The Raw Exposé: Why Don't You Love Me? (A John Cena Story)

By: Keila Cash 

Date: 1-29-2018

Location: Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Post Royal Rumble Madness: Ronda Rousey wants to dance with the E.

Welcome to the Japanese Invasion: Shinsuke Nakamura and Asuka punched their ticket to WrestleMania like a couple OGs

WrestleMania Hustle: Welcome to the Second Chance Mania Sweepstakes starring {Insert Brock Lesnar’s Next Victim Here}

·        Here a few observations from the opening segment of Raw:

·        Stephanie McMahon is officially the Mother Hen of the Women’s Division.

·        Alexis Bliss will defend the Raw Women’s Championship in the first-ever Women’s Elimination Chamber match at the eponymous PPV next month.

·        Asuka vs. Sasha Banks will take place later tonight per the order of Mother Hen.

·        All in all, this was a good way to start the show as WWE put the spotlight on the ladies while hyping Ronda Rousey’s debut at the conclusion of the Women’s Royal Rumble last night.

·        Braun Strowman emphatically defeated Kane in a Last Man Standing match when he flipped the entire announcer table platform on top of The Big Red Machine. The referee skipped the obligatory ten count and crowned Strowman the winner. Strowman is the first man to qualify for the Elimination Chamber match. The bout was non-descript, but the ending was great.

·        Elias defeated Matt Hardy with the Drift Away to advance to the Elimination Chamber Match next month. Bray Wyatt provided the assist when he distracted Hardy with his Hocus Pocus which led to the finish moments later. Wyatt laughed at Hardy’s incompetence as the segment came to an end.

·        The Miz retained the Intercontinental Championship when he defeated Roman Reigns with a roll-up thanks to an assist from the Miztourage. Miz and Reigns had a very good match that featured hard-hitting action throughout. The turning point took place when Miz delivered a chop block to Reigns’ left knee when The Big Dog tried to nail him with the Superman Punch.

·        The injury allowed Miz to put Reigns in the Figure Four. Reigns managed to reverse the submission hold which caused Miz to grab the rope in order to break the hold.

·        From there, both men traded near falls as the crowd popped accordingly. Miz tried to remove the middle turnbuckle behind the referee’s back, but he got caught this time. However, the distraction allowed Miz to thumb Reigns in the eye which set up the Skull Crushing Finale for a near fall. Reigns countered with the Superman Punch for another two-count.

·        Sensing that their boss was in trouble, Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel came to Miz’s rescue. Reigns kicked their asses as he nailed Axel with a Superman Punch before dropping Dallas with the Spear. Once again, Miz capitalized on the chaos which led to the aforementioned finish.

·        This was Reigns’ last chance to regain the IC Title which means only one thing…He’s one step closer to punching his ticket to WrestleMania. Next Step: Qualify for the Elimination Chamber Match.

·        The Revival defeated Heath Slater and Rhyno when Dash Wilder pinned Rhyno with the Shatter Machine in a quick match. Slater and Rhyno put up a good fight, but the outcome was never in doubt.

·        Asuka defeated Sasha Banks with the Asuka Lock in a good match. Things started off slow, but they picked up the pace after the commercial break. Banks nailed Asuka with the double knees from the middle rope for a near fall before transitioning to the Bank Statement moments later. Asuka managed to break the hold which to the sickest moment of 2018 so far. Banks went for a dive, but she didn’t clear the ropes which caused her to take a terrible spill on the floor. Asuka grazed her head with a kick, but the fall did most of the damage.

·        Asuka briefly checked on Banks before she tossed her back in the ring to destroy The Boss with a series of vicious strikes. It was hard to watch, but glorious at the same time.

·        The fact that Banks had the wherewithal to continue was amazing to see. She dropped Asuka a pair of double knees, but it wasn’t enough to beat the Empress of Tomorrow.

·        Banks locked in the Bank Statement once again, but Asuka countered with the Asuka Lock for the win.

·        The match wasn’t perfect due to some rough spots and muted crowd heat, but it was memorable due to Banks damn near killing herself.

·        Sheamus and Cesaro defeated Titus O’Neil and Apollo Crews to retain the Raw Tag Team Championship when Sheamus pinned Apollo Crews with White Noise in a solid match. O’Neil and Crews defeated The Bar in two non-title matches, but the third time wasn’t the charm on this night. Michael Cole is going a bit overboard hyping tonight’s in-ring action. It’s been fine for the most part but, the four-day lull is starting to set in for the Philly crowd.

