looking pretty hot right now. With a couple of new teams on the scene and the stories growing stronger for the division I have found myself much more excited about the future of tag team wrestling in the WWE. I know I have said it before but it's time that the WWE started working on it's tag team division the same way it has been working on it's women's division over the past year or so. Now, the New Day have been extremely dominate over the past nine months or so and since becoming champions they have been keeping me extremely entertained, but I'm glad the chances of new champions has increased as has the competition in the division not to mention that a tournament is a great way to introduce the new teams in the picture. Anyway, back to the actual match and as predicted it was very short and simple. The action was very much one sided with the Dudley Boyz in full control. While Kalisto holds the United States Championship the Lucha Dragons have very little chances of doing something strong as a tag team but I do hope that changes soon and the booking for Kalisto either improves or he drops the championship. After the Dudleys picked up the win fan favourites Enzo and Cass made their appearance of the night with another little roasting for the legendary tag team. Of course Enzo and Cass were over as ever picking up one of the biggest reactions of the night. I am yet to decide whether or not I like the idea of Enzo and Cass feuding with the Dudley Boyz but it does seem a little to early to judge. We do know that the former NXT talents will get their chance at becoming number one contenders later on in the tournament.
As we all know, the entire world is currently sitting down and waiting for Roman Reigns to go full on heel. While he didn't turn last week during the RAW after Mania he sure did show some promising signs of a turn as he established himself as the bad ass superstar we have all wanted him to come across as from day one. While there is still a long way for him to go the WWE and Roman Reigns are taking the right steps forward and he's new attitude is something I personally sure am a fan of. Last night the WWE World Heavyweight Champion ran us through pretty much the exact same promo that we saw him cut last week both on RAW and Smackdown but this time he was soon interrupted by the League of Nations who all seemed to want a title match despite not a single one of them actually earning the right to do so. The interesting part of this segment was the inveiglement of the Wyatt family who soon came down to the ring and once again took out the League of Nations. With the Wyatt family and Roman Reigns looking to be on the same page Shane McMahon set up another match for the night and it sure was an odd one as Roman Reigns and Bray Wyatt would have to team up for the first time to later on face the League of Nations in the main event. At the moment it's not completely clear as to whether or not the Wyatt family are working as full on baby faces but their is something different about how they are being booked and how they are coming across. Plus, taking out a strong heel faction two weeks in a row does seem to be like a pretty solid way to promote yourself as newly turnt baby faces. This may not be the most exciting match in the world to be announced but it was interesting and I did actually want to see how it would go down.
As far as in ring chemistry goes nothing quite tops Natalya VS Charlotte. Since their iconic championship match at NXT Takeover the pair have proven to have fantastic in ring chemistry and have shown time and time again that they are capable of delivering a brilliant match up worthy of being the main event of any edition of RAW, Smackdown or even a live special. Following what we saw between the two during last week show Nattie and Charlotte competed one on one this week for the Women's Championship. Unfortunately they were not given the same amount of time they were given back at NXT Takeover and because of the commercial breaks it was much more difficult to be hooked and completely interested/entertained by the action. However, saying all that they did as usual work every single second of their match perfectly and made sure to continue proving why they one day should be main eventing a live show. The crowd favourite of the night in Natalya found herself dominating most of this match. She showcased her brilliant submission skills finding away to wear down her opponent and edge closer to a victory with every submission locked in. Throughout the match the Canadian sweetheart kept the crowd alive and loud and her actions and facial expressions only showed just how desperately she wanted to walk out of LA as the new WWE Women's Championship. Both women showcased some great wrestling ability as per usual and it truly did come down to the battle of the submissions, however it was another disappointing ending after Ric Flair caused a DQ ending meaning that Charlotte once again retained the women's championship. I tweeted it last night and I will say it here again, at this point I am seriously growing bored of Charlotte keeping hold of that championship due to Ric Flair helping her and cheating. I'm hopeing that we still see more from Nattie and Charlotte and the two get the chance to put on a phenomenal match at the next live pay per view in three weeks time.
