John Pollock andWai Tingreview WWE Raw featuring the return of Kevin Owens to Raw.
Monday’s episode featured Ric Flair announcing the final member of his team for Crown Jewel, several new talents receiving showcases, Humberto Carrillo receives a non-title match with Seth Rollins, Rusev crashes a dinner date, Cain Velasquez saves Rey Mysterio from Shelton Benjamin, and The Street Profits headlined the show against The OC in a six-man tag that became a tag match that still revealed a mystery man in the end. We will try and make sense of it.
Very interesting that people were so negative on this show. For me it was the best RAW in a long time other than not having any women on it. We got good matches for main roster WWE, and new talent getting a spot light. Just what I was hoping for following the draft. It wasn’t AEW or NXT, but I’ll take this every week over what we were getting/are getting on SD.
I must say the only thing on the show I liked was Ric Flair - he felt so… Natural (no pun intended).
Why we had to have Drew against Ricochet? So one of them can lose on TV? Why? I hate when they do that, even though the match was the best match on the show.
Rusev… my poor fellow… WTF was this tonight? Who wrote this shit? “It is Bob. He is poisoning Lana’s mind”. With what? Words? Drugs? It was such a stupid line, such STUPID “storytelling”. My brain exploded… or maybe it is the Twin Peaks BOB?!?
… wishful thinking…
Sin Cara on my TV in a match again. Maybe I should care. Maybe he will win this t… nevermind.
In general I liked the little story with Rey and Paul and Cain and Shelty B this week. Have to note - I am zoning out on Paul E promos. He has great delivery and everything, but he was overexposed last years and I just don’t care what he is saying anymore (which basically repeating the same stuff with changing few words and names). BTW, who would have thought that Rey will turn such a solid promo this late in his career? I am actually looking forward for the segments with him now - great, sincere delivery, storyline makes sense - this is what I like. This is what I want.
So Seth Rollins is officially heel now, right? Anyway, I just can’t watch him anymore. He turned Roman on me.
ME I didn’t care about. SP are getting on my nerves for weeks, actually months now - some of those backstage segments with them were so freaking annoying. KO joins them outta nowhere (WTF?) and they defeat (whatta surprise) the jObC to end the show.
Thought the McIntyre/Ricochet match was brilliant. Loved the post match beat down as well. Hoping that the Crown Jewel tag match gives birth to a McIntyre/Rollins feud and McIntyre can finally get a push as a bad ass heel rather than as someone’s sidekick.
Other than the Rusev/Lashley stuff, there wasn’t anything terrible on the show (although the Shelton stuff would’ve been better if his connection to Lesnar wasn’t only mentioned when they need Benjamin as a proxy). It’s not saying much but it was the best WWE main roster show for a while. Maybe not brilliant but hopefully it’s the start of them putting on a better product. On Raw at least.
RAW was actually pretty good. Ricochet/Drew, Andrade/Sin Cara and Rollins/Carillo were all very good. Some good squashes too with the War Raiders and Black. For a three-hour show, it was pretty watchable.
But the commentary is incredibly bad. I didnt think it could get worse but here we are. I dont think Joseph calls any moves and Madden sounds like a moron most of the time. Just sounds very minor league.
I’m not even sure what Lawler is there to add. Not a heel voice and doesn’t seem to know anything about the wrestlers. When the commentator knows less than the audience, it’s a problem and Lawler takes that problem as far as possible.
Yeah Lana and Rusev makes no sense and I’m not sure what it is trying to do.
But, I have no problem with Andrade and Sin Cara having a long-ish match. It’s at least fresh. Andrade has been on the main roster for almost two years and done nothing, so he has to be re-established.
Also True. I honestly think he is there for 2 reasons.
1.) His voice is a familiar one
2.) He makes sure they don’t have dead air, which I would worry about if it were a Vic and Dio two man booth.
Honestly I don’t know why they did not keep Rene on commentary and have it be her and Vic. Dio is way too green especially for a 3 hour show.
It is all relative. I’d take this episode over the Raw Premier, the Smackdown Premier, both Draft episodes, and last weeks smack down.
I have no issue with them establishing guys who have in ring talent. Was it big and exciting? No but you cannot do that every week, I’d rather they take time and build guys into matches I care about then rush into exciting angles and burn through their roster.
I felt like this was the Spiderman homecoming post credit with Captain America all over again, when I saw they were still reading feedback with 6 minutes left I said Damn
Yeah I actually don’t mind Lawler in limited doses because you can tell he’s not being fed lines. Sure, much of what he says is really lame but at least he doesn’t sound like a robot. Joseph is just buzz word after buzz word and basically reciting lines. Madden adds nothing and just is in way over his head.
On RAW at least I don’t have to listen to Michael Cole YELLING at me all the time stuff like “IT’S BOSS TIME!”, IT’S THE BIG DAWG!!!"
Jerry is like a ambrosia compared to that. Compared to SD, RAW actually feels fresh. Unfortunately, stupid storylines are still haunting us after every corner.