·        John Cena defeated Finn Bàlor with the Super AA from the middle rope to secure a spot in the Elimination Chamber match with the winner moving on to face Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship at WrestleMania.

·        Cena and Bàlor had a good match, but it was strange to watch at times. A disturbance in the crowd detracted from the bout early on, but things got better after the commercial break.

·        Cena was selling frustration as he couldn’t understand why the fans hated him for wanting to main event Mania. Jonathan Coachman emphasized that on commentary which helped propel the match from a storytelling standpoint.

·        Cena’s overzealousness got the best of him when he taunted the crowd with the Too Sweet sign before delivering the AA to Bàlor for a near fall.

·        Bàlor countered with a running dropkick in the corner which put Cena in the drop zone for the Coup De Grace. Cena rolled out of the way as Bàlor landed awkwardly on his left leg. Cena took advantage by putting Bàlor in the STF. Bàlor broke the hold by grabbing the middle rope. He kicked Cena in the head and climbed to the top rope to hit his finisher. However, Cena cut him off and dropped him with the Super AA for the win.

·        Raw went off the air with Cena pointing at the WM sign as he tried to convince himself that he belonged in the main event as the fans showered him with a mixture of boos and cheers.

·        This was a nice way to end the show. Finn Bàlor might’ve lost the right to face Brock Lesnar for the Universal Title at WM, but it’s probably for the best because he was going to eat the pin at Elimination Chamber anyway. Delaying the inevitable would’ve pissed the fans off even more, so I understand the booking logic in this case. I’m sure WWE has a feud lined up for him that will serve as a make-good for not having a prominent role at next month’s PPV. The Demon King will have his WrestleMania moment in New Orleans. Against who? We shall find out soon enough.

·        Overall, I thought tonight’s episode of Raw was decent at best. The in-ring action ranged from decent to very good as WWE began to promote next month’s Elimination Chamber PPV. John Cena vs. Finn Bàlor wins best match of the night honors while Sasha Banks vs. Asuka takes second place due to the death-defying feats of Banks. The bump she took will be in her Hall of Fame highlight reel twenty years from now. It was that gnarly.

·        The Philly crowd was low key most of the night. After NXT Takeover: Philadelphia and the Royal Rumble PPV, the euphoria didn’t carry over into tonight’s broadcast. They popped for certain spots, but it appears that they’re saving their energy for the Super Bowl when the Eagles square off against the Patriots on Sunday. Here’s hoping SmackDown Live ends things on a high note when WWE emanates from the city of Brotherly Love for the fourth and final time tomorrow night. Fingers crossed!

·        Quick side note: Jonathan Coachman has the capability of being a good color commentator. However, I am not here for The Coach playing a game of 20 Questions with Corey Graves for three hours. He needs to take off his ESPN hat and fully immerse himself in the WWE product.

·        His affiliation with the E over the past few years should arm him with enough knowledge to put over the wrestlers while schooling Cole and Graves at the same time. I know it’s week one, but his line of questioning and off-putting remarks rubbed me the wrong way. Let’s see how the Jonathan Coachman Experiment fares next week before I pass further judgment.

On that note, this wraps up another edition of The Raw Exposé. I hope you enjoyed it and I will be back tomorrow night with a brand new installment of The SmackDown Files. See you later, boys and girls! 

The Raw Exposé: Motown 25 > Raw 25 (1-22-2018)

By: Keila Cash

Date: 1-22-2018

Primary Location: The Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

Secondary Location: The Manhattan Center in New York City, New York

Happy Anniversary: Raw Turns 25!

Rest of the Show: Meh…

·        Shane and Stephanie McMahon kicked off Raw 25 with a video package recapping the most memorable moments over the past 25 years. Afterward, Shane and Stephanie introduced Vince McMahon so he could take a bow for creating a wrestling juggernaut.

·        Vince was moved by the ovation, but things quickly went south when his kids gave him a plaque commemorating the occasion. Apparently, Shane and Steph set up a GoFundMe page which resulted in limited donations coming in. Vince was offended that the gift was so cheap before running down the city of Brooklyn because they had plaque on the teeth and arteries for eating too many hot dogs.

·        Vinnie Mac decided to thank himself for being the mastermind behind Raw and took credit for the show being a success. Before he could continue, Stone Cold Steve Austin came out to a raucous ovation.