Another tag team tournament match up next as the Usos took on Curtis Axel and Heath Slater from the Social Outcasts. Once again I struggled big time to get into this match. You guys know I am not a fan of the Usos. I never have been and I never will be. I found it interesting seeing just how much Axel and Slater actually took control of this match. Like I said, I struggled to really get into the action, it was another short and simple match with a predicable win for the Usos. Now, the match itself was nothing to be excited about but what took place after sure was something that shook the internet and got me up off my seat and screaming at my TV. Now, for weeks and weeks and week the internet and the wrestling community has not stopped talking about Bullet Club and of course the arrival of Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows. Everywhere I looked, everyone I spoke to was talking about these two and the Bullet Club arriving and making their mark in the WWE but as a long term wrestling fan I know full well not to go getting over excited about anything or get my hopes up too soon and even though there rumours of Anderson and Gallows being in LA last night I was honestly convinced they would not be making an appearance last night. How wrong I was. Out of nowhere they both stormed into the ring and laying down a full on attack on the Usos. I will admit, I marked out like crazy at this point. It may have been almost three AM but all fucks went out of the window. This was a moment I had been waiting for for so long and because I wasn't expecting it last night in the slightest it honestly made the moment that much more special and it for sure will go down as one of my favourite moments of the entire year. If the tag team division wasn't hot enough these two set the division on fire and I honestly cannot wait to see what is next for these two and this alone made me seriously excited for next weeks show.
As far as dream matches go Sami Zayn VS AJ Styles is pretty high up there. After being attacked by Kevin Owens during RAW last week Sami Zayn was left with no choice but to miss out on competing in the main event and therefore missing out on the opportunity to become number one contender for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship and a shot at facing Roman Reigns. However, with Shane McMahon back in control for a second week in a row the man himself announced that the former NXT Champion in Sami Zayn would get his opportunity this week when he went one on one against AJ Styles and if he was able to walk out the victor than he would be placed in the championship match in three week time making the main event a triple threat between AJ Styles, Roman Reigns and of course Sami Zayn. Honestly, I cannot tell you how excited I was for this match. I kick started the night extremely tired and questioning how on earth I was going to be able to stay awake for longer than ten minuets but once this match was announced minuets into the show I knew I had to stay awake and by three AM I was full of energy and extremely excited for this match. AJ Styles and Sami Zayn are without a doubt two of the hottest and most talented in ring performers in the entire world and when you pit them against one another live on Monday night RAW you have a must see bout that will sure go down as one of the best matches of year. The early stages of this match proved my point greatly. With hot, fast paced action the pair were back and fourth scouting one another and throwing in some of their best moves early on. There was not a single person both in the arena and at home who wasn't hooked on the action and loving everything these two were presenting. Mid way through this match I got talking to my friend and we both commented on how refreshing the championship picture is. I know I have said it already today but there really is a feeling of a new era and a new feel in the WWE at the moment and seeing these two superstars in the championship picture, two superstars who do not represent the typical top guy/WWE World Heavyweight Champion image in the WWE was so refreshing and brilliant to see and it sure did put a huge smile on my face and get me very very excited. Throughout the match I found myself strongly backing Sami Zayn. He's someone who even if you haven't been following for as many years I have personally can easily back and support and last night the fan remained loyal and strongly behind him. The longer this match went on the more intense it grew. The close calls, the epic moves, and the passion behind both men had me literally on the edge of my seat yelling at my TV. Once again I geniuenly was not one hundred percent sure how the match was going to end and I loved that. Its so rare that we see unpredictability in the WWE now days and we really did get that in this absolutely fantastic match. It was a close close match throughout but in the end it was AJ Styles who picked up the victory keeping the Payback main event one on one between Styles and Reigns. A brilliant performance from both superstars and seeing what is waiting for Sami Zayn next will be interesting. Last night really was the start of the Sami Zayn story and he's long road to one day becoming champion.
