-Good to see Liv Morgan back to reality as a heel. The bizarre and total disregard for her character at Crown Jewel was really bad form on not only her part, but Triple H’s too. The promo this week was obnoxious and a good example of why the Crown Jewel Championship gimmick works best with her.
Seeds planted
-The women’s Battle Royal number one contender match was pretty good by WWE Battle Royal standards. Solid action and some important storytelling too. The Jade Cargill and Bianca Belair feud got some hidden juice this week. Slowly adding in potential points of dissension is an effective way to build their eventual rivalry. Both women sold for the other in a way that said “I’m the alpha” and that’s going to translate nicely to a true feud when the time is right.
-Iyo Sky winning and earning a shot at Morgan makes sense. She’s a top-ish tier babyface on Raw and can easily take a loss. I expect her title match to take place on television, so this is a holdover feud for Morgan more than it is anything significant for Sky.
-Umm, is Lyra Valkyria ok? She landed directly on her neck during the apron German suplex that ended the Battle Royal. Scary stuff.
-Ohhhhhhh here we go! The New Day is officially playing the blame game. The New Day war is upon us soon. Fun twist this week, but looking forward to the full Xavier Woods turn at this point. It’s time.
-The New Day vs. War Raiders match was fine and really a backdrop for The New Day story. Not sure the War Raiders can elevate much further than where they are. The gimmick is so one note that it’s hard to invest in.
Poor Miz
-Ok, so The Wyatt Sicks abducted The Miz? Really? Look, this kind of thing can have a place on a weekly pro wrestling show. The characters need to be better defined, though. Miz isn’t nearly over enough as a heel to cheer Bo Dallas on for this kidnapping. At best this came across as comedic, which isn’t what WWE should be going for with the Wyatt material. Miss.
-Boy, the Sami Zayn and Usos segment was incredibly compelling. Excellent writing and even better execution. Zayn having a spine for this go around with Jimmy and Jey was refreshing. Zayn basically telling them that he wasn’t going to put up with the BS of The Bloodline really made him likable. More importantly, it showed Zayn’s progress as a character. The segment wrapping with Zayn, Jimmy, and Jey on the same side worked and was a smart way to play things. Zayn dragging out his choice to join the group again wouldn’t have been believable. We’ve been there and done that. This path showed growth for all involved and I’m sure we’ll see it from Roman Reigns when they all meet together on Smackdown later this week. A really good chapter in The Bloodline saga.
-A fun match between Dragon Lee and Chad Gable. Good action and a strong win for Lee. Is this Triple H getting behind him with the book? Not yet. It’s a good start, but he needs consistent victories like this one in order to keep getting over.
-After Seth Rollins beat Bronson Reed at Crown Jewel, it appeared as if he was on a bit of a fast track to face Gunther for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship and the main event on this week’s Raw was an easy way to get him into that slot. Instead, Damian Priest beat Rollins, Dominik Mysterio, and Sheamus in a fatal four-way to earn the shot at the world championship. The match was good, but the good was overshadowed by Bronson Reed’s involvement. The good thing is, that was very well done too. Reed beat on Rollins, but the other babyfaces as well. This sets the table for future feuds once Reed is done with Seth. Smart booking. As for Damian Priest, he’s likely in line to lose this match against Gunther and like Iyo Sky, the title shot will certainly be on television. That said, it’s a culmination of Priest’s journey back to the title since losing it at Summerslam. I like WWE paying off small storylines like that.
A monster with depth
-Bronson Reed was great this week. He came across as menacing, but calculated. A monster attack, but by someone that isn’t just a growling monster. There’s nuance with the monster gimmick he’s playing and that elevates his ceiling.
What did you think of this week’s episode of WWE Raw? Let us know in the comments.
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