·        Stephanie immediately left the ring while Shane stuck around like a lamb being led to slaughter. Vince tried to calm Stone Cold down by claiming that he was a senior citizen suffering from a number of health ailments. Because of his AARP status, Vince appointed Shane to fight Austin on his behalf.

·        Shane-O-Mac tried to make nice with The Rattlesnake, but he got bit with a Stunner instead.

·        Vince grabbed a couple of cans of Miller Lite and shared a toast with his arch nemesis. The beer drinking continued until Austin dropped Vince with the Stunner as the crowd popped something fierce. Austin celebrated by drinking some Steveweisers as Shane McMahon regained consciousness.

·        Shane tried to share another toast with Austin, but he got nailed with another Stunner as the opening segment came to an end with Austin giving the audience the double middle finger salute.

·        This was a great way to start the show. Vince McMahon and Stone Cold had another classic encounter while Shane was thrown to the wolves by his own father. Just like old times!

·        Sasha Banks, Bayley, Mickie James, and Asuka defeated Mandy Rose, Sonya Deville, Nia Jax, and Alicia Fox when Banks made Fox tap out to the Bank Statement in a decent eight-woman tag team match. However, Asuka reminded her tag team partners that it’s every woman herself at the Royal Rumble when she tossed James, Bayley, and Banks over the top rope. Is this a sign of things to come? We shall find out soon enough.

·        The Undertaker appeared at the Manhattan Center and cut an ominous promo about the future. It wasn’t a retirement announcement but left me very confused, to say the least.

·        The Miz became an eight-time Intercontinental Champion when he defeated Roman Reigns with the Skull Crushing Finale in a good match. The Miztourage (Curtis Axel and Bo Dallas) paid dividends at ringside as they took cheap shots at Reigns behind the referee’s back. Reigns eventually nailed both men with the Drive-By. The diversion allowed Miz to remove the covering from the middle turnbuckle which played into the finish.

·        Reigns nailed Miz with a Superman Punch and was about to finish him off with the Spear when Dallas grabbed Reigns’ leg. The ref caught Dallas red-handed which led to him and Axel being tossed from ringside.

·        The distraction allowed Miz to hit Reigns with the Skull Crushing Finale for a near fall. Reigns charged after Miz, but the A-Lister moved out the way as Reigns slammed his head against the exposed turnbuckle which set up the finish moments later.

·        The crowd popped for the finish because they hated Reigns. This was the perfect setting for Reigns to drop the title which should lead to his presumed Universal Championship match against Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania.

·        Jason Jordan generated the third-most heel heat on the show as he couldn’t get a word in edgewise during his appearance on Christian’s Peep Show. Seth Rollins looked on in astonishment as Jordan died on the proverbial vine.

·        Cesaro and Sheamus came out to tell Jordan that he sucked which led to Jordan attacking Sheamus. The brawl was on as Rollins laid out Sheamus with a tope. Jordan held Cesaro so he could take a flying knee from Rollins, but the Swiss Superman moved out of the way as Rollins took out Jordan instead. To say that the crowd was overjoyed would be an understatement. All in all, this was a nice way to hype the Raw Tag Team Championship Match at the Rumble.

·        Bray Wyatt defeated Matt Hardy with Sister Abigail in a subpar match. The Manhattan Center is getting the short end of the stick when it comes to seeing quality in-ring action.

·        Nice cameo by Chris Jericho as he put Elias and his scarves on the list. Y2J deserves a full segment, damn it!

·        The oddest feud of 2018 is John Cena vs. Elias. Elias was singing a ditty when Cena interrupted him. Cena was in the middle of cutting a promo when Elias told him to shut up. He blamed Cena for ruining his moment. Cena told him to do something about it.

·        Elias told him that he doesn’t answer to Cena or the scumbag fans in Brooklyn as he headed out of the ring.

·        Elias tried to sneak attack Cena, but he was dropped with the Five Knuckle Shuffle instead. Cena went for the AA, but Elias wiggled out of the move as he nailed Cena with a low blow. He grabbed his guitar and struck Cena in the back before hitting the Drift Away to wrap up the segment.

·        Elias is such a great asshole. His personality continues to shine and he’s in a high profile feud with John Cena. Their first match on Christmas night left a lot to be desired, but their second outing should be much better once they work out the kinks. Hopefully…

·        Heath Slater and Rhyno vs. Titus O’Neil and Apollo Crews ended abruptly when the referee called for the bell after both teams were disqualified for kicking too much ass.

·        The Dudley Boyz helped ease the pain when Bubba Ray and D-Von put Heath Slater through a table. It was a beautiful moment that made the previous match worth enduring.

