Six Reasons Why and The Evidence That SummerSlam Saved RAW
SummerSlam twenty eighteen was sure an eventful show. Throughout the week I will, of course, be discussing the pay per view in great depth with a full review already up and linked below. Sunday nights Wrestling extravaganza genuinely left fans both in attendance and at home entertained, invested, and at times speechless but ultimately what the biggest party of the Summer did was provide a stepping stone for Monday night RAW. The three-hour weekly product is constantly slated and receiving harsh critiques but after this past weekends, SummerSlam pay per view just how much as the show been saved and what is the evidence we can take from the latest episode of RAW?
A Fighting Champion Equates to a Better All-Round Show
While Brock Lesnar was a unique champion who provided something special to the brand as well as the title itself, it was evident his time as champion had been overdone. Fans had grown bored of the same old thing and the lack of opportunities being given to the hard-working roster members. Lesnar always promised an all fight feel to any match he competed in but how little he defended the title was ultimately the issue. Roman Reigns defeating the beast this past Sunday on RAW was arguably the best move the WWE made all night. While Reigns remains controversial, to say the least, he proved this past week on RAW instantly that this was the correct decision. Addressing his SummerSlam performance Reigns quickly moved on to describing the champion he will be putting emphasis on being a fighting champion. With that being said Reigns announced he would be defending his title against the man who never got his rightful second shot at the title, Finn Balor.
This opening segment alone was enough proof that Roman Reigns as champion is what is best for business. Reigns is not everyone’s cup of tea, there is no denying that, however, him being the title holder has already shown to open so many opportunities for the rest of the superstars on the roster and this type of champion is exactly what Monday nights have needed.
Hope for Finn Balor
There really has been a demon missing on Monday nights, and while that very person Finn Balor poses doesn’t ever truly make an appearance on RAW the decision to have him come out as the Demon King this past Sunday gave fans hope for a better future for Finn Balor. The past few months have been extremely weak for the former Universal Champion and while he still has a long way to go his dominant, standout, and impressive performance Sunday proved to be the first step in change. Balor competed in the standout match of the night this past Monday against Reigns and it’s possible things may finally be turning around.
An Entire New Feel to the Women’s Division
Okay, if I’m being totally honest I do believe there is still plenty of work to be done in the WWE women’s division. The constantly recycled tag team matches and disappointing booking of hot rivalries is a huge issue the WWE need to fix ahead of Evolution, however, Ronda Rousey’s impressive victory over Alexa Bliss this past Sunday was a big step in switching things up. While Alexa did make for a great champion Rousey provides something completely different. There is generally a more serious and “superstar” feel to the division and seeing how she operates as champion will be interesting. What we saw from Rousey this week on RAW was a true insight to what the future holds but ultimately it left fans believing things would be very different from this point onwards for the women of Monday night RAW.
The Monster in the Bank is a Monster to Watch
I hide in plain sight. Probably the exact words Braun Strowman could use to describe himself right now as the twenty eighteen Money in the Bank briefcase holder. While he struggled to cash in both at SummerSlam and this past week on RAW we now have a true and honest reason to keep an eye on the monster among men. Making it clear he did not want to follow in the footsteps of previous Money in the Bank winners, Strowman has expressed the champion will know exactly when he would cash in and his attempt to do so this week on RAW really has left us all on edge as we wait to see when the inevitable will happen. Strowman truly established himself as the type of briefcase holder he is and its given him more depth for weekly showings.
Evolution Growth
Throughout the SummerSlam pay per view, the announcers made several references to the up and coming historic all women’s pay per view, Evolution. From the announcement of Trish vs Alexa Bliss to take place as well as the Bella Twins making an appearance, it’s become clear that the seeds are beginning to grow for this must-see event. It’s now we can start paying extra attention to the little details we see amongst the women’s division and Brie and Nikki’s presences speaks volumes. It’s been heavily rumored that Nikki will challenge Ronda Rousey for the RAW Women’s championship at Evolution and with the Bella Twins making yet another appearance to support Ronda the plot thickness. These relationships, rivalries, and general booking all have become important and key in weekly episodes of Monday night RAW.
Dean Ambrose and the Shield
He’s yet to work a killer return match but since making his way back to WWE TV only a week ago, Dean Ambrose has been one of the biggest talking points in the wrestling world. His behavior Sunday at SummerSlam was noticeably odd and left fans on the edge with many believing he was going to turn on, fans have picked up on the minor changes Ambrose has made. This week on RAW he continues to steal the show silently both in his match against Ziggler as well as the huge Shield reunion that closed the show. Whenever we hear the Shield theme and see these three stars together it sparks major excitement but there is no denying that Ambrose heel turn is inevitable and he alone along with the Shield are a big enough reason to both save RAW and tune in every week.
When you include the fact we can see hope for the Revival, better booking for Lashley and Corbin, and generally exciting new content as well as potential call-ups, Monday night RAW is an exciting place at the moment and the biggest party of the Summer is hugely responsible for that!
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