-Logan Paul is such a great heel. It’s not just what he says that gets heat, but his mannerisms and body language that gets it too. The way he looks at the audience truly makes you want to slap the guy and it’s perfect.
Why?
-With that compliment out there, why do you put a heel like Paul up against a heel like Gunther? It hurts my brain. Those two heels going at the other neutralizes their heat for no reason. I get that you want to make the audience think that Paul may beat Jey Uso to win the championship at Saturday Night’s Main Event, but that seed isn’t worth sacrificing Gunther or Paul for.
-A strong opening tag team match between the team of Penta & AJ Styles and Judgment Day. Really good match, but in the end, just an avenue to build Penta vs. El Grande Americano. I’d imagine we’re looking at a PPV match or Worlds Collide match between those two and while I like the feud, it’s time to wrap it up.
-Really glad to see Roxanne Perez qualify for the Money in the Bank ladder match. She needed the win badly and even if she doesn’t grab the briefcase, it’s a big spot.
-Did everyone hear the pop Lyra Valkyria got when she interfered in the first MITB qualifier that involved Becky Lynch? Her biggest pop yet. She’s coming along and showing off a personality, finally, is the difference maker. Well, that and Becky Lynch.
Theory isn’t really a babyface
-Sheamus wins again! Not without Austin Theory and Grayson Waller drama, though. Just like I said last week, their run as a tag team is inching closer and closer to a conclusion as weeks go by. It’s been fun to watch their team armor get dented, but the long term potential of Theory as a babyface is tough for me to see at this point. Waller has upside as a heel, but either as a face is a long putt for WWE to make.
-WWE was painfully desperate in latching on to the New York Knicks vs. Indiana Pacers Eastern Conference Finals series. Did you know that Tyrese Haliburton and Jalen Brunson appeared and squared off on Smackdown?! Goodness. Look, there is nothing wrong with reminding people of that happening and working hard to get it into the coverage cycle ahead of the series starting this week. Why the desperation, though? There is a way to accomplish those mainstream goals without coming across as the little brother to any other popular mainstream entertainment entity out there.
Thinking of Zoey
-Poor Zoey Stark. That leg injury was so brutal and unfortunate to see. Here’s to hoping she gets healthy really soon.
-As for the outcome, Rhea Ripley qualifying for Money in the Bank makes perfect sense. She’s someone that always needs to be in the title picture and this keeps her right there.
-Roxanne Perez in Judgment Day? Look for Liv Morgan and Perez to feud within the next six months. I don’t love this. Perez has just so much upside as a singles star without the drama of a mid-card faction.
Just be more creative
-Well, you just knew that the Jey Uso vs. Bron Breakker main event wasn’t going to have a real finish. Let me reiterate. There is a time and a place for non-finishes or disqualification finishes to big-time main event matches. Those can be successful booking techniques … with the right context. The finish to this week’s main event was awful. Rollins beats up Jey and the match is thrown out. Like, why even do the match? That finish doesn’t build immediate heat for Jey vs. Rollins. It was strictly there to protect Breakker or Jey from having to do a job and that’s the core issue. There were ways to do this exact match, while having at least a somewhat satisfying finish, so fans can stay invested in what WWE wants to do on a weekly basis. This kind of stuff will turn people off from the product at some point.
What did you think of this week’s episode of WWE Raw? Let us know in the comments!
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