·        Mene Gene Okerlund interviewing AJ Styles was a nice surprise. Styles impersonating Hulk Hogan was surreal, but he sold it like a champ.

·        The DX Reunion was cool as Triple H and Shawn Michaels paid homage to Ravishing Rick Rude and Chyna before introducing The New Age Outlaws. X-Pac made a surprise appearance followed by Razor Ramon. For some reason, WWE cut to commercial which made Ramon’s entrance super awkward.

·        Fortunately, Ramon had a chance to address the crowd before The Bàlor Club came out. Both factions joined forces for a Too Sweet Salute as the crowd popped for the moment. Billy Gunn was about to say his signature line when The Revival came out to interrupt.

·        Gallows and Anderson defeated The Revival when Karl Anderson pinned Dash Wilder with the Magic Killer. The match was nothing special, but it was a means to an end as Dash and Dawson took a parade of finishes from the DX-Bàlor Club Kliq. Billy Gunn finally said his catchphrase as the crowd joined in on the “Suck It!” chant. This was nice a dose of nostalgia that sent the Manhattan crowd home happy.

·        Meanwhile, all hell broke loose at the Barclays Center when Brock Lesnar nailed Braun Strowman with a wicked clothesline at ringside before hitting Kane with the F5. Strowman went back on the attack as he knocked Lesnar out of the ring with a clothesline.

·        Strowman tossed The Beast against the barricade before power slamming him through the announce table as the crowd popped for the spot. Raw 25 went off the air with the Monster standing tall while the Beast and the Machine licked their wounds at ringside.

·        This was an abrupt way to end the show. Lesnar was on the warpath until Strowman put in that work. Strowman has been unstoppable over the past few weeks. However, the outcome heading into the Triple Threat Match on Sunday remains the same. Lesnar will retain the Universal Championship and face Roman Reigns for the title at WrestleMania 34. Anything less would be a shocker. I would love to see WWE swerve us all, but that is highly unlikely unless something crazy happens. Kane will eat the pin while Strowman maintains his street cred for being a badass. Consider it a guaran-damn-tee! I think…

·        Overall, I thought Raw 25 did a nice job paying tribute to past while putting a spotlight on the future. The show dragged at times as the in-ring action left a lot to be desired. Roman Reigns vs. The Miz for the Intercontinental Championship wins best match of the night honors by default because WWE had a tough time serving two masters as the action was dry at the Manhattan Center until DX came out during the third hour.

·        The company running two shows in two different location seemed like a good idea on paper. However, the execution was so-so as the fans had to watch half the show on the big screen while feeling cheated if certain stars didn’t show up at their venue. It was a hot ass mess, to say the least.

·        My favorite part of the show was the poker game involving the APA (JBL can still kiss my ass after blocking me on Twitter), Heath Slater, Rhyno, Ted DiBiase, MVP, The Usos, Natalya, The New Day, and Jeff Hardy. It was mindless fun as Slater kept getting bad beats until he had to resort to cheating in order to win a hand. Dana Brooke busted him which resulted in The Million Dollar Man taking down the pot with a royal flush.

·        The presentation of former Raw General Managers was cool as well as the women from the past getting their moment in the spotlight. It wouldn’t surprise me to see a few of them appear in the Women’s Royal Rumble on Sunday.

·        The Rock not appearing on the show was a letdown, but his production schedule is super busy these days. Batista making a cameo appearance would’ve been sweet as well, but it wasn’t meant to be.

·        Raw 1000 remains one of the best Raws of all time. Raw 25 had too many lull spots which prevented the show from being an all-time classic. Here’s hoping Raw 30 has a bit more bite in 2023 because the future is bright if the E doesn’t wet and shit the bed.

·        Until then, the Road to WrestleMania kicks off with the Royal Rumble on Sunday. Who will punch their tickets to New Orleans? We shall find out soon enough. And so it begins…again.

On that note, this wraps up another edition of The Raw Exposé. I hope you enjoyed it and I will be back tomorrow night with a brand new installment of The SmackDown Files. See you later, boys and girls!

The Raw Exposé: WWE Presents - How To Get Away With Attempted Murder Starring Braun Strowman (1-8-2018)

By: Keila Cash

Location: The FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tennessee

Date: 1/8/2017

Sad Refrain: Welcome to the Heartbreak Hotel (Leave the light on for the Georgia Bulldogs L)

Happier Refrain: The Miz is back, baby!

