The Raw Exposé: How The Strowman Stole Christmas (12-19-2016)

By: Keila Cash

Hello everyone and welcome to another installment of The Raw Exposé. Tonight’s episode of Monday Night Raw emanated from THE Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. The fallout from Roadblock served as the central theme of the show as rivalries came to an end while others were just beginning as 2016 comes to a close. Did WWE hit the reset button before Christmas or will wait until January 2^nd to sound the alarm? 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 Hug of Jericho is such a beautiful thing. *sniff*

·        Santa Claus just made the List of Jericho. How blasphemous!

·        Mick Foley just had a hometown pop fail by accidentally saying that he was in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania instead of Columbus, Ohio.

·        Mick Foley announced that Kevin Owens would have a WWE Universal Championship rematch against Roman Reigns at the Royal Rumble while Chris Jericho is suspended high above the ring in a shark cage.

·        Jericho claimed that he was afraid of heights and that the craftsmanship of the shark cage was horrible because it was made in Ohio.

·        Foley assured him that the cage was sturdy and safe as Jericho stepped inside the cage to test it out.

·        Jericho was trapped in the cage as Foley searched frantically for the key. After rummaging through his fanny pack, Foley told Jericho that he misplaced the key.

·        Foley noted that Jericho was perfectly safe unless he gave the signal to raise the cage. He motioned for the cage to go up as Jericho screamed at the top of his lungs. The segment came to an end when he told the backstage crew to free Jericho during the commercial break.

·        This was a humorous way start to the show, but it was a little too cutesy for my taste despite the parties involved. In any event, the fans got a kick out of Jericho and Owens’ antics while Foley had to work twice as hard to win the crowd over after his cheap pop faux pas.

·        The main event will be Kevin Owens and Chris Jericho vs. Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins. It should be a good match.

·        Big Cass got disqualified when he attacked Rusev in the corner and ignored the referee’s order to stop before the count of five. The action was pretty nondescript until the abrupt ending.

·        Sasha Banks came out to congratulate Charlotte on her win last night, but Nia Jax ruined the feel-good moment. Jax called Banks a weak little girl who didn’t live up to her Boss moniker. Things turned ugly when Jax kicked the crutch from Banks’ arm which caused her to fall down.

·        Jax tossed Banks knee-first into the ring ropes and threatened to whack her with the crutch. She dropped the crutch and left the ring as Banks tended to her injured knee.

·        It appears that a Banks-Jax feud is on the horizon. This is going to be a struggle for both ladies because their promos can be rough around the edges at times which could prevent people from caring about the buildup on an emotional level.

·        Also, Jax is still green in the ring. Banks has her work cut out for her. Can she carry someone who is less-seasoned to a good match? Bayley and Asuka managed to do it. We shall see if The Boss can get the job as well.

·        Cesaro and Sheamus were presented with brand new Raw Tag Team Title Belts. The belt is red, but the plate is silver like the belts on SmackDown Live. Oh joy. The belts look nice, though.

·        Cedric Alexander defeated Noam Dar with the Lumbar Check, but Dar had the last word when he said that all he wanted for Christmas was Alicia Fox. Dar is such a perv. That’s a compliment because he’s playing his role well. The match was fine while it lasted.

·        Big E had a great line when he said that Charlotte would break her father’s 16-time World Heavyweight Championship record in a month. It was low-key but funny as hell. And probably true which is scary as hell.

·        The New Day, Sheamus & Cesaro vs. Gallows and Anderson and The Shining Stars was good. It was the best match on the show so far as Kofi Kingston was the babyface in peril throughout. Kingston eventually made the hot tag to Big E who dropped Anderson with a series of Belly-to-Belly Suplexes. Sheamus made the blind tag when Big E was about to deliver the big splash onto Anderson. Epico tagged himself in the match and immediately got drilled with Sheamus’ Ten Beats of the Bodhran.

·        The Celtic Warrior made the hot tag to Cesaro and almost got a near fall which led to a parade of finishes down the stretch.

·        Sheamus nailed Primo with a Brogue Kick followed by Gallows taking Sheamus out with a big boot only for Big E to clothesline Gallows out of the ring which led to Anderson nailing Big E with a running knee only for Cesaro to cap things with a with a standing European uppercut to Anderson.

