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The Resch Center in Green Bay, Wisconsin was treated to a pretty strong episode of RAW. WWE is building to one of their big Four pay-per-views right now, Survivor Series, and its time for the two main roster brands to go head to head, once again.
There was plenty to like and also plenty to dislike from this episode of RAW. Overall, we'll say that the positives outweighed the negatives, by far. Let's revisit the show and examine what worked and what did not, across the three hours of action.
Here is our analysis of the fallout episode of TLC. Feel free to air your opinions in the comments section, down below.
Let's begin with a positive and move on to a negative thereafter.
#1 Best: Elevating both WWE brands
All through the year, the primary kayfabe motivation for the superstars of WWE to partake in in-ring action is to compete for gold, glory and presumably, their paychecks too. The whole idea of competing for brand pride is fresh and exciting.
We saw it happen last year, of course. Team SmackDown took on Team RAW in multiple traditional Survivor Series elimination matches. This year, the champions of both brands take each other on as well, and we must admit that this is a pretty fresh program.
It's also very exciting to see Shane McMahon, who's traditionally been the babyface in SmackDown Live, play a heel in this very program. His 'under siege' catchphrase played out in an interesting manner (more on that aspect later), and we're getting to see a side of his we've never seen before.
Angle is ideal for the role of the ultimate babyface General Manager as well. With this program and how the final segment played out, we're curious to see what happens in SmackDown Live. Could we see Team Angle vs. Team Shane play out on pay-per-view?
#1 Worst: Not really an exciting card
Of all the matches that Kurt Angle announced as a part of Survivor Series, only the clash between Ambrose and Rollins vs. The Usos sounds like it will be a real slobberknocker. It's unfair to expect the WWE Universe to be interested in Natalya vs. Alexa Bliss, or The Miz vs. Baron Corbin.
Of course, we won't even mention Jinder Mahal vs. The Beast Incarnate himself. There has been no storyline build to their feuds, and in two of the cases, the clashes will be heel vs. heel affairs. It did not help that the Green Bay crowd was dead through the night, and did not react to any announcement, really.
If these matches do indeed take place, we hope for more of a build in coming days, to get us invested in the programs. If not, it's a colossal waste of everyone's time, really.
#2 Best: Invasion 2017
Yes, we've seen this angle take place several times in the past. However, the sheer visual appeal of watching a multitude of superstars come down, and destroy stars of the other brand is simply too amazing to resist.
It is clear that SmackDown Live are the heels, in this case. It is also clear that RAW will have major retribution planned, when SmackDown Live comes around, this week. We cannot wait to see how everything does play out. Especially how superstars within a brand can settle their differences, for the sake of the greater good.
Special kudos to WWE for not getting Owens or Zayn to be a part of the invasion. It reinforces the fact that McMahon would not trust either man after what happened to him.
#2 Worst: Massive logical flaws
Didn't Kurt Angle announce the fact that Jinder Mahal and Brock Lesnar would be facing each other at Survivor Series (as did an advertisement), long before Paul Heyman stepped out to accept the challenge on Brock Lesnar's behalf?
This is after it was announced last week on SmackDown Live, that Brock Lesnar would be responding to Jinder Mahal's challenge, live on RAW. This made the whole process of Heyman accepting Mahal's challenge seem useless.
As was the assertion that Paul Heyman never trash talks about his opponents. Isn't that all he does? He definitely called Goldberg some nasty names that we cannot repeat again, here.
Let's also mention that Alexa Bliss made fun of people in the Midwest when she hails from Columbus, Ohio. Was it a backstage rib on her, somehow?
#3 Best: Alicia Fox as Team Captain
There's a lot of good wrestling in WWE, as of right now. What wrestling lacks at this juncture is drama. Having either Sasha or Bayley at the helm of their team would have been a logical choice for RAW. Throwing Fox into the mix will make things unpredictable.
Like we've said several times, Fox is still awful in the ring. However, she does have an entertaining character and can make the audience pay attention when they're starting to drift off. In many ways, she's like a female Enzo Amore.
It is unfortunate for Bayley and Sasha that they're being booked like just a regular bunch of sports entertainers. However, their characters are far less defined than that of the crazy, unhinged Alicia Fox.
#3 Worst: Repeating the same mistake?
Multi-man matches will not get the Cruiserweight Division over, 205 Live Creative Team! No wonder there was pin drop silence when the match actually did take place.
To make the show must-watch yet again, WWE needs to give the Cruiserweights some time to work on their characters. They need to be shown as distinct individuals and not nameless, faceless individuals on a roster. Hulk Hogan got over without a single dive.
We're also not in favour of Enzo Amore facing Kalisto for the umpteenth time for the championship. Enough already!
#4 Best: A necessary win
Kane will presumably enter a program with Braun Strowman for Survivor Series, next month. He's been booked so poorly across his career, that he needed to prove his dominance yet again, to be taken as a threat. He needed to pin a big name on RAW. Like Finn Balor.
A lot of fans on social media are irate because Balor ate a pin at the hands of a veteran. Well, if Kane cannot beat Balor, can he actually defeat Strowman, when the two men go face to face? Also, it's not the Demon persona, so the aura of the gimmick is not diminished.
Bear in mind that it took multiple chokeslams to put him away. Balor did not diminish in importance, following this match.
If some of you still feel cheated after watching the show, pray to the Blissful One today.
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