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: The Roman Reigns is Public Enemy #1 Edition (4-3-2017)

By: Keila Cash

Hello everyone and welcome to another installment of The Raw Exposé. Tonight’s episode of Monday Night Raw emanated from the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. It’s the night after WrestleMania which means only one thing: It’s the craziest show of the year when it comes surprise returns and/or debuts along with the unpredictable crowd being the star of the broadcast.

Mania was filled with twists and turns with the biggest shock coming at the end when The Undertaker seemingly retired from WWE after losing to Roman Reigns during the main event. He symbolically left his coat, gloves, and hat in the ring as he kissed his wife before disappearing underneath the stadium. It’s safe to assume that Roman Reigns is public enemy number one with the fans wanting his head on a silver platter.

Meanwhile, The Hardy Boyz continued their Expedition of Gold when they won the Raw Tag Team Championship in a Fatal Four Way Ladder Match. It was quite the moment that popped the crowd something fierce.

Brock Lesnar was crowned King of the Universe when he defeated Goldberg to win the Universal Championship. It was a smash mouth fight that was fun to watch, but the outcome was never in doubt as The Beast walked away with the Big Red Kryptonite Belt. With these storylines in play, how did the raucous international crowd respond to the Mania fallout? 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.

·       Raw got off to an insane start when the crowd showered Roman Reigns with monstrous boos and expletives that were too colorful to repeat here. The crowd roasted, toasted, and flambéed Reigns for a good five to six minutes until he finally got on the mic and proclaimed that the ring was his yard before heading to the back.

·       The fans were super pissed about Reigns retiring The Undertaker last night at WrestleMania and they vented in epic fashion. It should be interesting to see how the New Big Dog is received in cities outside of the Mania bubble.

·       The Hardy Boyz retained the Raw Tag Team Championship when Jeff Hardy took out Luke Gallows with the Swanton Bomb which allowed Matt Hardy to score the pin. The match was pretty good with the exception of Jeff’s execution of the Twist of Fate on Gallows. It was a little sloppy, but Matt made it look better on the second attempt which set up the finish. The action was solid and the fans were hot as they chanted “Delete!” “Obsolete!”, and “F*** That Owl!” for atmospheric effect.

·       Neville and Mustafa Ali had a very good match, but it was marred by the crowd playing an impromptu game of volleyball with a pair of beach balls. If you cancel out the extra noise, Ali had an impressive showing as he dropped Neville with a beautiful Springboard Spanish Fly from the top rope. Ali tried to finish Neville off with the Inverted 450 Splash, but Neville moved out of the way.

·       The King of the Cruiserweights climbed to the rope and was about to hit Ali with the Red Arrow, but decided to lock him in the Rings of Saturn for the submission win instead. The crowd popped for the big spots towards the end, but they were too busy entertaining themselves instead of paying attention to the action taking place in the ring. Sadly, that is one of the drawbacks to the night after WrestleMania.

·       Vince McMahon announced that there would be some kind of Superstar Shakeup next week. McMahon didn’t outright say that a draft was taking place, but we shall see how this news develops throughout the week.

·       In the meantime, Vince had to name a new General Manager since Mick Foley was fired and Stephanie McMahon is out of action due to Triple H accidently putting her through a table last night. Teddy Long came out and assumed he was the man for the job, but Vince quickly shut him down. 2017 WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle was named the new Raw GM as the fans erupted in “You Suck!” chants in the most endearing way possible.

·       Angle cut a quick promo about being glad to be back on Raw as the segment came to an end. Angle’s name popped up as Foley’s replacement dating back to his HOF announcement a few months ago. He has the right personality for the job and it should be interesting to see him interact with Stephane because they had a mutual attraction for each other during the height of the McMahon-Helmsley Era.

·       The Revival just made their debut on Raw. They are the perfect team to shake up the tag team division along with the Hardy Boyz. However, their talents might have been better utilized on SmackDown Live because that division also needs some much-needed TLC.

·       The Revival defeated The New Day when Dash and Dawson nailed Xavier Woods with the Shatter Machine for the win. It was a solid match that showcased The Revival’s prowess as a tag team.

·       Things took a heelish turn when Dash and Dawson attacked Kofi Kingston after the match was over. They double-teamed Kingston and took out his knee as the crowd booed them out of the building. This was a nice way to establish The Revival as heels who shouldn’t be cheered under any circumstances. Their debut was a success despite my mixed feelings about them being better off on SD Live.

·       Kurt Angle, Enzo Amore, and Big Cass had an entertaining backstage segment that featured several laugh-out-loud moments. Angle had a great line about not knowing where Enzo got his certification as a G from while Enzo asked a great life question about why Goofy was treated like a human while Pluto acted like a dog. That is quite the conundrum.

