By: Keila Cash
Hello everyone and welcome to another installment of
The Raw Exposé. Tonight’s episode of Monday Night Raw emanated from the Toyota
Center in Houston, Texas. The WWE Universal Championship is on the line as Seth
Rollins, Kevin Owens, Big Cass, and Roman Reigns vie for the big red belt made
out of Kryptonite. Who walked away with the title? Was it a safe bet, a sure
thing, or sweet surprise? The answer to that question can be found throughout
this blog. Without further ado, let’s dissect tonight’s episode of Raw in no
particular order.
·
The
opening segment of Raw featuring Seth Rollins, Kevin Owens, Big Cass, and Roman
Reigns discussing why they will win the WWE Universal Championship was very
good. Kevin Owens’ promo was the best out of the four, but I thought Cass and
Rollins held their own on the mic as well. Reigns didn’t have much to say as he
let his fists do the talking as all hell broke loose with Reigns hitting
Rollins with a Superman Punch which set the tone for what’s to come during the
Fatal Four Way Elimination Match later tonight.
·
The
fact that the opener lasted less than ten minutes was a plus. There was no need
to have a drawn out discussion about winning the Big Red Belt and I loved the
one-liners Owens, Rollins, and Cass hurled at each other. It struck the right
balance of being funny, yet serious at the same time. Overall, I thought this
was an effective way to start the show.
·
Neville
vs. Chris Jericho had a good match as it featured nice back and forth action
with a hint of chicanery from Jericho as he tried to gain an unfair advantage
at every turn. I am glad that both men had the opportunity to have a proper
match after Neville broke his ankle during their previous bout earlier this
year.
·
During
the closing moments of the match, Neville nailed Jericho with a Superkick and went
to the top rope to hit the Red Arrow. Jericho rolled out of the way and quickly
put Neville in the Walls of Jericho which turned into the Lion Tamer when he
pressed his knee against the side of Neville’s face. Neville tried his best to
hang on, but he tapped out.
·
It
was a match that allowed Jericho to get a quality win while Neville looked good
in the face of defeat. I hope this doesn’t become a recurring theme because
Neville has a lot to offer as an in-ring performer. At least he won a few
matches since his return to make his loss to Jericho easier to digest.
·
Nia
Jax claimed another victim in short order. It was nothing to write home about.
·
Karl
Anderson and Luke Gallows have transitioned from the medical field to the
retirement home sector as they poked fun at the Dudley Boyz for being old and
washed up. It’s a step up from talking about male genitalia.
·
Sami
Zayn picked up the win against Jinder Mahal in a decent match. It was a little
surprising to see Zayn involved in an enhancement bout, but it was refreshing that
he continued to sell his ankle injury from last week. Continuity and good in-ring
psychology can go hand and hand sometimes. Mahal was in control for a while,
but it didn’t last long as Zayn nailed him with the Helluva Kick to get the
1-2-3. The match came off a bit cold, but I’m glad Zayn got a win under his
belt. Mahal has been firmly slotted as enhancement talent to put other people
over. At least he’s getting a check.
·
Random
observation: Kofi Kingston is wearing unicorn horn tipped shoes…
·
The
New Day and Bayley vs. Anderson, Gallows, and Dana Brooke was solid as Bayley
picked up the win for her team as she dropped Brooke with the Bayley to Belly
Suplex. Bayley looked good and Brooke held her own minus that ugly double
dropkick that barely connected before the match went to commercial. The action
picked up after the break and everyone managed to shine despite how wonky mixed
tag matches can be at times.
·
I
will say that WWE needs to dial it back a little bit when it comes to the
presentation of Bayley. She is a professional hugger with a carefree
personality. However, pairing her up with The New Day is taking happiness to
the freaking extreme. She’s was bordering on being a caricature of herself
which gave me butterflies for all the wrong reasons. Bayley’s wrestling calmed
my nerves, but it’s a delicate balance to strike when it comes to her
character. She should be presented as being joyous, but serious at the same
time. The New Day’s unicorn magic works in most cases, but their shtick can be
hit or miss which negatively affects their feuds sometimes. I don’t want Bayley
to suffer a similar fate, but I understand why WWE decided to put them
together. They are popular and the crowd popped huge for them. Fortunately,
Bayley handled her business in the ring by staying true to herself. The ovation
from the fans was a clear sign of that. I just want WWE to exercise control by
not tinkering with Bayley’s character too much. There is no need to fix what’s
already working.
·
Sheamus
is up 2-0 in his Best of Seven Series against Cesaro. As always, they had a
good match which culminated with a series of European Uppercuts from Cesaro to
Sheamus. The Swiss Superman dropped the Celtic Warrior with a dropkick from the
top rope and it appeared that Cesaro had the match under control. Sheamus
managed to gain the upper hand when he dropped a charging Cesaro back first
into the ring post. Cesaro immediately grabbed his back as the referee checked
on him. Sheamus tossed Cesaro back in the ring and wasted no time putting him
in the Cloverleaf. Cesaro quickly tapped out in order to fight another day. Cesaro
is behind the eight ball as he needs to get back in the series before he falls
to 0-3. I doubt he’s going to choke when it counts most, but stranger things
have happened. Just saying…
·
Americo…Is
he Captain America’s long lost son?