·        Raw kicked off with Roman Reigns putting his feud with Samoa Joe behind him. Reigns was greeted with a mixed reaction that verged on more boos and cheers until Jason Jordan came out to congratulate him.

·        Jordan tried to make it a “we” moment, but Seth Rollins was having none of it as he made his way down to the ring. Rollins admonished his tag team partner for stealing Reigns’ spotlight, but Jordan still wanted to celebrate the win as a team while being oblivious to the fact that he is the dreaded third wheel.

·        Jordan claimed that their championship pedigree automatically made them the most dominant team in WWE. Rollins and Reigns gave him the side eye for making such a delusional statement.

·        Finn Bàlor, Karl Anderson, and Luke Gallows came out to assert themselves as the most dominant group in WWE as Bàlor touted his ten-year friendship with Gallows and Anderson while taking a dig at Jordan’s daddy issues. Anderson bragged about his crew’s respective resumes which allowed them to do their own thing before joining forces to take on what’s left of The Shield.

·        Gallows called Jordan a nerd which almost led to a brawl until Kurt Angle booked a six-man tag team match featuring Rollins, Reigns, and Jordan vs. The Bàlor Club which will take place later tonight.

·        This was an okay way to start the show. It was rough in spots because the crowd didn’t care about Reigns or Jordan early on. Jordan is trying to maneuver his way into Dean Ambrose’s spot, but Rollins and Reigns are not here for it. It’s an interesting storyline that should make Jordan a hated heel sooner or later, but he’s generating go away heat at the moment. Here’s hoping he can actively get the crowd to hate him for all the right reasons because he has potential to get over as an oblivious heel that overestimates his worth.

·        Sasha Banks and Bayley defeated Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville when Banks made Rose tap out to the Bank Statement. The match was decent as Rose and Deville worked over Banks until Bayley made the save towards the end. This was the babyfaces’ first win over Absolution which should’ve been hammered home by the commentary team, but they dropped the ball. Storyline continuity, be damned!

·        Woken Matt Hardy defeated Curt Hawkins with the Twist of Fate in a quick match. Hawkins losing streak has carried over into 2018. At least he’s consistent…

·        After the match was over, Bray Wyatt appeared in the ring to have a laugh off with Hardy. To say this was weird would be an understatement.

·        The Miz put Roman Reigns on notice when it comes to regaining the Intercontinental Championship. Miz vowed to become the longest reigning IC Champion of all-time in 2018 while etching his name in the history books alongside the likes of Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels. It’s a ballsy goal, but Rolling Stone Magazine’s Superstar of the Year is willing to go for broke while proving the naysayers wrong at the same time. Good for Miz!

·        Cedric Alexander defeated Enzo Amore via count out, but Enzo retained the Cruiserweight Championship because the title can’t change hands unless the match is contested under no DQ rules. Enzo got busted open with a sick kick by Alexander before getting laid out with a flip dive moments later. Alexander landed on Enzo’s ankle which led to the count out finish. It appeared to be a legit injury, but we shall see if WWE releases a medical update later this week to legitimize or downplay the situation.

·        I had an issue with Alexander smiling after the ring announcer informed the crowd that Enzo was still the Cruiserweight Champion. He didn’t sell frustration or anger. Alexander posed on the top rope like he didn’t have a care in the world. If he doesn’t care about winning the title, why should we? This division continues to circle the drain. It’s sad but true.

·        Kurt Angle booked two huge matches which will take place over the next few weeks. Sheamus and Cesaro will face Seth Rollins and Jason Jordan in a rematch for the Raw Tag Team Championship at the Royal Rumble while Roman Reigns defends his Intercontinental Title against The Miz during Raw’s 25^th Anniversary special on January 22^nd.  

·        In the first shocker of 2018, Titus O’ Neil and Apollo Crews defeated Sheamus and Cesaro when O’Neil pinned Sheamus with a roll-up. It was a solid match as Crews laid out Cesaro with a beautiful moonsault which set up the finish. Titus Worldwide has a much-needed win under their belt for the first time since forever while noted statistician Dana Brooke narrowly avoided a wardrobe malfunction because her twins were on the verge of popping out for the world to see.

·        Paul Heyman talked a big game on Brock Lesnar’s behalf, but Braun Strowman single-handily destroyed Kane and Lesnar without breaking a sweat. Strowman slammed Lesnar against some production equipment backstage while throwing a road case on top of Kane with the greatest of ease.

