The SmackDown Files: The Life Is A Crayola Battleground Edition (7-18-2017)

By: Keila Cash

Hello everyone and welcome to another installment of The SmackDown Files. Tonight’s episode of SmackDown Live emanated from the Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Alabama. This is the go-home show for Battleground which takes place in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on Sunday. Jinder Mahal promised that he would unleash hell on Randy Orton by bringing the Punjabi Prison to The Magic City. Did the structure live it up to its mystic or did it conjure up vivid nightmares from the past? The answer to that question can be found throughout this blog. Without further ado, let’s dissect tonight’s episode of SD Live in no particular order.

·        Jinder Mahal and The Singh Brothers gave a tutorial on how to escape the Punjabi Prison while Randy Orton came out and proclaimed that he had nothing to lose on Sunday.

·        Orton stated that Mahal was carrying the country of India on his back as he tried to prove his worth to his people. Being the 50^th WWE Champion was another milestone that few could claim. Having the pressure of living up to expectations would weigh heavily on Mahal which will give Orton the opening he needs in order to regain the WWE Title. The Viper climbed to the top of the big cage and told Mahal to enjoy the view because that’s what his future would be like after the announcer declares him the NEW WWE Champion as the opening segment came to a close.

·        This was a fine way to start the show. Mahal continues to be bland on the mic and his hoarseness only hampered his delivery. I need the modern-day Maharaja to invest in some Halls or Ricola because this has been a recurring issue over the past couple of months.

·        Orton did a nice job conveying that he was playing with house money come Battleground. He spoke with conviction as the crowd hung on his every word. Their Punjabi Prison match will be a hot ass mess, but here’s hoping it’s more pleasing to the palate than Batista vs. The Great Khali and The Big Show vs. The Undertaker from ten years ago.

·        Jimmy Uso defeated Kofi Kingston when he countered Kingston’s cross body with a rollup in a solid match. Jey Uso provided the distraction down the stretch, but Big E and Xavier Woods shooed him away. However, it wasn’t enough to change the outcome as Jimmy won fair and square. Booking suggests that The Usos are dropping their SmackDown Tag Team Titles to The New Day after winning five days before a PPV. As with all things in WWE, expect the unexpected.

·        After Charlotte suggested that a match against Becky Lynch wouldn’t be competitive, Shane McMahon took Natalya’s advice and booked them in a match for later tonight. It should be good if they are given enough time to shine.

·        Chad Gable took the abrupt end of American Alpha in stride as he assured Renee Young that he and Jason Jordan talked it out over the phone last night. Gable is happy that Jordan is forging a father-son relationship on Raw and vowed to thrive as a singles star on SD Live. Gable has all the tools to be a future World Champion someday. Will the Powers That Be get behind him or hold him back? We shall see.

·        Mike Kanellis defeated Sami Zayn in his debut match when Kanellis pinned Zayn with a Samoan Driver. Zayn dominated the match until Maria Kanellis got in the ring to save her husband from getting nailed with the Helluva Kick. The diversion gave Mike enough time to drill Zayn with a right hand which set up the finish.

·        Mike hiding behind his wife makes sense, but he will look like a pansy if doesn’t find a way to fight his own battles. Hopefully, his rematch with Zayn will be a bit more competitive which will give WWE fans who are not familiar with his work in ROH and TNA a reason to care about him on an emotional level.

·        John Cena delivered a passionate promo about the American Flag as he hyped his Flag Match against Rusev to the hilt. It was patriotic and tugged on the heartstrings which gave a sense of importance to this bout that was nonexistent a couple of weeks ago.

·        After his speech, Cena grabbed Old Glory and waved it high in the air until Rusev attacked him from behind.

·        Rusev nailed him with a Superkick before locking in The Accolade. Cena tried to power out of the move, but The Bulgarian Brute had it cinched in from start to finish. Cena eventually lost consciousness as Rusev let go of his submission hold. Rusev grabbed the Bulgarian Flag and waved it proudly before planting it in a flag stand as the segment came to an end.

·        Cena and Rusev did a hell of a job plugging their Flag Match at Battleground. Cena tried to hype it as the biggest thing on the PPV. He might have been a bit overzealous, but it I think he did enough to make fans care about a gimmick match that has not historically been must-see over the years.

·        Rusev has looked a like badass since returning from injury and I expect him to have a good match with Cena on Sunday. Plus, neither men will eat a pin fall which is a smart way to protect them heading to SummerSlam.

