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There are very few jobs in the world more rewarding than getting paid to watch and review sports entertainment. And to have wonderful readers like you check in week after week, as you've been doing since this column first began.
And yet, there are weeks when I curse myself for sitting through RAW because, by the end of the third hour, it becomes a chore to follow the product. I'm very glad to report that such was not the case this week for the show was amazing.
What were the hits and the misses from this week's show, you ask? I'm going to illustrate the good and the bad in this column.
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#1 Best: Brock Lesnar absolutely annihilates Rollins
Seth Rollins vs. Brock Lesnar was just another unexciting SummerSlam main event until the Beast Incarnate showed up and reminded us why he is the biggest draw in the current roster. He would absolutely destroy Seth Rollins both inside the ring and then in the backstage area as well when he was being offered assistance. Now there is heat between the two men and the SummerSlam match suddenly feels much more special.
I'm sure that Seth Rollins feels a lot more bruised and banged up than ever after everything that transpired during the course of the beatdown from Lesnar. And yet, because of the kind of buzz it has generated, Rollins must be ecstatic because this is the most exciting program yet in his title reign.
There was an Attitude Era kind of savagery in the beatdown that Brock Lesnar brought upon Rollins on this week's show. It is clear as day that this is Paul Heyman's influence, behind the scenes.
See WWE RAW Results, Highlights of event, & more on WWE RAW Results page
#1 Worst: Maria Kanellis as the 24/7 Champion
So there were two big 24/7 title changes that took place during the course of RAW this week. The first happened when Mike Kanellis became the champion and later when Kanellis' wife, Maria pinned him to become the champion; becoming the first-ever pregnant 24/7 Champion.
There is something about Maria Kanellis that just is not clicking with me, right now. It's just that while the Drake Maverick segments with his wife are funny, and the Carmella-R-Truth stuff is absolutely hilarious, there's something really cringeworthy about Mike and Maria Kanellis and their current booking.
I also hate the fact that Maria Kanellis gets to belittle Braun Strowman and make him look helpless because of her pregnancy. Storyline aside, he's a man who's received a monster push in recent times, and you'd want that to continue on screen.
I hope she drops the title very soon.
#2 Best: Spotlight on Cedric Alexander at the end of the night
WWE wasn't doing right by Cedric Alexander when he was first called up from 205 Live. He was put into the 24/7 Championship picture as just another individual in a mass of contenders vying for the title. Others like EC3 and Robert Roode are still stuck in that unfortunate position.
But ever since he came out as Gary 'The Goat' Garbutt, his fortunes seem to have changed for the better. It was a great way to close out RAW with Cedric Alexander performing a death-defying jump bringing proceedings to a close, leaving us begging for more. This was the best end to a RAW episode in some time.
Cedric Alexander is a great asset and I'm glad that he's not being treated as enhancement talent. His victory over Drew McIntyre not long ago indicates that WWE may have major plans for him.
#2 Worst: The Viking Raiders keep doing nothing at all
We get it, WWE! The Viking Raiders are big and they are strong and they are mean, and they are vicious, and they are unstoppable. Now can we please see them have an actual program with an actual tag team, instead of nameless jobbers every week?
I guess that Vince McMahon believes that it may take us a few months to get used to these guys and their new finisher before they enter a program. Such is not the case at all as a lot of his audience has followed these guys since NXT. In fact, much of his audience has also followed these two from before their current WWE stint.
Even the ones who have not must be bored with these meaningless and pointless matches. I would much rather see them square off against a weak team like Ryder and Hawkins.
#3 Best: The Gauntlet match
The gauntlet match was a great way to showcase the depth of talent in the current roster. All of the 'workers' in the back had a chance come to the forefront and prove just how good they are when the bell does ring.
Ricochet came out on top, but the match was a great showcase for the likes of Cesaro and Andrade, two men who really haven't been featured players in recent times, to remind us of just how good they can be when called upon to perform. Not that he needs it, but it was also a reminder of Rey Mysterio's talents.
Now, it seems like Ricochet has earned his way to the top of the line. The match at SummerSlam against AJ Styles suddenly feels a lot bigger than it previously was.
Gear up for a contest at SummerSlam 2019 that could potentially steal the show.
#3 Worst: The pointless injury angle from Bliss
Sure, a heel will claim that she is injured to get out of a match when it's required. It just seemed like there was no necessity for such a move during Alexa Bliss' match against Becky Lynch and feigning an injury in this case just defied all common sense.
This is because a match that pitted Becky Lynch against Nikki Cross would begin soon after, and Becky Lynch would pick up the win in that match. Soon enough Alexa Bliss would prove that her injury was a ruse and come out to destroy Becky Lynch.
In all of this, what role did her injury serve(?), is what I'm wondering and will continue to wonder unless one of you clears it up in the comments section below. After all, Nikki Cross still lost the big match.
Is Bliss secretly working with Natalya, laying the groundwork for the oncoming attack?
#4 Best/Worst: The Club as the RAW tag team champions
I know that this may be an unpopular thing to say but I don't really enjoy Gallows and Anderson in the squared circle. They are funny outside the ring, but when the bell goes off, they are just your generic tag team unit. Both The Revival and The Usos are far better in the ring than these two gentlemen are.
This was of course, the third title change of the night. It caught many people by surprise, but it's clear as day that there's some bigger plan at play here. All three members of the OC hold titles now, and so does every member of the New Day, at the moment.
Could we see a showdown between the two teams at WWE SummerSlam? Could we see these two teams destroy each other at a pay-per-view somewhere down the line?
Fans would love to see it!