·        Cesaro delivered the Big Swing to Epico before locking him the Sharpshooter for the win.

·        I am not a big fan of Sheamus being a glory hog after winning the Raw Tag Team Championship. Cesaro and Sheamus solidified their partnership during a bar room brawl a few weeks ago. There is no need for the Odd Couple shtick to rear its ugly head again.

·        I love heel Neville. He desperately needed this change in attitude.

·        Rich Swann came out to confront Neville only for The Brian Kendrick to stick his nose in their business. Kendrick claimed that he wanted Neville in the Cruiserweight Division since day one. Swann got the jump on both men but quickly got double teamed until TJ Perkins made his way to the ring. Perkins was met with a stiff kick from Neville while Kendrick finished him off with Slice Bread #2.

·        Neville’s heel turn has breathed new life into the Cruiserweight Division as he brings instant credibility as a pissed off wrestler who has a score to settle with Swann. Hopefully, this gives the division a clear sense of direction when it comes to blending the individual storylines with the action taking place in the ring. By doing so, the fans will care about the performers on an emotional level.

·        For the first time ever, I am glad to see Braun Strowman as he just spared the audience from seeing Sin Cara vs. Titus O’Neil. Thank you, kind sir.

·        Strowman tossed Sin Cara into the Christmas tree and presents off the main stage. He proceeded to destroy another tree before heading backstage. It appears that Strowman is full of jeer this holiday season. Bah Humbug!

·        Charlotte generated instant heel heat when she stated that Clemson was going to beat Ohio State in the College Football Playoffs on New Year’s Eve. She’s a smart cookie.

·        Bayley is next in line for Charlotte’s Raw Women’s Championship. After all, The Hugger Extraordinaire is 2-0 against The Queen. Charlotte said that Bayley was the fourth Horsewoman for a reason because she, Sasha Banks, and Becky Lynch left her behind in NXT because she couldn’t measure up to them.

·        Bayley refuted Charlotte’s claim and challenged her to a match. Charlotte accepted as their bout got underway after the commercial break.

·        Bayley extends her streak to 3-0 when she pinned Charlotte with a backslide. However, the ending was controversial as Charlotte’s shoulder was up before the count of three. Despite the visual evidence, the referee’s decision is final.

·        The match was solid, but the crowd was dead in spots. Bayley and Charlotte work well together, but they are holding back the big stuff until they face off at a major PPV with the Women’s Title at stake.

·        Bayley needs to retire The Slip N’ Slide. It’s a cute move, but it could get very annoying if she does it too many times. That was the case tonight as Bayley barely got a reaction when she performed the spot on Charlotte’s back. Outside of that, the match clicked for the most part.

·        Sensitivity Training with Enzo Amore < Anger Management Class with Kane and Daniel Bryan. It’s basic mathematics.

·        Enzo Amore was laid out by Rusev thanks to an assist from Jinder Mahal and Lana. Enzo can’t catch a break, but he brought this on himself when he tried to sleep with a married woman. Plus, it appears that Mahal and Rusev have joined forces. That’s an odd duo, but it gives Mahal something to do. Here’s hoping that he makes the best of this opportunity.

·        Braun Strowman made his presence known during the main event when he attacked Roman Reigns which led to an automatic disqualification.

·        Strowman laid out Seth Rollins with a running power slam as Chris Jericho and Kevin Owens ran for the hills. Before making their big escape, they tossed Reigns back in the ring for Strowman to destroy. The big man delivered a wicked running power slam to Reigns as Owens and Jericho praised Strowman for a job well done. The show ended with Strowman standing tall while Reigns and Rollins were taking a nap in the ring.

·        Prior to the outside interference, the match featuring Reigns and Rollins vs. Owens and Jericho was solid. It started off slow because Reigns was the babyface in peril for most of the match. Things picked up when Rollins got the hot tag. He ran wild as the crowd came to life down the stretch. The Strowman Factor was a nice surprise which shook things up for a change. Plus, the fans didn’t cheer when he took out Reigns. That’s a positive because the reaction could have gone either way considering how some fans have a blind hatred towards Reigns.

·        Strowman basking in the main event spotlight seems to be a one night deal until Sami Zayn comes back next week after Foley gave him the night off. I don’t think the world is ready to see Strowman vs. Reigns yet. 