·        Becky Lynch defeated Charlotte when she made her tap out to the Dis-Arm-Her in a good match. The in-ring work was a bit too choreographed for my tastes early on, but it was reigned in after the commercial break.

·        After the match was over, Charlotte shook Becky’s hand, but the Mutual Admiration Society was short-lived as Tamina and Lana made their way to the ring.

·        Natalya attacked Charlotte from behind as the heels pounced on the babyfaces. Natalya went after Tamina, but Lana yanked Nattie’s hair when she tried to put Tamina in the Sharpshooter. Tamina nailed Nattie with a Superkick as the weird relationship between her and Lana continues to confuse the masses.

·        The Fashion X Files had me rolling as Tyler Breeze channeled his inner Scully while Fandango looked dapper in his detective uniform. Aiden English warming up behind a curtain while sounding like a ghost was a great touch as well.

·        The anonymous office trashers sent a package to Breezango which contained the severed head of a stuffed horse that Fandango was galloping with last week. The culprits also left a note indicating that the mystery will be solved at Battleground. With The Colons, Ascension, and Hype Bros in the clear, who is the dastardly team behind the attacks? I guess we will find out the truth come Sunday. At least it won’t be H…

·        Baron Corbin and Kevin Owens defeated AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura when Owens pinned Styles with a Popup Powerbomb in a good main event match. The heels tried to gain an unfair advantage early on when Corbin attempted to nail Nakamura from behind with his Money in the Bank briefcase. Nakamura avoided the hit and went on the attack. Owens came to Corbin’s aid which caused Styles to jump into the fray.

·        From there, Corbin and Owens isolated Nakamura from Styles for a large chunk of the match. He eventually made the hot tag to Styles which shifted the momentum in the babyfaces’ favor.

·        Styles was about to nail Corbin with the Phenomenal Forearm, but Owens yanked Styles off the top rope which sent him crashing against the ring apron.

·        Nakamura tried to even the odds, but Corbin tossed him over the barricade which played into the finish.

·        Corbin threw Styles back in the ring and was about to drop him with End of Days until Styles wiggled out of the move. He backed Corbin into the corner which allowed Owens to make the blind tag.

·        Styles had Corbin in position for the Styles Clash, but Owens nailed him with a Superkick which led to the aforementioned finish. SD Live went off the air with Corbin and Owens celebrating on the main stage while Styles and Nakamura were trying to gather their bearings in the ring.

·        Once again, booking suggests that Owens is losing on Sunday after pinning the United States Champion five days before a PPV. We shall see how it all plays out, but conventional WWE logic never ceases to shock and awe the audience.

·        As for Nakamura and Corbin, I think both men compliment each other well in the ring due to their striking abilities. This could be a breakthrough performance for The Lone Wolf if he’s able to showcase his style of wrestling in a believable way. Having the King of Strong Style as his dance partner doesn’t hurt either. Here’s hoping the match is laid out in a way which will allow both men to shine instead of Nakamura selling for 80% of the match a la his debut match against Dolph Ziggler at Backlash two months ago.

·        Overall, I thought tonight’s episode of SmackDown Live was decent at best. The in-ring action wasn’t blow away, but WWE did a nice job pushing the Battleground PPV by hyping every match on the card in a meaningful way. Like their red counterpart, SD Live can break their streak of ho-hum PPVs by delivering a smartly booked and well-wrestled show from top to bottom. The margin for error is slim, but I expect everything to make sense heading into SummerSlam. Hopefully…

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

The SmackDown Files: The Jinder Mahal Took a Flight On The RKO 747 Edition (6-13-2017)

By: Keila Cash

Hello everyone and welcome to another installment of The SmackDown Files. Tonight’s episode of SmackDown Live emanated from the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. This is the go-home show for the Money in the Bank PPV on Sunday. Also, this is NOLA’s last televised event until WrestleMania descends on the city next year. One would think that this would be an extra special edition of SD Live due to all the hoopla.

In actuality, WWE has done a haphazard job when it comes to hyping their B-Level PPVs as of late. Did the company reverse this trend or were fans treated to the same old, same old? 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 Soul Rebels were awesome as they played The New Day to the ring to kick off SD Live. Sadly, we had to deal with the obligatory opening show promo before the Eight-Man Tag Match featuring The New Day and Breezango vs. The Usos and Colons took place. The mic work was fine, but it was nothing special. Hopefully, the in-ring action will deliver better results.

