Just as Smackdown Live has been doing everything right, Raw has been constantly slipping in quality, week after week. This week felt like a whole lot of filler building up to the Royal Rumble. Even the return of the Beast did not do much for us.
One could have skipped this show and maybe directly have watched the next pay-per-view, and it would have still been okay. He/she wouldn’t have missed much.
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Needless to say, we don't have a whole lot of positives for this week’s episode of Raw from North Little Rock. However, we shall try to be optimistic, and bring you the best and worst of this week's show.
#1 Best: An epic confrontation
The opening segment had less talking and more fists, and that's always a positive. The ring filled up with contenders and started to empty out upon the arrival of the Beast - Brock Lesnar.
This was a nice way to showcase Lesnar’s dominant role in the Royal Rumble. What caught our fancy, however, was a face-off between Lesnar and Strowman. The crowd seemed sold on the contest and the two even teased a fight before Strowman backed down.
It will be interesting to find out who Strowman faces at Wrestlemania, considering that WWE has teased both Strowman-Undertaker and Strowman-Lesnar matches recently. How does Goldberg fit into this whole scenario? The coming weeks should hopefully reveal all.
#1 Worst: Killing The Club’s momentum
Taking nothing away from the match between Cesaro and Sheamus vs. The Club, they’ve just become irrelevant after not being able to win the tag team titles despite being given multiple opportunities.
As the only credible contenders for the tag team championships on Raw, it would have been a great idea to put the titles on them to make them look strong, but the screwy finish ruined everything.
Ever since Gallows and Anderson have arrived on the main roster, they've just been losing. First to the New Day, and then to Cesaro and Sheamus. We realise that this is another way to extend this rivalry, but every opportunity lost also equals momentum lost.
#2 Best: Touching tribute to the Superfly
We lost the pioneer of the high flyers – Jimmy ‘Superfly’ Snuka recently. Given his controversial past and the fact that he's still part of a lawsuit against WWE (represented by his wife), we were worried that he would only be remembered with a small graphic at the beginning of Raw.
Thankfully, WWE compiled a touching tribute remembering his career. Despite every controversy he’s courted outside the squared circle, one cannot dispute the fact that he was instrumental in changing the face of professional wrestling. RIP Superfly!
#2 Worst: Same old guys in the top spot
Complete credit to WWE for figuring out every single permutation and combination featuring Rollins, Reigns, Jericho and Owens. Every time we’re sure we've seen the last of them for good, they figure out yet another way to make them feature in the main event in some way, shape or form.
This week, it was a 6 man tag with Strowman and Zayn added to the mix. What’s next? We can't even guess.
#3 Best: Tease of a new Shield
Sami Zayn teamed up with Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins this week, for the six-man main event. In a backstage segment, he tried to integrate himself into the mix as a new member of The Shield.
Sadly, Roman and Rollins were not buying and it played out funnily. Isn’t it a shame when backstage skits are way better than actual in-ring segments on the show? Thankfully, the actual six man match wasn't half bad either.
#3 Worst: Titus vs The New Day
It's clear that WWE has nothing planned for the New Day as of right now. Therefore, they have integrated Titus O’Neil into the mix in segments that honestly make us cringe. Is there going to be a payoff to this storyline some day in the future?
Very honestly, as of now, their segments make absolutely no sense at all. Now that he’s lost to Xavier, Kofi and Big E, what's next for Titus? We shudder to think.
#4 Best: Kurt Angle in the Hall of Fame
It was such a mark out moment to hear Kurt Angle's music playing yet again. Congratulations to one of the greatest of all time, and while these chants get annoying, we echo the WWE Universe when it says- ‘one more match’.
Better yet, many, many more matches.
#4 Worst: Third hour
Here’s an undiscovered Bayley poem we found from our secret sources:
“The third hour is too much,It’s impossible to survive,That’s why we tune in on Tuesdays,For the A-show, Smackdown Live.”
#5 Worstest: Where is freakin’ Emmalina?
Oh, there she is, by the sea! Emmalina, be my bay-bey!
Bay-bey, get it? Fine, Becky Lynch will appreciate it.
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