This week, Raw came to us from Louisiana, the site of Wrestlemania next year. If this was any sort of preview for WrestleMania 34, let's just say that fans won't really be too eager for it.
While the show started off on a great note, it soon became a comedy of errors, and sometimes even of terrors. With NJPW putting on shows that give the fans exactly what they want, and Raw constantly insulting our intelligence on a weekly basis, we wonder if the creative team should take a look at what the competition is doing.
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In any case, we present the best and worst of Raw for you, dear fan.
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#1 Best: The ideal start
This show couldn't have started off on a better note than it did this week. Samoa Joe and Brock Lesnar came face to face, and then came to blows too. The whole locker room had to step in and tear these two men apart.
We hardly see Lesnar throw blows on Raw (or even appear on the show, for that matter), and this was a welcome sight to see. This is by far the most exciting feud that WWE has going right now, and this gets us really pumped for the big PPV match.
With their legitimate MMA backgrounds, it’ll be a treat to watch the two men grapple and maybe even throw in a few stiff shots. Sadly, this segment also had a glaring error.
#1 Worst: Heels and babyfaces working together?
When a security force could not stop the two monsters from beating each other up, during the opening segment, the whole locker room emptied to separate the bulls from one another. While kayfabe may be a thing of the past, it was silly to see feuding Superstars emerge together and separate the two men instead of beating one another up during this high-octane segment.
So Enzo and Cass were working in unison with The Club, and Kalisto was helping Titus O’Neil and Apollo Crews. While the undercard may not be as important, this kind of booking makes it feel rather irrelevant and completely broke kayfabe and the dynamic between heels and faces.
#2 Best: Glimpses of The Revival
Crime novelist Agatha Christie once said, ‘Never tell all you know’ while referring to crime thrillers. She implied that the best kind of mysteries are the ones in which not all the answers are obvious.
The Enzo-Cass saga is certainly a good mystery. What we especially like about it, is the smattering of The Revival we always get to see in the background, making it painfully obvious that it won’t be them who made the attack, but still leaving us with a sneaking suspicion in the back of our minds.
#2 Worst: Alicia Fox on FaceTime
The crowd already does not care about the Cruiserweights on Raw (or even 205 Live). The worst way to get them over is having Alicia Fox on FaceTime, in the middle of the ring, during a match.
Her annoying voice did nothing to help Noam Dar or the returning Cedric Alexander. We believe it could even be worse than the ‘This is Your Life’ segment featuring Alexa Bliss. We are all for creativity, but this kind of booking does not help anyone in the long run.
Can we end this angle already, and just have the men battle one another like they did during the CWC?
#3 Best: Neville
The one thing that WWE has done right, has been to book Neville dominantly. Not only has Neville broken the glass ceiling, and made the 205 Live show his own, he may be the most dominant champion in WWE today.
His attitude is compelling, his promos are great and the fact that he has cleared out all his competition, just makes the crowd long for a challenger who can come down and dethrone him. While one tends to tune out when the ropes turn purple, Neville makes everyone take notice when he comes to the ring and makes any sort of statement.
#3 Worst: Scripting the Hardyz
Matt and Jeff Hardy attracted WWE’s attention once again, because of how natural, unscripted, and charismatic they were, during their ‘Broken’ run. Their promo this week was scripted, and painful to watch, with Charly Caruso moving the mic, in a premeditated manner, between the brothers.
To get them over big time, WWE needs to set them loose and let them be themselves. Their draw at the end of the show won't help matters too much either. It certainly won't be recalled as fondly as the recent Okada vs. Omega draw.
#4 Best/Worst: The Bear
The segment with the Ambrose bear was equally entertaining and annoying to us at Sportskeeda Wrestling. We’re certain it will garner both praise and flak from the internet community. Let us now what you thought about it, in the comments.
We end as always with Alexa Bliss’ and Sasha Banks’ pretty faces, in hopes of a better showing when SmackDown Live comes around tomorrow.
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