·        The New Day and Breezango defeated The Usos and The Colons when Xavier Woods pinned Primo with a double foot stomp from the top rope. This was a good match that was well balanced in terms of the babyfaces dominating the first half of the bout while the heels took over during the commercial break. Tyler Breeze did a nice job playing the babyface in peril until he made the hot tag to Kofi Kingston.

·        Kingston had Jimmy Uso beat with Trouble in Paradise until Jey Uso broke up the pin. There was a minor hiccup towards the end of the match when Fandango failed to clothesline Jey out of the ring which caused Fandango to take a spill while Jey had to take the bump as if a ghost attacked him from behind. Miscommunication aside, this was a nice way for The New Day to build momentum heading into the SmackDown Tag Team Championship at Money in the Bank.

·        Neurotic Sami Zayn is so annoying.

·        Shinsuke Nakamura’s facial expressions during Zayn’s spiel was awesome.

·        Welcome back, Zack Ryder!

·        Naomi defeated Tamina with the Split-Legged Moonsault, but she didn’t get a chance to celebrate because Lana attacked her from behind. Lana shocked the world by dropping Naomi with a Sitout Spinebuster before posing with SmackDown Women’s Championship.

·        Lana pulling off that move while wearing an evening gown was extra impressive. Breezango would be proud…

·        Tamina vs. Naomi was middling at best. Tamina controlled the action for the most part, but the multiple rest holds between high spots killed the overall flow of the match. It was a struggle from the onset which raises concerns when it comes to Tamina’s role in the Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match on Sunday. Here’s hoping she stands out for all right reasons instead of sticking out like a sore thumb.

·        Randy Orton kept his actions speak louder than words mantra intact when he nailed Jinder Mahal with an RKO out of nowhere. It was a beautiful spot as Orton sailed in the air with the greatest of ease. Mahal sold the move like a boss which pushed the “face-to-face” segment over the top.

·        Mahal’s promos are duller than dishwater, but he knows how to sell his ass off. That’s a positive.

·        Charlotte defeated Natalya with Natural Selection in a very good match. Both ladies maximized their minutes and hooked the crowd from start to finish. Charlotte and Natalya’s in-ring chemistry was on full display which makes me yearn for a full-on feud not involving their lineage or the Montreal Screwjob from almost twenty years ago. They had a great match at the Roadblock special last year, but their rivalry still has legs if it’s handled properly.

·        The Fashion Files shocked me for two reasons.

·        Reason #1: Fandango has embraced the romper way of life.

·        Reason #2: Fandango’s legs are tatted with ink. I learn something new every day…

·        Sami Zayn, AJ Styles, and Shinsuke Nakamura defeated Kevin Owens, Baron Corbin, and Dolph Ziggler when Zayn nailed Corbin with the Helluva Kick for the win.

·        The six-man tag team match was very good as it featured fast-paced and hard-hitting action throughout. Styles was on fire early until the heels took control during the commercial break.

·        Zayn was isolated from his team during the latter part of the match, but he toughed it out as he took out the heels before making the hot tag.

·        Owens and Ziggler were one step ahead of the game when they yanked Styles and Nakamura from the ring apron. However, Styles came through in the clutch and nailed Corbin with a forearm which set up the finish.

·        The babyfaces didn’t get a chance to celebrate as the heels attacked them from behind. Owens brought a ladder into the ring and laid out Styles and Zayn thanks to an assist from Ziggler.

·        Owens and Ziggler went face-to-face until Corbin blindsided both men which ended their temporary alliance.

·        Corbin climbed the ladder and was about to grab the Money in the Bank briefcase until Nakamura knocked him off the ladder.

·        Nakamura nailed Corbin with the Kinshasa before climbing the ladder and grabbing the briefcase for himself as SD Live went off the air with The King of Strong Style standing tall.

·        This was a hot way to end the show. The crowd was hot for the main event as each man from the MITB Ladder Match got a chance to shine. The post-match skirmish was a nice teaser for things to come heading into the PPV on Sunday. The field is wide open and it should be interesting to see who will become the 18^th Mr. MITB. We shall find out soon enough.

·        Overall, I thought this was a strong episode of SmackDown Live. This was the best go-home show for a PPV since WrestleMania. Every match on the Money in the Bank card was spotlighted in a positive way. The in-ring action ranged from solid to very good which was refreshing to see.

·        WWE didn’t cram extra stuff on the show to fill out the rest of the PPV card. The five-match lineup is reminiscent of an NXT Takeover special in the sense that each match stands out in its own right. There is no need to drag a showdown with lower-card matches that has little to no heat amongst fans. Therefore, the less is more approach is the way to go in order to make the MITB PPV a tight show in terms of match positioning and booking.

