-Rhea Ripley vs. Iyo Sky? Again? Babyface vs. babyface? What the hell are we doing here? Ripley and Iyo Sky are both strong babyfaces in the Raw women’s division and yet their biggest rivalry so far is with one another. Why ask your fans to choose like that? This is a silly match to book — especially with 12 days notice and only one show left to go with room to build. Babyface vs. babyface matches are fine, but tapping into story is supremely important. It doesn’t feel like WWE has the time to do this match in the right way.
A heel turn for that?
-A fine tag team championship match this week between Judgment Day and The New Day, but to what end? So, it was a good match? Big deal. The New Day had a gigantic heel turn late last year and the payoff to that for fans was another heel team on the show beating them to end their title run? That made no sense and seems like more of a pull the plug moment on the importance of The New Day as heels rather than an elevation of Judgment Day in any real way.
-I’m not sure Bayley and Lyra Valkyria could have come across anymore unlikable this week. The arguing was forced and poorly acted and during their match, it felt like the audience didn’t have an interest in either woman. Again, like Ripley and Sky, why divide your audience reaction for two babyfaces you’re looking to feature every week? That’s what heels are for.
-WWE aired a very strong video highlight package for Goldberg this week. It worked to highlight not only his impact on the wrestling business, but why he’s a force to be taken seriously if you’re Gunther.
There it is
-Sheamus vs. Rusev was the exact match I wanted to see and with the right finish. Both guys beat the tar out of the other and Rusev got a victory. He needed it and Sheamus doesn’t get hurt much at all by doing the job.
-So, Judgment Day is all belted up now. Perez is in the spot of Liv Morgan next to Raquel Rodriguez and this sets up a babyface return for Morgan when the time comes. WWE has gotten a lot of mileage out of Judgment Day … pretty impressive.
-Alright, I admit it. I dig the El Grande Americano stuff. Because WWE isn’t actively trying to convince it’s audience that the guy is someone he isn’t, the gimmick works. Ludwig Kaiser is a smart choice to don the mask while Chad Gable is out. Is El Grande vs. El Grande in the cards at some point? I’d make that bet.
How to feel?
-Well, the world title picture is kind of a mess when you open the hood on it. Gunther a heel is working Goldberg, a babyface. Gunther gets told off by another heel in Seth Rollins, who promptly gets interrupted by the show’s most beloved babyface in CM Punk. Because Rollins and Gunther get muddy crowd reactions, Punk as the babyface doesn’t resonate as well off of either of them. This tier of the show would work better and be more fun to watch if it was clear how people are supposed to react to everyone involved.
-As for Punk, I’d be breathing a sigh of relief if I was him. He had a rough go in Saudi Arabia and still got the loudest pop on the show. It doesn’t appear he lost any appeal. At least not yet.
-We don’t need to see Karrion Kross vs. Sami Zayn again, but it appears as if things are heading in that direction after Kross’s backstage attack on Zayn this week.
Does Jey have a spot?
-A solid match from an in-ring perspective in the main event. Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed are a good team. Zayn and Penta were fun too. Where do things go now? Jey Uso still is feuding with Team Rollins? Uso got a strong reaction and clearly needs to be around the baddest heels on the show, but it’s unclear what the freshest route is for him to do that.
What did you think of this week’s episode of WWE Raw? Let us know in the comments!
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