It's been a while since we last saw Chris Jericho host a highlight reel and last night Jericho hosted the Highlight Reel with special guest... Chris Jericho. I've said it here before but you guys know that I am a serious lover of heel Jericho. I have always much preferred seeing him work as a heel, I find him even more entertaining (I always love heels more anyway) and he's mic work whether working as a baby face of a heel is always brilliant. What we saw from him last night has be applauding from my sofa. It was classic Jericho and I was left so entertained. To make things even better Dean Ambrose made he's way to the ring after Jericho claimed there was no superstar on the roster that could challenge him. Now, I have been waiting for this Chris Jericho/Dean Ambrose feud to kick start for a very very long time and so seeing it finally do so live last night made very very happy indeed. There is some serious potential here between these two and given a decent amount of time they really could put on a brilliant match. After Dean Ambrose ditched the Highlight Reel and the Ambrose Asylum debuted the segment ended with Ambrose standing tall after taking out Jericho live on RAW.
Smaller matches last night included a one on one between Apollo Crews and Adam Rose. A predicable small match witch saw Crews pick up even more momentum as he scored another victory. I'm hopeing that in the next week we see more of Crews as he's booking gets stronger and the competition gets tougher for him. I'm still very very interested in seeing where he is placed on the roster and the type of long term booking plans they have for Crews.
As we have already touched on, this weeks RAW main event was an odd one as former rivals Bray Wyatt and WWE World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns were forced to team up for the first time to take on Sheamus and Alberto Del Rio. I'll be honest, I had no idea where on earth the WWE were going with this. It was interesting, yes, but I wasn't sure what to think and whether or not to be excited. With so many high quality matches on the card last night this didn't feel like it should have been the main event of the evening but I was in such a good mood I kind of just went along with it and tried to just enjoy what I was watching. The story in this match was all about can Bray Wyatt and Roman Reigns successfully work together. The point? I have no idea. What I did like was the complete unpredictability factor that Wyatt brought to this match. I honestly had no idea what to expect from him. Right at the start of the match it was Bray Wyatt who made it clear that he wanted to start out the match assisting Reigns to the corner. Immediately it was Wyatt who put those mind games into play as he and the Celtic warrior went toe to toe. What was interesting during the early stages of this match and throughout was how well Bray and Reigns worked together with double teaming and frequent tags to keep the momentum on their side. Of course the crowd did not got easy on the champ with a sea of boos echoing through the arena every time he got into the match. No surprises there to be honest. Wyatt did spend more time in this match than Reigns, another predicable move. If you go back and watch previous tag team matches Reigns has competed in he makes himself pretty comfy in the corner and waits for the ending to tag himself in and get a win, he did spend more time in the match than usual witch yes was refreshing and good to see, he is the champ after all. However last night there was this feeling throughout of something bigger happening. I don't think anyone truly believed this match was going to end clean with Wyatt and Reigns simply cleanly
defeating the League of Nations and it was that unpredictability and the expectations of something else happening that kept me watching. The League of Nations did spend a lot of time in control of this match as Sheamus and Del Rio took it in turns to wear down the champ and isolate him from he's tag team partner for the night. Admittedly I did end up enjoying this match much more than I was expecting it to as it was genuinely much better than I thought it was going to be. The closing moments of this match saw the rest of the Wyatts make an appearance and take out Rusev while Bray himself picked up the victory of the night. Somehow the two were able to work together very well last night and pick up a tag team win to close the show.
Honestly, I loved this weeks show. I know so many people have said it already but there is just new feeling in the WWE right now and I love it so so much. It genuinely feels like a new era has kick stated and it's so exciting to watch. We have new faces and unexpected faces in the championship picture, the tag team division is hotter than ever, we have new faces every week, and there is a new level of excitement in the air. The past couple of weeks have given us an insight into the amazing world that is Shane McMahon in control of Monday night RAW and the impact and new feel he brings to the show makes me and everyone else want him kept strongly in control of Monday night RAW. For the first time in a long time I can actually sit here and honestly say I cannot wait for next week and to be even more honest I'm actually pretty excited to tune into Smackdown as well. Now of course you can have your say and let me know what you thought of this weeks Monday night RAW by leaving a comment bellow or by tweeting me at @TezangiVictoria.Smackdown Review and Reactions
Past WWE Superstars We want to see Return
Comments
Post a Comment