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It's now time to discuss the fallout episode of RAW, following the Royal Rumble pay-per-view. Did we like it? Did we dislike it? As usual, it was a mixed bag of good and bad, and we'll detail what we liked and what we did not, right here.
As always we invite you to leave your comments below. We understand that our opinions may not echo your own, and therefore would love to hear what you have to say about this week's RAW. Feel free to share your thoughts.
This was the third straight night of WWE action from Philadelphia. What were the highlights that went down at the Wells Fargo Center?
Here they are...
New Champs in WWE! More RIGHT HERE
#1 Best: Braun Strowman's destructive ways
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For all the criticism that WWE gets with regard to handling stars, let's just say that they got Braun Strowman right. The Monster Among Men has been booked like a destructive machine thus far, and there seems to be no slowing him down!
Kudos to WWE creative for always upping the ante with Strowman, every single week. Even though Strowman did not win the Universal Championship at the Royal Rumble, rest assured that he's not lost any real momentum. He destroyed the announce table by merely flipping it over with the utmost ease, this week on RAW.
It's almost become a game of 'what will Braun Strowman do next on RAW', every week! Kurt Angle is an invaluable part of this situation too, acting shocked, alarmed and aghast as Strowman does the unthinkable, every single week.
Oh, did we forget? Braun Strowman buried Kane when he tipped over the commentary table. Strowman is the most interesting thing about RAW right now. And yes, he does deserve a Championship soon!
#1 Worst: An unenthusiastic audience
The WWE Universe roared their lungs out when they saw Andrade 'Cien' Almas and Johnny Gargano take each other to the limit. They were full of energy during the two Royal Rumble matches as well. They were exhausted by the time RAW came around. The lack of energy adversely affected the show.
The energy did not pick up when Sasha Banks and Asuka put on a great match. John Cena seemed visibly upset with the lack of enthusiasm during the main event. Even for us watching on TV, the excitement felt like it just died down. A good crowd can make a good show, and this crowd didn't!
#2 Best: A pay-per-view worthy card
WWE got a lot of positive press for the show they put on last night. With the eyes of the world firmly upon the product, for their next move, WWE knew they had to pull out a winner. And so they did, with a stacked card from top to bottom. We liked how almost every match had stakes, on this episode.
There were three matches to qualify for The Elimination Chamber, two title matches and another one with a streak on the line. Every match felt important, and therefore we watched on, despite the lack of energy from the crowd. For their part, the superstars didn't disappoint.
Every WWE show has just felt a lot bigger since RAW 25. The company has a lot more viewers watching, and they do not wish to disappoint.
#2 Worst: Sasha Banks' botch
Sasha Banks went for a suicide dive during her awesome match with Asuka. Sadly, she would seemingly trip on the ropes and almost injure herself. This is not the first instance of Sasha Banks seeming reckless. She's been a daredevil all through her career.
Slow down, Sasha Banks. We love you to bits and want you to have a great career, inspiring many women to follow in your footsteps. We urge you, as fans, to be more careful.
After what happened to Paige, it only makes sense to be careful, going forward. There was also a scary spot involving Apollo Crews during his match with The Bar, but thankfully Crews was unhurt.
#3 Best: The post match promo
We were alarmed when Triple H, the man behind NXT, buried the best thing to come out of his brand- The Revival. Yes, he teamed up with his old buddies in DX, to take out his own Top Guys. Thankfully, they've been racking up a string of wins since then. This week, they defeated Heath Slater and Rhyno.
What we especially loved about The Revival this week, was the post-match promo they cut following their victory. They differentiated themselves from the hardcore style of ECW, as they criticised the audience that still chants that name, so many years after the promotion shut shop for good.
#3 Worst: No Ironman in Elimination Chamber?
In our opinion, this was a puzzling decision. Right after WWE made Finn Balor look like a million bucks following his amazing performance at the Royal Rumble, they had him lose to John Cena. It seems like he won't be a part of the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view. And that's a crying shame, really.
It is clear that WWE sees some equity in Finn Balor, based on his performance the night before. We wonder though, why WWE refuses to push him to the moon like he should be.
It possible that Finn Balor is turning heel soon and could end up taking out Cena at WrestleMania 34. This may involve eliminating Cena for the Elimination Chamber or outright taking him out before the match even starts.
Another possibility is that Cena is desperate to participate at WrestleMania(as we could see on RAW) and he starts getting more and more desperate to the point that the only way to get him on the card is by calling out The Undertaker.
#4 Best: Jonathan Coachman/ No more Booker T
Booker T was one of the greatest in-ring performers of all time. Sadly, commentary just wasn't his gig. It did not help that he was often at odds with Corey Graves at the commentary desk too. While we're sad to see him go, The Coach is back home.
The Coach is an exceptional announcer. He added a lot of interesting inputs to the proceedings on RAW. It's great to see that despite his high-profile job, he was abreast with the product and every development.
We look forward to seeing Booker T on pre-show panels regularly. At the same time, we're glad that The Coach is back on Monday Nights, once again.
It's almost as good as this combination, though not quite.