·        However, this is a sneak preview of what Strowman will do during the Royal Rumble match next month. Expect chaos until Goldberg and Lesnar hit the ring. 

·        Overall, I thought tonight’s episode of Raw was middling at best. The first hour of the show was light in terms of in-ring action and heavy on slapstick comedy.

·        The eight man tag was the best match on the show with nothing really coming close. This was not the best follow-up to Roadblock: End of the Line. The PPV was booked and promoted as a throwaway show and tonight’s broadcast didn’t inspire yuletide cheer outside of a few key segments.

·        The creative team deserves a little praise for announcing the Owens vs. Reigns Universal Championship rematch at the Royal Rumble next month. Michael Cole made a good point when he stated that Jericho would be suspended high above the ring in a shark cage inside the Alamo Dome. Jericho’s antics might overshadow the match because he is bound to do something crazy. Plus, the crowd is probably going to boo Reigns out of the building because it’s been the in thing to do since 2015. This must be Reigns’ least favorite PPV in terms of being unanimously hated by the audience.

·        WWE is in holiday mode, but they can’t sleep their way through next Monday’s show as Raw emanates from Chicago. That crowd is rabid and anything less than a solid show might cause them to hijack the proceedings. It will not be a pretty sight. Let’s hope that the final Raw of 2016 is a good one. 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 Triple Threat Double Play En Route to Day 478 Edition (12-12-2016)

By: Keila Cash

Hello everyone and welcome to another installment of The Raw Exposé. Tonight’s episode of Monday Night Raw emanated from the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This is the go-home show for Roadblock and it might be the End of the Line for a certain tag team. The New Day are on the cusp of breaking Demolition’s record for being the longest reigning Tag Team Champions in WWE history. In order to achieve this amazing feat, they would have to defeat the teams of Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson and Cesaro & Sheamus in a Triple Threat Match. Did the trio have a happy ending filled with unicorn horns and Booty-Os or did they drown their sorrows in their trademark cereal instead? The answer to this question can be found throughout this blog. Without further ado, let’s dissect tonight’s episode of Raw in no particular order.

·        The New Day made history as they broke Demolition’s record and are now the longest reigning Tag Team Champions of all time. The trio successfully defended their Raw Tag Team Titles as they defeated Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson and Cesaro & Sheamus in a Triple Threat Match.

·        Cesaro was outstanding down the stretch as he hit anything that moved inside and outside the ring. Corey Graves did great job naming Cesaro’s version of Rey Mysterio’s 619 the Swiss One Nine as he laid out Anderson with the move followed by dropping Big E with a Seated Senton followed by nailing Kingston with a running uppercut against the barricade only for Gallows to get stomped on at ringside for good measure. It was an amazing sequence that popped the crowd something fierce.

·        Cesaro delivered the Big Swing to Anderson before putting him the Sharp Shooter. Big E. tried to break things up, but Cesaro caught him in the nick to time. The Swiss Superman tagged in Sheamus to finish Anderson off with a Brogue Kick. Before Sheamus could score the winning pinfall, Kofi Kingston nailed him with the Trouble in Paradise. Cesaro tried to save his partner, but Big E. held his legs which prevented him from getting back in the ring to break up the pin. And with that, The New Day are the longest reigning Tag Team Champs in WWE History.

·        Despite The New Day’s cheating ways, it was a good match that showcased all three teams in a meaningful way. The fans were pulling for Cesaro and would’ve been thrilled if he and Sheamus won the Tag Team Titles. Their time will come soon enough, but this was The New Day’s night to shine. Quasi-heel tactics aside, of course…

·        Stephanie McMahon was not pleased when Xavier Woods accidentally sprayed her with champagne. She tossed Big E’s extra-large bowl of Booty-Os into the air before storming off. Let’s just say that The New Day’s Celebration came to a screeching halt. Literally.

·        Thanks for coming, Curtis Axel. He was quickly destroyed by Braun Strowman.

·        It appears that my dream scenario is about to come true as Mick Foley is granting Sami Zayn’s request for a trade from Raw to SmackDown Live after Foley refused to book Zayn in a match against Strowman. Foley admitted that he didn’t believe that Zayn could beat Strowman and Zayn didn’t want to work for a boss that didn’t have faith in him as a wrestler.