·        However, the wrestling must be on point in order for the show to be a success. Here’s hoping the SD Live crew deliver the goods because MITB has the potential to be a blow away show everything goes according to plan. Fingers crossed!

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

The Raw Exposé: The Tale of the Ill-Fated Booty Call in Room 704 Edition (12-5-2016)

By: Keila Cash 

Hello everyone and welcome to another installment of The Raw Exposé. Tonight’s episode of Monday Night Raw emanated from the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas. After last week’s excellent Falls Count Anywhere match between Sasha Banks and Charlotte for the Raw Women’s Championship, how did The Boss celebrate her third title reign in four months?

Also, did Kevin Owens and Chris Jericho hug it out after the tiff from last week? The answer to these questions can be found throughout this blog. Without further ado, let’s dissect tonight’s episode of Raw in no particular order.

·        Kevin Owens opened Monday Night Raw by handing a few gifts to Chris Jericho. First, Jericho will face Roman Reigns for the United States Championship later tonight. Second, Y2J has a match against Seth Rollins at Roadblock: End of the Line two weeks from Sunday. Finally, Rollins was gifted a match against The Big Show to kick off the in-ring portion of the show.

·        Rollins wanted Triple H and a shot at Owens’ WWE Universal Championship, but it appears that Santa left him a lump of coal instead.

·        This was a nice way to start the show. The bickering between Owens and Rollins was okay, but it got better when Owens did his spiel on the mic about being Jericho’s best friend.

·        Also, Owens will face Sami Zayn later on as well. Considering the fact that WWE vowed that their match at Battleground would be their last, it waters down the feud both men had over the summer. Despite that small quibble, the match should be very good. If it saves Zayn from getting destroyed by Braun Strowman, I’m all for it.

·        The Big Slim Show looks trim and fit. Kudos to him for getting in shape ahead of his WrestleMania match against Shaquille O’Neal next year.

·        Big Show left Owens high and dry when he chokeslammed him into the ring during his match with Rollins.

·        Owens tried to cheer on Big Show, but he was too abrasive when it came to telling The World’s Largest Athlete what to do.

·        Big Show vs. Rollins was okay for the most part. This was basically an exhibition match for Big Show to knock off some ring rust. Rollins looked good as he got a measure of revenge when he laid out Owens with a Pedigree. This was a no harm, no foul segment that didn’t overstay its welcome.

·        Nice profile video for Jack Gallagher. He was one of my favorite wrestlers from the Cruiserweight Classic. Let’s hope his gentlemanly ways translates on the main roster.

·        Gallagher notched his first win on Raw by defeating Ariya Daivari in a solid match. Gallagher looked crisp, but he held back from being more comedic in the ring. His offense impressed the crowd which will give him more leeway to let loose in the future.

·        Daivari showed poor sportsmanship when he viciously kicked Gallagher’s knee after the match was over. The crowd booed him which was nice to hear because it means that they cared about Gallagher’s well-being. Plus, it builds to their burgeoning feud on Raw and 205 Live. It was simplistic but very effective.

·        WWE Presents: The Backstage Quarrel Between Friends and Lovers. The bromance between Owens and Jericho just went from frosty to ice cold while Lana and Rusev had a falling out which ended with Lana taking off her wedding ring and throwing it on the ground.

·        Enzo Amore consoled The Ravishing Russian while she laughed at his “How You Doin’?” catchphrase. Who knew that Enzo walking around naked backstage would have creative legs two weeks later?

·        Lana invited Enzo back to her hotel room. I think it’s safe to say that there’s going to be some trouble brewing in Room 704. Just a hunch…

·        Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn had a very good match that featured great action throughout. Zayn put on an aerial showcase by delivering Tornado DDTs on the ring apron, through the ring, and inside the squared circle itself. Owens fought back as he delivered a wicked reverse Suplex from the top rope. Zayn countered with a series of Suplexes of his own followed by the Blue Thunder Bomb for a near fall.

·        Zayn went to the well too many times as he dropped Owens against the barricade with an Exploder Suplex. As both men rolled back in the ring, Owens laid out Zayn with a quick powerbomb for the win.

·        Despite both men having dozens of matches against each other over the years, each outing still feels fresh. Therefore, their rivalry will not get old in that respect.

