The WWE rolled into Providence, Rhode Island for this week's RAW, live from The Dunkin Donuts Center.
This week's RAW offered plenty of action, several surprises and some great storyline progression to lead us into Battleground. Steph and Shane had a few surprise guests of their own to help ignite the crowd and really kick things off with a high level of energy, but that being said, would they be able to sustain that energy?
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I'll let you be the judge as we dive into this week's results and grades.
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OPENING SEGMENT: RAW AND SMACKDOWN GET GM'S
My oh my! Now THAT'S the way to kick things off and grab the attention of your audience! RAW gets Mick Foley and Smackdown gets Daniel Bryan. Both were outstanding picks, which the fan base can rally behind and both are capable of keeping their fingers on the pulse of the fanbase.
That is a critical component in this newly revived ratings war.
While I expected to see Paul Heyman as the GM for one or the brands, I have no issue whatsoever with either selection.
The entire segment was great. It could've turned south and got boring very easily. But, they kept things together and sold the sibling rivalry like a charm. This was one of the better opening segments RAW has produced in quite some time.
GRADE: A+
SAMI ZAYN & CESARO def. KEVIN OWENS & CHRIS JERICHO
After a great opening segment, we were treated to a great opening match. Cesaro shone like the underrated star that he truly is. I'd really like to see this guy get a strong push towards being a main eventer.
He and Sami had unbreakable chemistry, all throughout this match.
Chris Jericho is another one who doesn't get nearly enough credit for the way he puts the younger talent over. Jericho has helped tremendously with the overall progression of this New Era.
As far as Kevin Owens, the guy is just a pure star. Period. He continues to shock people with his deceptive level of athleticism .
A guy built like him is simply not supposed to move like that. The feud between him and Zayn is something that fans will be talking about decades from now. Those two have legendary history already and fortunately for us, it's just the beginning.
GRADE: A-
DARREN YOUNG def. ALBERTO DEL RIO
I am extremely pleased with the direction they have taken with Darren Young.
He is someone who has worked very hard, week in and week out, come back from serious injuries and pressed forward, not knowing what was in store for him, at least creatively. The pairing with Bob Backlund has turned into a genius idea.
I'll admit, I wasn't a fan of this combo at first, but as of now, they've done well in making it work.
Unfortunately, this match left a lot to be desired. Sure, it's a big win for Young.
However, the match was very bland and didn't do very well as a whole. Nevertheless, Young picked up the win, so it is what it is.
But with his big Intercontinental Championship opportunity looming at Battleground, he truly needed a knockout performance and I just don't think that happened last night.
GRADE: C-
THE WYATTS & THE CLUB def. JOHN CENA AND ENZO & CASS
Here we had a really good mix of comedy, mixed with fantastic tag team action. In the beginning, the exchanges between Enzo and Xavier was some of the funniest stuff they've done lately. Anytime you can have that many grown men in one ring, talking about Pokemon Go, you've got something.
Once Bray and his henchmen arrived, it was all business and while in most instances – a 12 man tag team match is probably going to go bad somewhere between bells – these guys made this one work.
Not only did it work, they made it highly entertaining. I was pleasantly surprised at how well Strowman was showcased.
This match was simply a teaser for what's to come this Sunday at Battleground. Some of the matches they have lined up are near Mania material. Let's just hope all the pieces come together when the bell rings.
GRADE: A
BARON CORBIN def. SIN CARA
I suppose a win is a win, but at this point in his career, Baron Corbin needs some higher profile wins under his belt, if there truly is a plan to one day push him as a top big guy.
He has progressed fairly well as far as his in-ring work is concerned, but he's still got some work to do. If he can turn up his consistency a notch, he will be a force to reckoned with.
In the end, Corbin did pick up the win over Sin Cara. I just hope for his sake, the creative team decides to start booking him with some stronger opponents in the near future. This match just wasn't much to write home about.
GRADE: C-
SASHA BANKS & BECKY LYNCH def. CHARLOTTE & DANA BROOKE (via DQ)
Not a bad match whatsoever. I expected to see Sasha hint at who her mystery partner might be for Battleground, but I guess that's why it's a mystery! Things are certainly favorable for a Bayley draft pick, so we could very well see Sasha pick her old NXT rival.
Despite the fact that the record books will show a win for Sasha and Becky, the incident with Nattie and ultimately, the disqualification clouded the victory for the babyfaces as Charlotte and her sidekick came out looking like the superior duo.
The women's title has really hit a stale point with Charlotte. Not to take anything away from her, but at this point, that title definitely needs a new home. My pick would be The Boss, Sasha Banks.
GRADE: B-
RUSEV & SHEAMUS def. DOLPH ZIGGLER & ZACK RYDER
This contest was nothing more than your typical time filler, with no back story. I guess it served it's purpose for what it was intended for. Rusev looked incredible all throughout this bout, representing the United States title capably in the win.
I would like to see Ziggler get some better luck with his booking. Maybe the brand-split will help his chances at moving back up the ladder, or maybe not. I don't think there's much interest from the powers that be to do very much with Ziggy after all.
Overall, it wasn't a terrible match at all though. There was some good back and forth action. Sheamus doesn't seem to be doing very much lately. He's also another one that could benefit from all of the changes.
GRADE: C+
WWE TITLE MATCH: SETH ROLLINS def. DEAN AMBROSE....MAYBE NOT
The match was pretty darn good, but the post-match fireworks are what the world is talking about today. Stephanie may have declared Seth the new champion, but during the aftermath on the WWE Network, it was made clear that both mens’ shoulders were down, resulting in a draw.
This bout was a great prelude to what we have in store for us this Sunday. The triple-threat title match is exactly what fans wanted when The Shield first split-up.
Now with the controversy surrounding Roman Reigns being allowed to compete, the fallout from last night's RAW, and Dean’s clean victory over Seth Rollins on SmackDown Live!, the Battleground main event is shaping up to be a historic event.
GRADE: A
REFLECTIONS
We are in a season of change, as far as WWE and the fanbase is concerned. The changes that are en route are necessary changes, and we should all be excited about them. More importantly, we as fans must give these changes a chance.
There will be some draft picks that you may or may not like. There will be some brand changes implemented that you may or may not agree with. There will be some pushes that you may not think are worthy and simply just some things you're not going think are smart decisions.
But at the end of the day, things NEED to change and change in a major way. Let's just sit back and let it all play out.
In regards to the Battleground main event, I have my own opinions on how Roman Reigns should've been handled, but let's look at the bigger picture. Reigns had to be included in the match in order to fulfill The Shield face off we've all wanted for so long.
However, I definitely don't believe he deserves to walk away with the WWE Championship. Sure, it'll generate some serious heat, but it just sends the wrong message, especially with what's happened with Brock Lesnar and all the eyes that are on the wellness policy.
There's one last stop before Battleground, which is Smackdown Live. I'm certain this will be a highly rated episode and there will be some interesting last minute developments for the PPV.
OVERALL GRADE: B+
