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This week of RAW came to us from the SAP Center in San Jose, California and truth be told, it was a real disappointment. Having built up No Mercy as a must-see event with a great card, the episode just felt rather underwhelming.
If we were to glance across the three hours, there was little to get us excited for the show this weekend. If anything, this week's episode took away from all the momentum that had been built up over the past few weeks.
Expect the ratings to drop significantly this week, when they do emerge. If it was not enough that RAW was up against Monday Night Football, their substandard booking certainly did them no favors. Presenting the best and (mostly) worst of RAW.
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#1 Worst: Nonstop barrage of video packages
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John Cena wasn't in the building this week, and neither was Brock Lesnar. WWE used their absence to play video packages to hype up the two big matches for No Mercy, and in doing so, bored their viewers and how! As slick and well-made as WWE video packages generally are, they just felt long and neverending.
WWE seemed so short on ideas and content this week, that they even showed a nostalgia video package about WWE Hall of Famer, Edge. Another followed with Jennifer Lopez and Hispanic Heritage Month. The essential charm of RAW is that it is a live show, and the video packages just took away from this.
#1 Best: Remembering "The Brain"
It was very classy on WWE's part to play video footage of Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan, throughout the show. With montages, footage and tweets from WWE superstars remembering the legend, Bobby Heenan's legacy was celebrated and cherished among fans, old and new.
We've seen a few comments online complaining about the fact that he did not get a ten bell salute, but be that as it may, the tribute that WWE put together for him was very sweet indeed. We do hope that it inspires those in the audience to log in to the WWE Network, and remember 'The Brain'.
It was also cool to see Booker T finally get his comeuppance against Michael Cole by calling Heenan the best announcer to have called his many matches. Cole was dumbfounded by the remark.
#2 Worst: Jason Jordan and his botch
The most entertaining thing that Jordan did this week was that he tripped and fell, on his way to the ring. There's something lacking in his character and the current storyline is doing him no favours at all, really.
Yes, he is the number 1 contender for the Intercontinental Championship and should have a good program with The Miz, but the current storyline needs a reboot. There is only a smattering of polite applause when Jason Jordan comes out, and that is because he hasn't been built convincingly.
The 'favoritism' storyline would actually be a compelling angle, if Angle did show favoritism towards the gold-blooded one. Unfortunately, Kurt Angle is as fair as they come.
#2 Best: The return of Bayley
Bayley had to relinquish her RAW Women's Championship, because of an injury she sustained to her shoulder. We are glad to see that she has healed and is back in action, once again.
Not only did she enter the fray once more, and deliver her finisher to the RAW Women's Champion, she has entered the title picture at No Mercy. This adds an element of excitement to the big match, and does shake things up, at least a bit.
We're glad to see that Bayley's back and raring to go. Injuries can derail careers but in her case, she was getting booed out of the building before she got injured. The time away actually got her a babyface reaction.
#3- Worst: Same thing, different week
The match this week was not bad at all. In fact, their matches are never bad. It's just that every week feels like more of the same, with regard to Ambrose, Sheamus, Rollins, Cesaro and The Club.
Last week, the heels were all aligned in the same unit. This week, they were at odds. Couldn't a different team like Heath Slater and Rhyno or even a makeshift enhancement talent tag team be thrown together, to just mix things up and not provide more of the same, on a weekly basis?
Some storytelling could go a long way in rescuing this division again. Rollins and Ambrose still get a reaction but we wonder how long their honeymoon period will last, if they get booked in the same matches, week after week after week.
It did not help that this match felt like it went on forever and ever! Something new please...
#3 Best: Braun Strowman destroys Enzo Amore
The only genuine surprise this week came from Braun Strowman, who emerged to lay the smack down on Enzo Amore and beat him to an absolute pulp.
Strowman left Enzo lying for Neville, who came in and delivered The Red Arrow, to shatter his No Mercy opponent into a million pieces, all at once.
We do not doubt that this is a public burial of Enzo Amore, who is being punished for his backstage antics. Let's hope he gets back into the good graces of the locker room very soon, or this could become a weekly affair, very soon.
There's something oddly comforting about watching Enzo Amore get beaten up, but we cannot put our finger on why it is so.
#4- Worst: No John Cena
Roman Reigns is not a bad promo really. At least, when he is not trading insults with John Cena, that is.
Honestly, the absence of John Cena just made the show feel like a lesser deal. WWE tried to turn his absence into an angle, but there was only so much that they could do, at this point in time. This felt like an unimportant show where Cena had decided not to show up.
The same holds true for Lesnar, who wasn't present in the ring, live. We would have loved to see some blows or a pull-apart brawl among the top contenders, to establish some sort of heat, leading into the big matches.
Ultimately, we cannot have it all. So let's end on a good note and pray at the altar of Alexa Bliss, perhaps the greatest creation of the Lord.