·        It was a conversation that struck the right chords in terms of passion without Foley going overboard in order to get his point across. His reasoning made sense, but it wasn’t enough to placate Zayn. If this is the end of their business relationship, at least it was an amicable split.

·        Jack Gallagher is such a gentleman that he informed Ariya Daivari that he was purposefully interfering in his match against Lince Dorado. After Daivari’s ungentlemanly actions last week, Gallagher had no choice but to defend himself against the cowardly scoundrel. Both men traded punches which led to Gallagher nailing Daivari with a head butt followed by a drop kick through the ropes.

·        The match was thrown out as Dorado exited stage left. The bout was nothing special, but the fans enjoyed Gallagher’s gentlemanly antics.

·        The Rollins Report featured a major announcement from Kevin Owens as Stephanie McMahon booked him and Chris Jericho in a match against The New Day for the Tag Team Titles later tonight. This was in retaliation for the champagne incident earlier.

·        Jericho was not pleased that Owens put this match together because they are still on the outs. Rollins tried to stir the pot, but Jericho vowed to put him on the Disabled List as he and Owens made their way to the ring.

·        They proceeded to attack Rollins until Roman Reigns made the save. Rollins was about to drop Jericho with another Pedigree, but Owens pulled him out of the ring.

·        It appears that Jericho and Owens are on the same page, but they haven’t buried the hatchet yet. Perhaps they will work out their problems during their Tag Team Championship match against The New Day.

·        As for Rollins, he is a horrible talk show host. He let Owens and Jericho hijack his segment. He’s a fifth-rate Jerry Springer at worst and a 10^th-rate Maury Povich at best. His material was weak outside of his line comparing Owens and Jericho to Bon Jovi and Meatloaf. When the guests outshine the host, that’s rarely a good thing. I think it’s time pull the plug on The Rollins Report.

·        The Brian Kendrick defeated TJ Perkins with Slice Bread #2 as he built momentum heading into his Triple Threat Match against Perkins and Rich Swann for the Cruiserweight Championship at Roadblock this Sunday. The match between Kendrick and TJP was fine, but it lacked heat and it appeared that both men were going through the motions which caused fans to chant random things down the stretch.

·        Mick Foley raised the stakes by making New Day’s second Tag Team Title defense another Triple Threat affair by adding Rollins and Reigns to the mix. The Road to 478 just got harder for the two-time Tag Team Champs.

·        The Sasha Banks-Charlotte video package chronicling their feud leading up to their 30-Minute Iron Man Match for the Raw Women’s Championship was very good. Adding in Halestorm’s “I am The Fire” was a nice touch as well. WWE decided to omit Charlotte winning the title at SummerSlam which ruined the timeline a bit, but the montage was still effective as Corey Graves emphasized there is no rematch clause in the contract for this match. Therefore, Sasha Banks and Charlotte will have their FINAL championship bout at Roadblock. Their series of matches have been strong for the most part, but it’s time to put this rivalry to bed until 2019 at the earliest.

·        Alicia Fox was still mad at Bayley for giving Cedric Alexander a Bayley Bear last week and challenged her to another match. Fox was the aggressor throughout the bout, but Bayley dropped her with the Bayley-to-Belly for the win. I think it’s time for Fox to channel her energies elsewhere.

·        Rusev and Lana teased showing a video of what they do behind closed doors, but they showed a recap of Enzo Amore getting his ass kicked by Rusev. Rusev and Lana chided the fans for believing they would see the newlyweds sharing an intimate moment between the hotel sheets.

·        Big Cass came out and fought Rusev on Enzo’s behalf. Both men had a back and forth brawl which became a one-sided situation when Rusev slammed Cass into the barricade and ring post before heading to the back with Lana.

·        The segment was okay as Rusev and Lana got heat for bashing Enzo. However, Big Cass didn’t have the strongest material to work with during his promo. If he doesn’t have Enzo to play off of during a back and forth exchange, Cass struggles when he has to fly solo. Big Cass and Rusev will go one-on-one during the Roadblock Kickoff Show on Sunday.

·        Emmalina’s debut has been postponed. I guess she’s still going through her evolution from Emma to Emmalina…

·        Sami Zayn nailed Jinder Mahal with the Helluva Kick to pick up the win in a short, but decent match. Mahal got in a surprising amount of offense before eating the pin. The outcome was never in doubt, though.