·        Speaking of rivalries, The Sasha Banks and Charlotte Saga will continue at Roadblock as Sasha challenged Charlotte to an Iron Man Match for the Raw Women’s Championship. Charlotte mentioned that iron sharpens iron on Twitter after her loss last Monday. If their feud is FINALLY coming to an end, this would be a fitting conclusion to one of the best (if not the best) rivalry(ries) in WWE this year.

·        I do question Sasha challenging Charlotte to these high stakes matches for the Women’s Title. She failed to retain the title at Hell in a Cell. If she drops the belt for the third time at a major PPV, she needs to rethink her match strategy moving forward.

·        Rich Swann and TJ Perkins had a solid match which harkened back to their quarterfinal bout at the CWC earlier this year. It was a pretty Even Steven match as both men know each other so well. Perkins targeted Swann’s leg midway through the match which grounded the Outlandish One for a while. However, Swann recovered when he nailed TJP with a spin kick from mid-air for the win.

·        Swann built momentum heading into his Cruiserweight Championship rematch against The Brian Kendrick tomorrow night on 205 Live.

·        Bayley defeated Alicia Fox in a hard-fought bout when she pinned her with the Bayley-to-Belly. Michael Cole explained that Alicia was mad that Bayley gave Cedric Alexander a Bayley Bear backstage during the Raw Preshow. At least there was a purpose for the match taking place. Too bad the live audience wasn’t clued in because they were quiet for the most part. The crowd did muster a faint “We Want Some Bayley” chants.

·        It appears that Enzo and Lana are going to seal the deal in Room 704. I did crack up when Enzo started singing lyrics from R. Kelly’s “Bump N’ Grind”.

·        The Tussle in Texas: Mark Henry vs. Titus O’Neil. It should be retitled: The One-Side Beat Down In Texas Starring Mark Henry and Featuring Titus O’Neil.

·        Mark Henry validated my name change by quickly dispatching Titus O’Neil with the World’s Strongest Slam. The match was short and sweet.

·        Ric Flair just helped Enzo in his booty call quest by letting his limo driver take The Certified G to Lana’s hotel. What a classy guy.

·        Roman Reigns retained the United States Championship when he nailed Chris Jericho with a Spear for the win. It was a very good match as the fans were 60/40 behind Reigns while the adult male contingent cheered for Jericho.

·        Owens tried to will Jericho to victory by coming down to the ring and kicking Reigns in the head behind the referee’s back. Jericho capitalized by nailing Reigns with the Codebreaker. Reigns kicked out at two which sent KO into a tizzy. Jericho noticed that Owens was at ringside and proceeded to berate him for not staying in the back. Y2J shoved his best friend and told Owens to hit the bricks. Owens walked away which led to the finish moments later.

·        The forecast on the bromance has gone from ice cold to piping hot because Jericho is a 10 on the Habanero Pepper Scale of being pissed off at his BFF. Let’s just say that their fake spat a few weeks ago has turned into the real thing.

·        As suspected, Lana was laying the sticks for Enzo to fall into a trap. She tempted him with champagne and strawberries before ripping off his shirt and telling him to take off his pants. Before Enzo could seal the forbidden deal, Lana called for Rusev and the beat down was on. Rusev kicked his ass from pillar to post as Lana cheered her husband on. The Bulgarian Brute finished Enzo off by hitting him in the head with a vase before dragging him out of the hotel room.

·        After Lana looked semi-turned during Enzo’s promo last week, it was all a setup to make the Certified G look like a Certified Fool. It was an elaborate plan that built nicely throughout the show. The creative team deserves credit for weaving an entertaining plot line that had a beginning, middle, and end.

·        Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson vs. Sheamus and Cesaro was good until The New Day got involved which drew an automatic disqualification. Both teams survived the 10:00 p.m. Lull Period of Death as they had an entertaining match which saw Sheamus getting unanimously cheered for the first time since forever. Cesaro was great as usual while Gallows and Anderson held up their end as well.

·        A melee took place after the match was over as Cesaro and Sheamus took out The New Day. One can only assume that Mick Foley is going to book a Triple Threat Match next week with the Tag Team Championship on the line. Will the New Day tie Demolition’s record? We shall see. In any event, all three teams should have one hell of a match in Philly.

·        Charlotte and Ric Flair tend to have overly emotional moments whenever they are in the ring together. Charlotte apologized to her father for being a bitch of a daughter when she publicly shamed him on an episode of Raw six months ago. She was heartbroken when Flair showed up last week to raise Sasha Banks’ hand because it was a sign that she wasn’t the better woman that night. That moment gave her clarity which led to her mea culpa.

