Monday Night RAW, 30th December 2013: Superstar Ratings

The big twist in the tale

The WWE ended a decimal run of average shows by pulling off a spectacular Raw this week. From the start to end, it kept the fans engaged through the high points and low ones.

Several superstars seemed boosted with a fresh push while some were doomed again with bad decision. Brock Lesnar found his way back to the roster alongside Paul Heyman while Daniel Bryan left the fans chanting “No” for his heroics.

There were a lot of talking points from this week’s Raw, and there were a lot of in-ring action to go with it. So here is a look at how the superstars faired in this week’s thriller ride.

The Great Khali – 3

The Great Khali

One must wonder why WWE is keeping Khali inside the ring when he barely walks. The company’s misconception that the fans in India watch WWE only because of Khali needs to be change fast to give him a more suitable role in the company.

It’s always good to spot the botches in a match involving Khali and his latest outing was no different.

Damien Sandow- 5

Damien Sandow

After Dolph Ziggler, Sandow seems to the superstar who wanders around the locker room for random booking. From money in the bank winner to fighting Khali, Sandow’s drop has been monumental.

A win against a botching giant is fooling no one and a good talent with great mic skills is being wasted again by WWE. Sandow’s match arguably was the lowest point of this week’ Raw.

R-Truth- 5.5

R-Truth

R-Truth is a wrestler who has more experience than John Cena in the business, yet he is still stuck in the mid card putting others over.

He got another win by beating Brodus Clay but only as a result of distraction from the Funkadactyls. A purpose for the bout is always a welcome but the way it unraveled did nothing for R-Truth on the long run

Brodus Clay- 6

Brodus Clay

He is ranked greater than R-Truth even though he lost to the rapping superstar. And the reason for that is the new monster heel push he is getting.

The bumps he is taking are all part of the story which would turn out to be a success when it completely unravels. For the time being it’s a slow buildup and Clay is well deep into his character.

Curtis Axel – 6.5

Curtis Axel

Despite all the push in the year, Axel failed to make into the limelight and this week also it was no different.

He gave a good match with nothing much to speak about against Ziggler. Thankfully the weird teaming with Ryback seems to be hidden for the moment. Axel could be groomed more with some time off the TV because there are no doubts when it comes to his in ring performance.

Dolph Ziggler – 7

Dolph Ziggler

Finally! It’s been so long since we saw Ziggler win match and it certainly was great to see him do so. Even if it was against Axel, it still counts as a win for the Show off.

A good push in the 2014 might be on the cards and he clearly deserves the same for the work he done to put over other stars around him.

Seth Rollins- 7.5

Seth Rollins

Rollins looked graceful in his defeat and served the purpose of making Roman Reigns look good. A match against his former teacher was a fresh move for the underrated superstar. He showed that his in ring talent compensates for everything else and proved that he deserves a push like Reigns.

Fandango- 7.5

Fandango

It’s not every time you see Fandango get similar rankings to Seth Rollins. The truth is he totally deserves it. After his initial push went off road, this was the first time he was shown as a serious wrestler.

A solid title bout exceeded the expectations and it will be interesting to see where he is headed next year.

CM Punk- 8

CM Punk

Punk came out and said that this year belonged to The Shield and not to him. Punk also stirred a lot of problems after calling out the shield by mentioning about “the best member of Shield”. The shield breakup angle moved another step with Punk’s brilliance and he followed it up with a great match against Seth Rollins.

Rollins and Punk had a lot of Chemistry between them and we could see more of it in the future.

Big E Langston- 8

Big E Langston

Another successful title defense for the powerhouse, the match was so entertaining that it stands out as his best defense so far.

Langston was sadly removed from the main event scene for some time but it was worth it for him and the fans. With a potential feud against Brock Lesnar still a possibility, it’s a great road ahead for Langston.

Brock Lesnar- 8

Brock Lesnar

What a way to make his return? The beast man handled the World’s strongest man and announced that he will be going for the title this time around.

First of all seeing Lesnar on Raw was more than exciting, and then him saying that he wants the title was a different level of excitement. Paul Heyman was solid as usual and the rumored Undertaker vs. Lesnar match seems to be buried for some time which could be a good move.

Wyatt Family- 9

Bray Wyatt

Though CM Punk said that the year belonged to Shield, actually it was the other trio that got all the applauds. From captivating the audience with their creepy promos to impressing them with the unorthodox moves, they did it all and ended the year with another high note.

After giving an epic gauntlet match, the Wyatt went on to make the headlines to recruit Daniel Bryan. To sum up the night belonged to the Wyatt Family and …

Daniel Bryan- 9.5

Daniel Bryan

If Kurt Angle was called the wrestling machine back then, then Bryan deserves the title this time around. He simply looked awesome in all the three matches and put over his opponents with sheer intensity.

After the match, the way he portrayed himself as a star who is tired of trying stuck out and is going to be in the headlines for some time. It’s not John Cena or Randy Orton, its Daniel Bryan who is the face of WWE and this week’s Raw proved it again.