The company clearly wanted the Jan. 19 edition of WWE Raw to feel massive and be more significant than your typical Monday night.
In many ways, WWE achieved that. Bringing in Ric Flair and Scott Hall made for a celebratory, fun atmosphere. Having Sting commit his second act of vigilantism delivered a jolt to the show's closing moments. Big stars, Daniel Bryan being back and chaos in the climax all pleased a mostly electric crowd in Dallas.
It was the midcard, the tag team division and the oft-neglected elements of the product that hurt Monday's Raw. There were a lot of duds in terms of ring action and decision-making. If fans didn't change the channel after the latest storyless meeting between an Uso and The Miz, they were treated to WWE charging toward the Royal Rumble.
The title bout at that pay-per-view got plenty of attention. And WWE even further set up a potential WrestleMania match. The following is a look at all of that, highlights and letter grades included.
Opening Segment
After a tribute to Martin Luther King, the show kicked off in earnest.
Brock Lesnar, title in hand, soon stood alongside Paul Heyman in the ring, refusing to let Heyman speak for him. Instead, he urged Seth Rollins to come out and fight him. Triple H emerged, not Rollins.
The COO tried to calm him down, but he failed. Stephanie McMahon tried as well, only to have Rollins further antagonize Lesnar from the big screen.
John Cena forced his way into the situation, shouting about what he planned to do at the Royal Rumble.
McMahon dismissed Cena's jokes and reminded everyone that he brought back The Authority and blamed him for Dolph Ziggler and company getting fired. Rollins added some verbal jabs of his own.
Triple H offered the former champ a chance to get those men their jobs back if he won his match later in the night. If he lost, though, he would no longer be in the title bout at Royal Rumble. Fans would later vote to decide if Cena would take that offer.
Memorable Moments and Quotes
"When I show up, it's business time, baby."—Lesnar.
"Why don't you just be patient, cave man?"—Rollins to Lesnar.
"I will take that fire into the Royal Rumble."—Cena.
Grade
B
Analysis
A great Dallas crowd elevated this segment. The performers fed off the fans' energy rather than have to fight against it as we have seen with some combative crowds.
This opener was simple and effective, mashing together all the elements of the Royal Rumble championship match. Even with Cena's match for later in the night feeling predictable, adding high stakes to it is smart business.
The spotlight centered on Cena a bit too much, leaving Rollins to be more of a bit player. And the story of what fans truly think of Cena has seemingly come out of nowhere. The championship needs to be more of the focus.
Daniel Bryan vs. Bray Wyatt
Daniel Bryan began the bout with a flurry of high-risk moves. His momentum slowed, though, thanks to Kane arriving and then watching from a distance.
Bray Wyatt then took control, tearing at Bryan's limbs, grinding his knee into his neck. The match felt more like an exercise in torture at this point. Wyatt stayed on the attack, focusing on Bryan's head and neck.
Bryan managed a few brief comebacks, but interference from Kane gave Wyatt the advantage. Wyatt hit Sister Abigail for the win.
Kane attacked his old tag team partner afterward, laying into him with clubbing right hands.
Result
Wyatt wins via pinfall.
Memorable Moments and Quotes
"I'm scared for Daniel Bryan's health."—Booker T.
Wyatt flips Bryan over with a nasty clothesline.
"Referee, do your job!"—Booker T.
Bryan hits a hurricanrana from the top rope.
Grade
A-
Analysis
Boy is it great to have Bryan back. His unique energy and unparalleled skill makes TV matches feel so much more significant.
The announcers surprisingly brought up Wyatt and Bryan's history and worked it into the commentary. Too often, WWE has not taken advantage of old storylines and zeroed in on recent history only.
Wyatt looked fantastic, a vicious predator to be feared. His in-ring psychology was excellent, and he continues his recent streak of wins. The company is clearly setting him up for something big.
Legends Panel
Byron Saxton welcomed Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair and Shawn Michaels to the ring. He asked them about whether Cena should put his title shot on the line as well as what their Royal Rumble experiences were like.
Hogan, Flair and Michaels each reflected on their wins and what the match meant to their careers.
When asked about who they thought would win this year, Michaels picked Bray Wyatt. Hogan chose Bryan and Flair went with Ambrose. Big Show didn't like those answers, walking out to tell the Hall of Famers what he thought of them.
The giant disrespected the trio of all-time greats. Flair came at Big Show, only to take a KO Punch.
Roman Reigns stepped in, handing out his own punches. He tossed the big man over the top rope and stared him down as he retreated.