·        Flair came out per his daughter’s request and it seemed as if they hugged out their problems. When Flair tried to embrace her a second time, she slapped him in the face and called her father a son of a bitch.

·        Charlotte tore into her dad for choosing Sasha over her. Sasha came out to confront Charlotte, but The Queen quickly took control and laid out The Boss by ramming her head into the ring post as Flair looked on tearfully.

·        Charlotte rolled Sasha back in the ring to taunt her dad some more as Raw went off the air.

·        The first half of the final segment was iffy at best, but things got better once Charlotte slapped her old man.

·        Charlotte didn’t get rattled which helped her get hated for all the right reasons as the segment went on. Flair did a great job looking sad as he is one of the best criers in the business.

·        I know some fans are ready to throw in the towel on the Sasha-Charlotte feud, but it’s best to stretch things out a couple more weeks. Their 30-Minute Iron Man Match at Roadblock should be very good. Their rivalry has turned personal and I expect both ladies to show up and show out if this is truly the end of their feud. Hopefully. This was a good way to end the show minus the shaky start.

·        Overall, I thought tonight’s episode of Raw was competent. It wasn’t a blow away show, but WWE did a nice job hyping the Roadblock PPV. There was little fluff on the broadcast as everyone that was given airtime deserved it. A Neville sighting would be nice, but I digress.

·        The in-ring action ranged from solid to very good with Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn winning best match of the night honors with Jericho vs. Reigns coming in a close second.

·        The Enzo/Lana/Rusev faux love triangle was fun as it told a nice story throughout the night culminating with Enzo getting played. I am not expecting a technical masterpiece from Big Cass and Rusev, but it should be a good big man bout as Cass stands up for his best buddy.

·        As for the friendship between Owens and Jericho. It’s currently on the rocks, but I expect both men to hug it out before their respective matches at Roadblock.

·        The go-home show should be interesting next week as WWE will be hyping Roadblock while getting into the holiday spirit at the same time. That’s not the best combination, but we shall see how the company balances everything out. On the Brightside, the Triple Threat Match for the Tag Team Titles should be very good which should give people extra incentive to watch next week’s show as Raw emanates from Philadelphia. Let’s hope that the rest of the show lives up to the hype. Fingers crossed!

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: The Brock Lesnar is Next and Last Edition (10-17-2016)

By: Keila Cash 

Hello everyone and welcome to another installment of The Raw Exposé. Tonight’s episode of Monday Night Raw emanated from the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado. After a twelve year absence, Bill Goldberg returns to WWE to answer Brock Lesnar’s challenge from last week. What did Mr. 173-0 have to say? The answer to this pressing question can be found throughout this blog. Without further ado, let’s dissect tonight’s episode of Raw in no particular order. 

·         First of all, the word Sparkle Crotch should be retired from this day forward. It’s not a phrase that exactly rolls off the tongue to describe Chris Jericho’s sparkly wrestling trunks.

·         Second of all, Jericho dropped a major hint during the opening segment when he said that he could easily defeat Seth Rollins inside Hell in a Cell to win the WWE Universal Championship, but didn’t echo the same confidence when it came to beating Kevin Owens for the title. It was a small detail, but very significant when it comes to the burgeoning bromance between both men. 

·         The rest of the opening segment was fine as Owens, Jericho, and Rollins traded words, but it was nothing to write home about outside of Rollins getting a nice babyface ovation from the crowd. That was refreshing to see considering how his character has been presented on television as of late. 

·         For the third week in a row, Owens made Jericho take another one for the team as Rollins nailed Jericho with The Pedigree. Owens and Jericho had a good match that had an interesting finish as Owens defied his best friend’s order to stay backstage. 

·         He came out to provide emotional support, but decided to interfere when Y2J had Rollins locked in the Walls of Jericho. Rollins was close to the rope, but Owens pulled it away from him. The referee caught Owens which allowed Rollins to grab the rope in order to break the hold. 

·         Jericho and Rollins traded a series of counters as Jericho nailed him with an enziguri and tried to hit the Codebreaker. Rollins countered and hit the Pedigree for the win. 

·         Owens did his usual walk of shame as the segment came to an end. Rollins picked up another quality win heading into HIAC while Jericho will try to spin his latest loss as making a sacrifice for the greater good. I don’t know how long he will continue to buy into Owens’ line of reasoning, but their pending implosion should be grand. 