·        Strowman saved the best for last when he grabbed a grappling hook and yanked down the truss on top of both men as Heyman looked on in horror. It was a great spot to wrap up an insane segment.

·        Samoa Joe defeated Rhyno with the Coquina Clutch in a quick match. This was a nice bounce-back win for Joe after coming up short in his Intercontinental Title match against Roman Reigns last week.

·        In other news, Joe announced that he was entering the men’s Royal Rumble match and promised to eliminate John Cena. I’ve been pining for a feud between Joe and Cena since last year. Here’s hoping WWE pulls the trigger because it has the potential to be great due to their history on the California indie circuit during the early 2000s.

·        Asuka’s match against {Insert Opponent Here} never got underway as Nia Jax attacked her from behind. Jax sent a clear message that she was winning the first-ever women’s Royal Rumble.

·        Bàlor Club defeated Seth Rollins, Jason Jordan, and Roman Reigns when Finn Bàlor pinned Rollins with the Coup De Grace in a good main event match. Jordan made two costly mistakes which cost his team the win. Rollins made the hot tag to Reigns, but the referee never saw it because Jordan distracted him. The ref told Reigns to get back in his corner, but the Big Dog didn’t listen as he took out Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows by nailing the former with a Superman Punch and the latter with a Spear.

·        Jordan tried to make up for his mistake by helping Rollins to his feet, but Bàlor was charging towards them which caused Rollins to push Jordan out of the way as he ate a running dropkick into the turnbuckle. This led Balor’s first meaningful win in months as The Bàlor Club celebrated on the main stage.

·        Reigns confronted Jordan, but they didn’t come to blows as Jordan rolled out of the ring to apologize to Rollins. It appeared that Raw was about to go off the air, but The Miz and his Miztourage ambushed Jordan, Rollins, and Reigns from behind.

·        Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel double teamed Reigns before Miz laid him out with the Skull Crushing Finale.

·        They weren’t finished with Reigns as they dropped him with a Triple Powerbomb to add insult to injury as Raw went off the air with Miz and his minions standing tall in the ring.

·        This was a good way to end the show. Jason Jordan continues to be the dreaded third wheel as Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins scoff at the notion that he is on their level. Rollins’ patience continues to wear thin which plays into Jordan’s slow-burn heel turn. He’s owning the role, but he still needs to make the fans hate him for being a spoiled brat instead of hating him because he’s been saddled with a lame storyline. There’s still time to get it right, but it’s been rough sledding so far.

·        Meanwhile, The Miz and Roman Reigns renew their feud which might hint at a title change because Reigns needs to drop the IC Title before WrestleMania if he’s going to face Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship. Miz and Reigns have good in-ring chemistry which should create an electric atmosphere inside the Barclays or Manhattan Center in a couple of weeks as Raw celebrates its 25^th anniversary. To quote Good Ol’ JR, “It should be a slobber knocker!”

·        Overall, I thought tonight’s episode of Raw was decent at best. The in-ring action was so-so until the main event. WWE made the broadcast newsworthy when Braun Strowman destroyed Brock Lesnar and Kane during the College Football Playoff National Championship halftime show. That gave viewers enough time to witness the carnage before switching back over to the game.

·        Outside of that, this was a placeholder show as the company continues to hype Raw 25 which takes place in a couple of weeks. Meanwhile, The E has done a good job promoting the Royal Rumble PPV which is a sign that their priorities are in order heading into the first major show of the year. Here’s hoping they can build momentum next week because it’s basically a go-home show leading into another one due to the anniversary tie-in. 

On that note, this wraps up another edition 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! 

The Raw Exposé: Paul Heyman vs. The Plural - Welcome To The First Great Feud Of 2018 (1-1-2018)

By: Keila Cash

Hello everyone and welcome to the first Raw Exposé of 2018. Tonight’s episode of Monday Night Raw emanated from the American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida. The New Year represents a fresh start for WWE as the Road to WrestleMania makes its first pit stop at the Royal Rumble in a few weeks. It’s a new year that should bring change in the best possible way. Did the E give us a sampling of what’s to come or did they drag along the carcass of 2017 instead? The answer to that question can be found throughout this blog. Without further ado, let’s dissect tonight’s show in no particular order.

·        The first Raw of 2018 kicked off with Kurt Angle making a major announcement regarding the men and women’s Royal Rumble matches. The rules for the men’s Rumble match will apply to the women’s as the inaugural bout will feature 30 entrants with each elimination consisting of the women being tossed over the top rope with their feet hitting the floor. Parity is alive and well!