Memorable Moments and Quotes
"Not the first time I've gone an hour as a lot of people in Dallas know."—Flair.
"There would be no Mr. WrestleMania without the Royal Rumble."—Hogan.
Michaels and Hogan tease a fight before The Heartbreak Kid laughs it off and sits down.
"This is not your time anymore."—Big Show to the Legends panel.
Grade
B-
Analysis
The one-word answers to whether Cena should put his title shot on the line were a waste of time. The other stuff, though, helped play up the importance and career-changing possibilities of the Rumble.
Giving Wyatt and Ambrose a rub is a good move and at least tries to create the thought that someone not named Bryan or Reigns wins on Sunday.
Flair being so goofy as he confronted Big Show was odd. That's trademark Nature Boy, but it made it seem like Flair didn't take him seriously. That hurt the idea that he was supposed to be a danger to these men.
Kudos for keeping Reigns' words to a minimum. For now, he's at his best when he's the silent badass.
Big Show, meanwhile, is on a stretch of strong performances. He's been around long enough to be resented and taken for granted, but he's nailing his mic work as of late.
Bad News Barrett vs. Dean Ambrose
Dean Ambrose and Bad News Barrett slugged it out with each man tagging the other with hard shots. A frenetic energy powered Ambrose to control of the match, kicking Barrett out of the ring.
Barrett responded with a big knee to the gut and a number of strikes. That didn't keep Ambrose down for long. The Lunatic Fringe kept charging back, but he tweaked his bad knee. Even with that injury returning, Ambrose won the battle. He nailed a double-underhook DDT to get the three-count.
Result
Ambrose wins via pinfall.
Memorable Moments and Quotes
"He doesn't know what he's going to do. You can't game-plan for Dean Ambrose."—John "Bradshaw" Layfield.
Barrett hits a thunderous high knee to Ambrose while he's hung up on the ropes.
Ambrose counters Waste Land with his trademark DDT.
Grade
B-
Analysis
WWE gets points for putting together a fresh matchup. This is not a bout we've seen dozens of times over.
The action was good, though Barrett and Ambrose don't have stellar chemistry together.
Ambrose needed a win after losing to Bray Wyatt so often as of late so his victory is a welcome sight. The result provides another bit of evidence of the Intercontinental Championship curse. Add this to the tally of non-title losses for Barrett already.
The New Day vs. Cesaro and Tyson Kidd
Big E flung Tyson Kidd around to kick things off. Kofi Kingston added some high-flying offense, but he soon found himself experiencing a Cesaro uppercut firsthand. The heels took control, keeping Kingston in their corner, dishing out double-team moves.
Cesaro accidentally knocked Kidd over with Kingston's feet. That led to a moment of distraction where Kingston rolled up Cesaro for the win.
Result
The New Day wins via pinfall.
Memorable Moments and Quotes
Cesaro holds up Kingston for a vertical suplex as Kidd flies in at him.
Grade
C
Analysis
This rivalry is leaving a lot of questions unanswered. What's Adam Rose's place in this story? Why talk about Cesaro and Kidd as title contenders only to have them look like bumblers?
This was too short, not giving anyone any real to get going. As a result, it was just an OK bout.
If this feud is going to continue, WWE needs to add something to it. It's just two teams competing with no added subplots or particular stakes right now.
NWO Reunion
Backstage, Scott Hall, Kevin Nash and Shawn Michaels gave Triple H a hard time about being an executive now. Damien Mizdow dressed up like X-Pac and did a mighty fine impression of him.
Hall, X-Pac and Nash later waltzed out to the ring where The Bad Guy asked the fans why they came to Raw. Nash played up NWO's legacy and plugged the WWE Network.
The Ascension interrupted.
The NWO geared up for a fight, and Viktor and Konnor trash-talked the trio who didn't look impressed. John "Bradshaw" Layfield tore off his jacket and welcomed Ron Simmons into the arena. The New Age Outlaws made their way out as well.
The teams from the past then all manhandled The Ascension.
Memorable Moments and Quotes
"I don't come to where you work and tell you how to kill defenseless animals."—Triple H to Michaels.
"We're probably responsible for everything great that has ever been created."—Nash.
"All we see is three old dogs just begging to be put out of their misery."—Viktor.
JBL hits a Clothesline from Hell on Viktor.
Grade
B
Analysis
WWE got half of this right.
Having The Ascension in the same ring as three all-time great teams suggested that they belonged on the same level as them. There was a chance to have the "disrespecting legends" angle go somewhere, but it just had Viktor and Konnor become a punchline.