·         Charlotte cut a strong promo explaining why she is going to defeat Sasha Banks and win back the Raw Women’s Championship inside HIAC. She was confident as Lita did a nice job asking sensible questions that were not asinine in nature Charlotte made the point that she is undefeated in PPV Title matches because she is always at 100% in terms of her health while Sasha has been on the shelf several times this year due to injury. Therefore, The Queen is built for this moment because she is genetically superior and does not need the home field advantage to eke out a win. 

·         Sasha will get a chance to respond to Charlotte’s comments later in the show. The Boss is usually good in a laid-back setting when she is not given bad material to recite. 

·         The Golden Truth and Mark Henry made quick work of Titus O’Neil and The Shining Stars when Henry pinned O’Neil with the World’s Largest Slam. Henry earned one of the quickest paychecks of his career by finishing his opponent in thirty seconds or less. The Titus Brand remains in a slump. Thank goodness O’Neil’s faux company is not publicly traded on the stock market because he would be swimming in the red at this point. 

·         Jericho was this close from committing the carnal sin of calling Owens a stupid idiot. Owens and Jericho were having their first spat, but Stephanie McMahon intervened and reminded both men that Raw was in a brand war with SmackDown at Survivor Series next month and needed her top two generals at the top of their game. Being smarter and stronger was her closing mantra as JeriKO continued their spat about what happened earlier in the show. I guess the honeymoon is over. This was a good teaser for things to come because this friendship is not long for the world. 

·         Big E. rolled up Sheamus for the win as the Celtic Warrior wanted his fifteen minutes of fame on Facebook Live as he failed to deliver the greatest Brogue Kick of all time. 

·         Big E. and Sheamus had a solid big man match as they threw each other around while landing some stiff hits at the same time. Big E. was impressive as he delivered a series of sick belly-to-belly suplexes to Sheamus. His strength was also on full display as he countered Sheamus’ big boot in mid-air and laid him out with a powerbomb instead. 

·         However, the story of the match was Cesaro hamming it up on FB Live instead of supporting his tag team partner. I guess it’s only fair since Sheamus did the exact same thing during his match against Kofi Kingston last week. Let’s hope both men can put aside their differences and focus on winning the Tag Team Titles from The New Day at HIAC. 

·         Holy Crap! Bo Dallas picked up the win against Neville in a surprisingly competitive match. Their in-ring chemistry from their days in NXT was still apparent which reminded me of how good Dallas can be when he is given something meaningful to do. Neville eating a loss sucks, but it appears that Dallas is actually getting a push that might stick if he generates legit heel heat. 

·         Dallas took a nice step in that direction when he attacked Curtis Axel after his match. He tossed Axel into the barricade which is the universal sign that their friendship is on the rocks. Axel doesn’t need to Bo-lieve in Bo because Bo is doing enough Bo-lieving for himself. 

·         In what can only be described as The Upset Hour, Dana Brooke pinned Bayley after she slammed The Hugger into the ring post to gain the unfair advantage. The finish wasn’t pretty as the crowd died quicker than the inflatable men that complement Bayley’s entrance. It was an underwhelming way to end the match, but it makes sense if their feud is going to continue. 

·         Paul Heyman warned Goldberg that if he accepts Brock Lesnar’s challenge, an ass kicking would be in his immediate future. We shall hear Goldberg’s response soon enough. 

·         The Mile City Trio is about to get destroyed by Braun Strowman. Dare I say that he is getting the Ryback treatment when it comes to squashing multiple men at once? 

·         Does Sami Zayn have a death wish? I adore him, but he’s nuts for challenging Strowman to a match. On the plus side, he could carry the big man to a decent match. That would be a miracle to behold. 

·         Strowman had no respect for Zayn as he pushed him out of the ring with force. Zayn didn’t back down as he managed to get back in the ring while Strowman made his way to the back. This could be an interesting match if it is booked simplistically with a little bit of window dressing for good measure. 

·         Rusev and Lana used their interview time to show off their family photo album as fans got their first glimpse of Mama, Papa, Brother, and Grandma Rusev. Hell, we even met Rusev’s cute Bull Terrier whose name is too damn long and difficult to pronounce. 

·         Roman Reigns interrupted this touching moment and told The Bulgarian Brute that he needed to call 911 after he loses at HIAC. Lana stood by her man by slapping Reigns in the face which allowed Rusev to blindside him with a stiff kick to the head. Rusev took the fight to Reigns as he tossed the steel steps inside the ring. Reigns tried to get back on offense, but Rusev threw him against the steps and locked in The Accolade to send a message that he was ready for HIAC. 