·
Braun
Stroman picks up another easy win as he committed the carnal sin of removing
Americo’s mask. That generated more heat than the match itself.
·
We
can officially add Tommaso Ciampa, Cedric Alexander, and Johnny Gargano to the
Cruiserweight Division. If they are given ample television time, the
Cruiserweights should steal the damn show every week.
·
Stephanie
McMahon just tried Finn Bálor by saying that the first-ever Universal Champion
would be crowned later tonight. I am sure it was a Freudian slip, but still. It
stings a little bit.
·
Oh
Joy. A CM Punk Chant. Get over it, people!
·
Paul
Heyman is carrying a stack of 500 one dollar bills. He is a frugal baller.
·
This
whole Stephanie McMahon-Paul Heyman segment was a complete waste of time.
Stephanie was at her emasculating best as she snipped Heyman’s balls and added
them to her vast collection. Heyman’s apology was okay, but it was nothing
special. Both parties should have been laughing their asses off about putting
the screws to Shane McMahon. Stephanie should have been gloating about The
Beast taking down two key stars from SmackDown. Sadly, she had to get her lady
rocks off by berating Heyman when they should have been sharing a toast
instead. This failed on so many levels.
·
Darren
Young defeated Titus O’Neil only for Young and Bob Backlund to get attacked
afterwards by O’Neil. I guess this feud must continue. Yay! *Insert Sarcasm
Here*
·
Enzo
Amore knows how to wake a crowd up. The Houston fans went off for his introduction.
Amazing…
·
Big
Cass has been eliminated from the Fatal Four Way Bout. Cass had a nice showing
as he was dishing out big boots left and right. He rose to the occasion and
showed that he can go when the lights are on bright. His moment in the sun will
come in due time. Cass needs Enzo and
vice versa right now. There is no rush to strap a rocket to his ass right now.
·
That
was a hell of a counter by Reigns. Rollins was trying to hit Reigns with a
flying knee, but Reigns nailed him with a Superman Punch from midair. It was a
beautiful spot that was timed perfectly.
·
Triple
H!!!! With a pedigree to Reigns!!! Shit just got real!
·
I
guess Hunter just cashed his receipt after losing to Reigns at WrestleMania.
·
Double
swerve alert! Triple H just pedigreed Rollins and Owens picked the bones to
become the new WWE Universal Champion. Holy shit!
·
Wow.
Just Wow. The Fatal Four Way Elimination match featuring Rollins, Owens, Big
Cass, and Reigns was a hell of a bout before Triple H interfered. The action
was strong throughout and everybody had their moment to shine which drove the
crowd insane. The drama was at an all-time high as the next elimination built
to a stunning crescendo. Triple H attacking Reigns from out of nowhere was
shocking. Rollins getting up the dirty pin was expected, but to see Hunter betray
his protégé with The Pedigree pushed things over the top. Owens sold being in
absolute shock as Triple H gave him the nod of approval.
·
Owens
was overcome with emotion as Triple H raised his hand in victory as Mick Foley
and Stephanie looked completely stunned by what happened. Triple H gave Foley
the death stare and didn’t even acknowledge his wife as he exited the ringside area
via the barricade. It was quite the visual as the head honchos were left
bewitched, bothered, and bewildered.
·
The
show ended with Owens parading with the Universal Championship as the crowd
chanted “You Deserve It!”
·
This
was a tremendous way to end the show. The Triple H double swerve was something
that nobody saw coming. This was a genuine surprise that leaves the door open
for so many possibilities. Is Owens the new corporate face of Monday Night Raw?
Will Rollins finally become a babyface after Triple H stabbed him in the back?
Where does Reigns fit into all of this? Will he go back to feuding with Rusev
for the United States Championship or will he and Rollins team up to take on
Triple H and Owens? Were Foley and Stephanie in the know or were they truly
blindsided by the Chief Operating Officer of WWE? There is so much to unpack
and I can’t wait to see how it all plays out. The best part of the brand
extension is that we have to wait until next week to see the fallout.
Cliffhanger Mondays are back in full effect.
·
As
for Owens, he was my sleeper pick from last week. I really wanted him to win
because he would offer something completely different as champion. He deserves
this opportunity to thrive and succeed in the main event scene. Owens is one of
the best workers and talkers in the company and I believe he will bring some
much need shine to big red belt. As the fans stated, he deserves it.
·
Overall,
I thought this was a very good episode of Raw. The main event was filled with
great wrestling with a big fat swerve thrown in as an added bonus. It was
amazing to watch it all unfold. The rest of the show featured solid in-ring
action with a couple of squashes mixed in for good measure. Outside of Bayley
veering into the land of Velveeta Cheese by teaming with The New Day and
Stephanie McMahon getting on my nerves during the top of the third hour, this
was a strong show that didn’t overstay its welcome.
·
As
always, the follow up is key. What will the creative team do to make sense of
what happened tonight? They have a lot of moving pieces to navigate and I am
sure Triple H’s fingerprints will be all over the final product. He doesn’t
appear on-screen unless he has a contingency plan in place. We shall see what
The Game has in store for us next week.
On
that note, this wraps up another installment of The Raw Exposé. I hope you
enjoyed it and I will be back tomorrow night with a brand new edition of The
SmackDown Files. See you later, boys and girls!
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