·        Sheamus and Cesaro interrupted Angle mid-promo and blamed him for costing them the Raw Tag Team Championship last week. The Bar accused Angle of favoritism as he gave Jason Jordan a title shot based on his DNA alone. They wanted a rematch tonight, but Angle turned them down.

·        Jason Jordan came out to defend his father by referencing his track record for earning a shot at the Tag Team Titles last week. Cesaro and Jordan got into which resulted in Angle booking them in a singles match which took place after the commercial break.

·        Seth Rollins came out to support Jordan, but he didn’t do it out of the goodness of his heart. Rollins accused Jordan of being self-absorbed which could result in his downfall if he wasn’t careful. Despite winning the Tag Titles last week, there is still tension between Rollins and Jordan which could lead to a heel turn from the latter sooner rather than later.

·        Jason Jordan defeated Cesaro with an Elevated Neckbreaker thanks to an assist from Seth Rollins. Jordan and Cesaro had a good match, but it lacked crowd heat because the fans are not buying Jordan’s goody-two-shoes act. Cesaro targeted Jordan’s left knee and dominated the action from the mat with a series of submission holds. Jordan made a comeback by dropping Cesaro with back-to-back Northern Lights Suplexes for a near fall.

·        Cesaro countered by putting Jordan in the Boston Crab, but Jordan grabbed the bottom rope to break the hold. Sensing that Sheamus was about to take another cheap shot at Jordan behind the referee’s back, Rollins laid him out at ringside which led to the finish moments later.

·        Rollins wanted to celebrate the win with his tag team partner, but Jordan hogged the spotlight for himself instead. WWE is not veering off course when it comes to turning Jordan heel. It’s a slow burn process that feels inevitable based on his shaky partnership with Rollins. He still needs to draw the right kind of heat because the fans should want to see him get his ass kicked instead of chanting “This Is boring” during his matches. Jordan is getting better, but there is still room for improvement when it comes to fleshing out his quasi-heel character.

·        Bray Wyatt defeated Apollo Crews with Sister Abigail in a solid match. Crews got in a surprising amount of offense and almost won the match when Dana Brooke climbed on the ring apron to distract Wyatt. Brooke’s plan backfired when Wyatt scared her off the apron which caused her to fall on top of Titus O’Neil. The distraction allowed Crews to nail Wyatt with an Enzuiguri which stunned the Eater of Worlds. Crews tried to finish him off with the Spin-Out Powerbomb, but Wyatt countered with Sister Abigail for the win.

·        After the match was over, Woken Matt Hardy appeared on the big screen and dropped some whimsical knowledge on Wyatt before laughing manically to end things on a bizarre note. The Great War of 2018 is upon us, ladies and gentlemen.

·        Asuka defeated Alexa Bliss with an armbar in a good match. Asuka dominated in the action early on, but Bliss took control after the commercial break when she targeted Asuka’s midsection. Bliss’ ground game was impressive as Asuka did a great job selling the rib injury.

·        Bliss’ cockiness got the best of her when she slapped Asuka in the face which resulted in the Empress of Tomorrow returning the favor. Asuka nailed Bliss with a serious of stiff kicks and knee strikes before making her tap out for the win.

·        This was one of Asuka’s better matches since coming to the main roster. If both ladies are given more time to clean up the choppiness, they can deliver an even better match down the road. All in all, this was an enjoyable non-title bout.

·        Samoa Joe throwing shade in front of Renee Young when it comes to Dean Ambrose living off her paycheck was awesome. Joe is the best heel in WWE because he gives zero fucks about other people’s feelings. I love it!

·        Braun Strowman defeated Rhyno with a Running Powerslam in a quick match. Heath Slater got involved at the behest of Strowman, but he took both men out with the greatest of ease.

·        After the match was over, Strowman put on a show as he dropped Slater and Rhyno with a series of powerslams that popped the crowd something fierce. This was the best thing on the show by far. Big Hoss FTW!

·        Jason Jordan trying to talk tough to Roman Reigns was hilarious. The best part was Reigns and Seth Rollins giving Jordan the side eye after he left the locker room. My theory of Jordan trying to become an honorary Shield member might come to fruition after all…

·        Roman Reigns retained the Intercontinental Championship when he nailed Samoa Joe with the Spear in a very good match. It was a hard-hitting bout that had the crowd hooked from start to finish.