Retired guys in their 40s and 50s beating up these newcomers makes them look like pushovers. It's as if WWE has already given up on The Ascension and thought it best to get a cheap laugh out of them before doing them in.
Summer Rae and Alicia Fox vs. Paige and Natalya
Nikki and Brie Bella provided guest commentary as their Royal Rumble opponents, Paige and Natalya, battled.
Summer Rae and Alicia Fox briefly grounded Natalya. She slipped away, though, to allow Paige to come charging in.
Paige kicked her opposition around before locking in the PTO for the win.
Result
Paige and Natalya win via submission.
Memorable Moments and Quotes
Natalya whips Fox into Paige who delivered a kick to the face.
Grade
D+
Analysis
After announcing that Paige and Natalya would face the Bella sisters, it was clear that WWE wanted to give the babyface team some momentum.
It did to a point, but such a short match against a team of women that don't win often only has so much power. Plus, it's not clear why Paige and Natalya have formed this bond of late.
Rusev vs. R-Truth
R-Truth actually had Rusev reeling for a moment. He tossed Rusev over the top rope and knocked him to the mat with a kick.
Then came Rusev's powerful kick and The Accolade. R-Truth soon tapped out.
Result
Rusev wins via submission.
Memorable Moments and Quotes
"Every flag-waving, apple-pie-eating, red-blooded American WWE Superstar is coming for you, cupcake."—R-Truth to Rusev.
"Birthday boy, get ready to tap out."—John "Bradshaw" Layfield to R-Truth.
Grade
C-
Analysis
Nothing special here. WWE went back to the "Rusev steamrolling lesser foes" formula to gain the big man some momentum heading into the Royal Rumble.
It works, but it's not the most entertaining thing to watch. Rusev dominating someone on R-Truth's level is the expected outcome at this point.
Jey Uso vs. The Miz
The Miz controlled the action, slowing down Jey Uso's high-flying style. A reverse chinlock and his trademark corner clothesline did the trick.
Jey eventually responded with a kick to the face and a splash for the win.
Result
Jey wins via pinfall.
Memorable Moments and Quotes
Damien Mizdow runs into the steel post after The Miz does.
Grade
D-
Analysis
This match was a snoozer both from an in-ring perspective and thanks to it being part of a lifeless feud.
WWE has fallen off in terms of creativity with this rivalry. It has failed to do anything with it after the Naomi element faded. The current plan appears to be to just plug in one of the Usos against The Miz and hope Mizdow is funny enough to carry the match.
There's little motivation to care about the tag-title bout at the Royal Rumble and even less for the latest Uso win over The Miz.
John Cena vs. Seth Rollins, Kane and Big Show
Cena had to defeat all three men to keep his spot in the Royal Rumble title match and bring Ziggler, Ryback and Erick Rowan back to the company.
Triple H and Stephanie McMahon looked on in glee as Seth Rollins and Big Show pounded on Cena. Rollins tried to squeeze all the air out of Cena with a sleeper hold. Big Show looked to squash him with a dive from the second rope, but Cena slipped out of the way.
The babyface then went on a tear.
J&J Security distracted him enough to slow him down. Kane pulled him off Rollins after hitting the Attitude Adjustment. The announcers played up how high the odds were stacked against Cena.
Sting appeared, distracting The Authority, igniting the fans. While Rollins stared at Sting, Cena rolled him up for the win.
Triple H screamed in frustration after Sting slipped away. Lesnar then stormed in, attacking Rollins, Kane and Big Show.
Result
Cena wins via pinfall.
Memorable Moments and Quotes
"The blood of Cena is on the WWE Universe's hands."—John "Bradshaw" Layfield.
"This is seven-on-one!"—Michael Cole.
"We just saw a miracle in Dallas."—JBL.
Lesnar hits an F-5 on Big Show.
Grade
A-
Analysis
The match had all the makings of another "Cena overcomes the odds" story. Early on there was too much focus on making Cena the hero, but that's not unexpected. It's been WWE's M.O. for years.
There is little that's noteworthy about the majority of the action. It's the chaos that followed that will leave fans talking.
Sting's second-ever WWE appearance felt huge. The company has done well to use him sparingly to aid that feeling. The expected match with Triple H at WrestleMania looks to be a lock at this point.
It was a smart move to let Lesnar issue some destruction. It's a vivid reminder of what he's capable of. Raw ended with the kind of frenetic energy that a go-home show should.
No comments:
Post a Comment