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This week's episode of RAW featured some entertaining and conclusive matches throughout its duration. The Red brand took a step in the right direction by catering to most types of pro wrestling fans last night.
It looked like Paul Heyman switched things around with RAW's classic 3-hour format, where a debuting tag team (on RAW) like the Street Profits got an opportunity to close the show.
We also got to watch some underutilized names being featured on a main roster show. The episode did feel a little uneventful without any women's wrestling, and the lack of long-term feuds has led to declining viewer interest as well.
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But the show was well-balanced in terms of matches and promos, and as I said, there was something for everyone, as a sleazy, Attitude Era-esque angle featuring Rusev, Lana and Bobby Lashley continued to create controversy last night as well.
Let us take a look at some interesting observations from this week's episode of Monday Night RAW (October 21, 2019):
#3 Why Cain Velasquez might not be ready for a big stage like Crown Jewel
Former two-time UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez came to the aid of WWE legend Rey Mysterio during last night's RAW. Velasquez put Shelton Benjamin down before the latter could cause any harm to Rey Mysterio.
I liked this segment for the most part, but you could make out that Cain Velasquez might not be ready for a big stage like Crown Jewel. Sure, he is training hard to adapt to WWE's in-ring style, but even at this stage, one can't help but wonder how Brock Lesnar vs. Cain Velasquez will turn out at this month's Crown Jewel PPV.
Statistically speaking, Brock Lesnar has had great matches with smaller Superstars, and while Velasquez doesn't fit in that category of wrestlers, it is too early to bank on him for such a huge match at Crown Jewel.
Let's hope that things turn out for the best. It will be quite interesting to see whether or not these two men are compatible in the ring as professional wrestlers (and not UFC athletes).
#2 Why the Rusev-Lana-Lashley love triangle is still entertaining despite its unsavory nature
It is no secret that a vast number of people have publicly expressed their dislike for the current love triangle plot between Rusev, Lana and Bobby Lashley. The Bulgarian Brute had to leave The King's Court upon witnessing Lana and Lashley coupled together in a local Cleveland restaurant.
Before you know it, dinner's over - Rusev happens to know the location of this restaurant, and he quickly disrupts a fine evening for Lashley later on in the show.
I know, this sounds like a cheesy Attitude Era storyline, and that's where the appeal of it lies in the first place. A greasy, soap-opera infused WWE angle in 2019 was bound to be controversial, but the funniest thing about it is that these segments don't try to be anything else at all.
The writers could opt for several different ways to pull Rusev out of this predicament. But in the end, the primary appeal of laughing at intentionally melodramatic storylines in a time where everyone is a critic resonates amongst a certain section of viewers.
No one expects the fans to hail this as a modern masterpiece, but if you find Rusev crashing a dinner scene quite funny in a show where people supposedly tune in to watch wrestling, then you probably understand the 'big joke' at play here.
#1 Why having Seth Rollins and Bray Wyatt on two different shows creates storytelling blocks for the future
While the WWE Draft provides an opportunity to create distinct feuds on both RAW and SmackDown, it also creates problems for current storylines whose primary characters have been drafted to separate brands.
Seth Rollins and Bray Wyatt have been embroiled in one of the most intriguing feuds in the past few months. The story hit a roadblock at Hell in a Cell 2019, thanks to an outrageous no-contest finish to their match inside the hellacious structure itself.
But fans haven't given up on this feud yet. "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt has a lot of appeal left, as evident by chants and requests for him to appear during WWE's main roster shows like RAW and SmackDown.
Then again, because of the draft, Wyatt didn't make an appearance on last night's episode, which is fine in the sense that it doesn't break any draft rules. But in terms of storytelling, it is weird to build up a storyline between two wrestlers who are on separate shows.
Rollins faced Wyatt in a steel cage match after RAW, and it doesn't look like this feud is going to end anytime soon since both of them are advertised for future events as well.
The draft also leads to a possible spoiler here - Seth Rollins is unlikely to lose the Universal Title as the Red brand's primary championship can't just switch over to SmackDown (which already features the WWE Championship).
How will WWE manage to overcome these storytelling issues in the future?
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