·        It should be noted that Reigns could lose the IC Title if he was disqualified. He was tempted midway through the match when Joe slammed his head into the steel steps. Reigns wanted to retaliate by throwing the steps on top of Joe, but the referee talked him down. Reigns eventually nailed Joe with a pair of Superman punches for a near fall.

·        Reigns had the match in hand when Joe shoved Reigns into the ref. The official was about to disqualify Reigns, but Joe took advantage of the situation by dropping the Big Dog with an Urnage for a near fall.

·        Joe tried to put Reigns in the Coquina Clutch, but Reigns rolled through and hit Joe with the Spear for the 1-2-3.

·        This was a strong match, but it hurt Joe because his tough talk rang hollow in the end. This would’ve been the perfect time for a title switch unless WWE is holding it off until the Rumble. It should be interesting to see how Joe gets a rematch after losing so decisively tonight.

·        Cedric Alexander and Goldust?!? defeated Drew Gulak and Ariya Daivari when Alexander pinned Gulak with the Lumbar Check. I guess the 205 Live weight limit doesn’t apply to Goldust…The match was fine while it lasted.

·        Luke Gallows, Karl Anderson, and Finn Bàlor defeated Elias, Curtis Axel, and Bod Dallas when Bàlor pinned Dallas with the Coup De Grace in a decent match. Seeing The Bàlor Club team up was “too sweet” (pun intended). A part of me wants to see them feud against The Shield, but Dean Ambrose’s injury has put the kibosh on that for now. *sniff*

·        Paul Heyman cut a fiery promo about how WWE likes to stack the deck against Brock Lesnar by booking him in a match against multiple opponents. Back in the day, the challenger would face the champion one-on-one. In 2018, the challengers didn’t have to pin the champ in order to win the Big One.

·        Therefore, the odds would always be in Lesnar’s favor because no can beat him. Heyman was bold enough to say that Lesnar would destroy everyone in the Royal Rumble match which caused Corey Graves to say that such an assumption was a slight exaggeration. Heyman read Braun Strowman and Kane their last rites in Latin before dropping the mic like a boss.

·        Kane came out to confront Lesnar. Both men eyeballed each other until Kane dropped Lesnar with a chokeslam. The Big Red Machine was about to leave the ring when Lesnar sat up and laughed at Kane for not finishing the job. Lesnar grabbed the Universal Title and knocked Kane off the ring apron as both men fell to the floor.

·        Kurt Angle called for reinforcements as the locker room cleared out to separate both men. Lesnar got in one more cheap shot as Raw went off the air with The Beast standing tall.

·        This was an anti-climactic way to end the show. The brawl between Lesnar and Kane was fine, but it ended abruptly. Strowman watched the action unfold backstage and kept his word that he would take care of Lesnar on his own time. The Triple Threat Match featuring Strowman, Kane, and Lesnar for the Universal Championship should be a beautiful disaster if it’s booked properly. The Philly fans will either push things over the top or hijack the Rumble PPV because they want to see Finn Bàlor vs. Brock Lesnar instead. We shall see how it all plays out soon enough.

·        Overall, I thought tonight’s episode of Raw was decent at best. The first hour was so-so, but the second and third hour featured good wrestling action that kept the crowd awake. The nail-biting conclusion of the Rose Bowl probably drew viewers away from the USA Network early on, but the rest of the broadcast gave diehard fans a reason to tune in once the insanity was over.

·        The build for the Royal Rumble continues with more stars on the men and women’s side throwing their names in the proverbial hat. It should be a star-studded night in Philly if everything goes according to plan.

·        Meanwhile, the Jason Jordan Heel Turn is back on track based on his actions tonight. Jordan tried to elbow his way into The Shield as Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins brushed him off.

·        Jordan turning heel should remain the end game because it helps him generate heat for all the right reasons. Rollins doesn’t trust him while Angle remains the doting father who is blind to his son’s underhanded ways. It’s a good storyline that can go in several directions if the creative team plays their cards right.

·        Besides The Miz’s return, nothing else was advertised on next week’s show in Memphis. The College Football Playoff Championship Game is going to kill WWE in the ratings unless they load up the broadcast. Here’s hoping the social media team generate some buzz online because I have zero incentive to watch the show at the moment because my Georgia Bulldogs are one step away from winning their first national championship since 1980. Go Dawgs! Just saying…

On that note, this wraps up another edition of The Raw Exposé. I hope you enjoyed it and I will be back tomorrow night with a brand new installment of The SmackDown Files. Happy New Year, boys and girls!