·        Mick Foley pulled off a nice power play by making Sami Zayn think that he was traded to SmackDown Live in exchange for Eva Marie. That was cold on so many levels as fans were chanting for James Ellsworth. Zayn was beyond pissed that Foley thought so little of him. Foley asked Zayn what he wanted and Zayn screamed that he wanted Strowman.

·        Foley was impressed with Zayn’s passion and his ability to tap into his dark side. He granted Zayn’s request and booked him in a match against Strowman at Roadblock with a 10-minute time limit. If Zayn survives, there is hope for him yet. If he doesn’t, The Miz will mail him a Participation Award for trying his best to slay the Abominable Strowman.  

·        This was a very good segment that had me hooked from start to finish. Zayn was excellent and Foley did a nice job conveying his point without screaming at the top of his lungs for a change. I consider that a major breakthrough for our resident Santa Claus.

·        The New Day officially made WWE history as they are now the longest reigning Tag Team Champions of all-time as Xavier Woods pinned Chris Jericho for the win. Seth Rollins set things in motion by nailing Jericho with a Pedigree only for Big E to pull Rollins out of the ring before he could make the pin. 

·        This was another good Triple Threat Match that was filled with high drama as The New Day was on the brink of losing their Tag Team Titles. Big E was out of commission for a large chunk of the match which allowed the other two teams to take advantage of the situation. The match featured a great Tower of Doom spot followed by near falls that had the crowd on their feet during the closing minutes of the bout.

·        It appeared that Jericho and Owens were about to win the Tag Titles when Jericho nailed Woods with the Codebreaker. Owens tried to stop Rollins from breaking up the pin only for Rollins to push Owens into Jericho to break up the count. Owens and Jericho traded words which allowed Rollins to capitalize, but it wasn’t enough to win the gold as Big E played into the aforementioned finish.

·        After the match was over, Owens and Jericho continued to argue in the ring. Owens tried to plead his case, but Jericho didn’t want to hear his side of the story. Instead, Y2J told his former best friend to turn around as Reigns nailed him with a Spear. Raw went off the air with Reigns holding the United States and Universal Championship belts as he stood over Owens.

·        The bromance between Owens and Jericho is still on shaky ground. Will they hug it out before Christmas or is their friendship doomed for good?

·        Rollins has a chance to beat Jericho in order to get his hands on Owens which will lead to an eventual showdown with Triple H. Can Rollins overcome his own Roadblock by getting from Point A to Point B to Point C?

·        Reigns is in title contention once again. However, it appears that he’s nothing more than a placeholder for the Owens’ true challenger heading into WrestleMania season. Their Universal Championship title match should be very good, but don’t expect to see a title change on Sunday.

·        The New Day made history and will presumably drop the Tag Team Titles to Cesaro and Sheamus in the very near future. Perhaps WWE will give them the weekend off to celebrate their historic feat. After competing in two grueling Triple Threat Matches, they deserve a break. Plus, they need to have a blowout celebration before dropping the belts. I think a unicorn piñata being smashed by the trio is in order. It would be festive and poignant.

·        Overall, I thought tonight’s episode of Raw was decent at best. The show was bookended by two Triple Threat Matches for the Raw Tag Team Championship. Both bouts were very good which gave the Tag Titles some much-needed shine. It was a history-making night for The New Day and I’m glad WWE drove that message home throughout the broadcast.

·        The rest of the in-ring action was middling at best. There didn’t seem to be a lot of heat behind the matches which dragged the show down at times.

·        WWE did an okay job hyping the Roadblock PPV, but the company didn’t portray it as a must-see event outside of the 30-Minute Iron Match between Sasha Banks and Charlotte for the Raw Women’s Championship. It will be interesting to see if Sasha can successfully defend her title on PPV. Will Ric Flair play a role in the outcome after what happened last week despite WWE not making a big fuss about it on tonight’s show? We shall see how it all plays out.

·        Roadblock might be a sleeper show that gets good word of mouth during the course of next week. Considering that this is the final major PPV of the year, that’s not a good sign in terms of excitement and anticipation. Here’s hoping that WWE has a game plan to end 2016 on a much higher note. Fingers crossed!

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