·         The only setback in the segment was Reigns proclaiming that the Roman Empire had his back. That was such a tone-deaf thing to say as the fans were booing him out of the building until they got into the tail end of his promo. Outside of that faux pas, this segment was perfectly fine as Rusev did a great job getting heat on his relatives and dog while promoting his match against Reigns inside HIAC for the United States Championship. Mission accomplished. 

·         Big Cass defeated Karl Anderson with the East River Crossing. It was the first time Cass successfully hit the move since his botch against Bubba Ray Dudley a few months ago on an episode of SmackDown. It’s a great finisher when executed properly and Anderson did a nice job making it look good. However, it appears that the 50/50 rule is in full effect as Enzo & Cass and Anderson and Gallows will probably trade wins back and forth until something gives. It’s standard wrestling protocol in 2016. Sad, but true. 

·         Sasha did a good job explaining the importance of being in the first-ever women’s HIAC match. However, I wasn’t a fan of how cavalier she was when it came to treating this brutal match as a badge of honor. The cell has been neutered in recent years, but it should still be taken seriously because it takes a toll on the human body. The demonic structure should be feared, not revered until someone survives. The rest of the interview was fine as Sasha came off as a natural speaker who was not trying to memorize her lines word for word. 

·         If I had to choose who did a better job in terms of delivery and believability, Charlotte earns the gold star tonight.

·         Brian Kendrick, Drew Gulak, and Tony Nese vs. Cedric Alexander, Rich Swann, and TJ Perkins were given the unenviable task of wrestling during the Third Hour Lull Period of Death. Fortunately, the high spots kept the crowd engaged as the match actually told a nice story as Kendrick let Nese do the yeoman’s work as he picked the bones after Nese had Swann beat with the 450 Splash. 

·         Kendrick made the blind tag and locked Swann in the Captain’s Hook. Perkins tried to make the save, but Gulak held his leg which prevented him from getting back in the ring. Swann had no choice but to tap out which gave Kendrick a bit of momentum heading into his Cruiserweight Championship match against TJP at HIAC in a couple of weeks. 

·         This spotlight bout could have been a dud, but it turned out okay as all four men did enough to keep the crowd invested in the action. I consider that a victory. 

·         After all these years, Goldberg’s entrance still gives me chills. It was such an awesome moment seeing Goldberg back in WWE. The Denver crowd showered him with “This is Awesome” and “Holy Shit” chants as he soaked in the moment. 

·         Goldberg appreciated the reception and cut a heartfelt and badass promo about being a hero to kids everywhere which explained why he wanted to be a part of WWE 2K17. Also, he wanted his wife and son to see him live for the first time which was a pretty sweet moment. 

·         Goldberg got down to business when it came to Paul Heyman being Brock Lesnar’s proxy as The Beast challenged him to a match. Goldberg thought that dream bout should be saved for the video game, but changed his mind when he felt that he had one more ass kicking in him. He had one more Spear and Jackhammer to dish out and declared that Lesnar would not only be next but last as well. The challenge was accepted and Raw went off the air with Goldberg hugging his son along with other people’s kids and random men. As my buddy Jon Ward mentioned to me on Facebook, let’s hope he knows these people because that was a little weird, yet heartwarming at the same time. 

·         This was a hot way to end the show. Goldberg came across as a legend that has not lost his edge. He was humble and made his match against Lesnar an instant box office draw. The Beast will be live in Minneapolis next week to respond to Goldberg’s comments. Heyman will do most of the talking, but Lesnar can throw a few verbal barbs that can cut through the bone. Figuratively speaking, of course. It should be a great atmosphere since Lesnar will be in his hometown. With the Minnesota Vikings on a roll, this might be one of the hottest crowds of the year. 

·         Overall, I thought tonight’s episode of Raw was decent at best. The closing segment ended things on a high note, but I thought the rest of the show was in cruise control for the most part. The in-ring action was okay, but questionable finishes killed the crowd at times. 

·         Once again, I wasn’t a fan of WWE jumping ahead to promote Survivor Series because they need to focus all of their attention on Hell in a Cell. It’s difficult to serve two masters at once, and I feel that the former is being underserved at the moment. 

·         Fortunately, WWE is trying to remedy the situation by announcing The New Day vs. Cesaro and Sheamus and Rollins vs. Jericho vs. Owens in a Triple Threat match for next week’s show. Both bouts are nontitle, but at least there is some semblance of synergy when it comes to making the go-home show feel important. Throw in Lesnar and Heyman and we have the recipe for success if everything else on Raw is booked properly. Fingers crossed!

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!