-My eyes!! The masked men that surrounded Seth Rollins in the ring to start the show looked like the guys that used to do the same for Dark Order in the early days of AEW. That’s not a good comparison. They also looked a little like the old Retribution faction, which is also not a good comparison. I get the attempt. The idea is that The Vision is such a threat to Rollins, that the only way he can show up each week is to hide himself. Fine. Do they have to run around the ring like Putties from Power Rangers? That was too silly for what has been presented as a blood rivalry.
Bayley wins, but it was Ivy’s match
-A solid gauntlet match this week. It’s hard to believe that it had been four years since the last gauntlet match on Raw, but that’s what Michael Cole said. He’s always trustworthy, right? Bayley securing the victory sets up a fun match next week with her and AJ Lee. The standout performer of the bout was Ivy Nile. She had her moments to show-off her strength and what makes her special as a wrestler. Made sure to take full advantage of them.
-Penta is an underrated promo. He’s not a finesse guy on the microphone, but the passion he has when he speaks overcomes those issues. Penta is believable and that connects with the audience.
-So, what happened to the original El Grand Americano? He was there and then he wasn’t. Nobody cares? Look, WWE has played up the fact that it’s clear both Americano’s are different. It’s obvious and that’s how the announce team speaks about the subject. With that foundation laid, it’s beyond ridiculous to try and convince the audience that the imposter El Grande can just jump into the match without anyone noticing. Penta wins, but it’s just too cute for the sake of being too cute.
From The Takedown on SI
-Like Liv Morgan last week, Stephanie Vaquer got a vignette this week about her WrestleMania match. The video framed up Vaquer as the traveled champion, but Morgan as the silver spoon Performance Center star. WWE doesn’t want the latter to be a heel narrative, so it being the focus of the feud to this point is an odd strategy.
See ya, Finn
-Finn Balor is officially out of The Judgment Day. The turn was effective. Balor didn’t get left holding the bag and looking like a loser because the heels deserted him. He very much was the force behind the turn and that will help him greatly now that he is a babyface. If Balor vs. Dominik Mysterio is a WrestleMania match, it’ll be one with the best storyline going in. This worked and the audience is invested. With Balor having his original theme back, the crowd is ready to cheer him on.
-Oba Femi got a strong and definitive win against Rusev this week. That was a welcomed surprise. Presenting Femi as an unstoppable star right out of the gate is key in defining him with the most upside possible. This kind of win is exactly how you do that successfully. He looked dominant and the audience was with him.
Compelling, but to what end?
-There was a lot going on in that CM Punk promo with The Usos to close the show. The promo was well-acted by both parties and the material was compelling. My question, though, is to what end? The Roman Reigns vs. CM Punk main event doesn’t need this kind of backstory or drama. It’s not bad, but it distracts from the intrigue of just being a fight between those two guys. If there weren’t other strong angles to attack it from, fine, but they have a lot on the table between Reigns and Punk that they haven’t gotten to yet. Punk leaving WWE, Reigns being turned against by the fans, Punk and The Shield, etc. It’s all there and those stories would keep the focus on Punk vs. Reigns. This week there was too much of both sides slinging truths at the other in an attempt to beef up the feud. Reigns vs. Punk only needs the basics at this point.
What did you think of this week’s episode of WWE Raw? Let us know in the comments!
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