·       Enzo and Cass pleaded their case about wanting a shot at the Raw Tag Team Titles and Angle responded by booking them in a number one contenders match against Sheamus and Cesaro. Cass spelled out the word SAWFT and Angle mused that the spelling was incorrect as the crowd laughed in the background. This was classic Angle in the best possible way. His sense of humor is always on point.

·       After 30 weeks of hype videos, Emma is finally back! It’s about damn time.

·       Bayley, Dana Brooke, and Sasha Banks defeated Emma, Nia Jax, and Charlotte when Banks made Charlotte tap out to the Bank Statement. It was a solid match that illustrated the vicious streak of Emma when she yanked Bayley’s ponytail while The Raw Women’s Champion hung upside down in the corner. The match broke down into a parade of moves leading up to the finish.

·       Charlotte took out her frustration on Emma and Nia Jax after the match was over. Jax shoved Charlotte in the corner and nailed her with a big boot while Emma got out of dodge.

·       Jax dropped Charlotte with a vicious elbow to send the message that she wasn’t the woman to mess with.

·       Paul Heyman kicked off the third hour of Raw by telling a bedtime story about Goldberg being a hero in his village only for him to take a detour in Suplex City where he got his ass kicked by Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania. Lesnar is the new Universal Champion and Heyman promised that Bill Goldberg would never show his face in a WWE ring again.

·       Heyman switched his attention to Lesnar’s possible new challengers for the Universal Title. Heyman name dropped Seth Rollins and The Hardy Boyz before setting his sights on Roman Reigns as the fans booed at the mere sound of Reigns’ name.

·       Since Lesnar and Reigns are the 2 in 23-2, it’s only fair that they duke it out to determine who the Top Dog really is. Realizing where the segment was going, the fans started up a “We Want Balor” chant. Heyman didn’t acknowledge it and continued his promo. He was about to make a major announcement when Braun Strowman made his way to the ring.

·       Strowman told Lesnar that once he took care of Reigns, he would have his attention. He gave Lesnar a light shove before telling The Beast that they would throw hands on his terms as he left the ring.

·       This is was a good segment, but the crowd was not very receptive towards another Lesnar-Reigns feud. It’s a hardcore post-Mania crowd that knew Finn Balor never lost the Universal Championship outright. Therefore, he should be first in line for a title shot. With WWE sidestepping the issue, it makes for a very awkward situation. 

·       Strowman facing off against Reigns is getting a bit tiresome because Reigns beat him decisively at Fastlane last month. Unless Strowman picks up a quality win soon, his monster push will become mute. Strowman vs. Lesnar is an intriguing matchup, but it will mean nothing if Strowman continues to rack up losses.

·       Chris Jericho cut a great backstage promo as he acknowledged the Beach Ball Mania chants from earlier tonight. He topped things off by putting the tip of Kevin Owens’ finger on the LIST.

·       The fun and games quickly came to an end when Owens attacked Jericho and power bombed him through a table thanks to an assist from Samoa Joe.

·       Angle informed Rollins that Jericho was in no condition to compete, but vowed to find a partner for Rollins. Something tells me that a certain Demon King is going to make a surprise appearance. Just a hunch...

·       Sheamus and Cesaro defeated Enzo and Big Cass to become the number one contender for the Raw Tag Team Titles. The match was decent, but it was rough in spots. The crowd added some levity by serenading Sheamus and Cesaro. It was cute and endearing, but it could’ve gotten ugly if Enzo and Cass picked up the win.

·       They were about to do just that when Sheamus nailed Cass with a Brogue Kick. This allowed Cesaro to nail Enzo with a flying European Uppercut for the win.

·       Sheamus and Cesaro vs. The Hardy Boyz should be very good and the mere thought of Cesaro and Jeff Hardy being in the same ring together is the icing on the cake.

·       Jinder Mahal got the early jump on Sami Zayn, but it wasn’t enough to keep Zayn down as he nailed Mahal with the Helluva Kick for the win. The match was serviceable while it lasted.

·       It’s good to see you again, Finn.

·       Seth Rollins and Finn Bálor defeated Kevin Owens and Samoa Joe when Bálor pinned Owens with the Coup de Grace. The match was good, but it hit a lull when Rollins played the babyface in peril midway through the match. The crowd decided to do The Wave until Rollins made the hot tag to Bálor.

·       The action picked up from there with the finishing sequence coming off strong when Bálor tried to dropkick Owens in the corner only for Joe to catch Bálor in mid-charge. He locked Bálor in the Coquina Clutch, but Rollins made the save when he nailed Joe with a flying knee from the top rope.

·       This allowed Bálor to take out Owens with the running dropkick in the corner which led to the finish.

·       This was a nice comeback match for Bálor as he looked sharp and fought with an extra tinge of intensity throughout.

·       Balor not being in the Universal Championship picture is odd and I hope the big red elephant in the room is addressed sooner rather than later. Owens has a claim to the title as well which should create an interesting dynamic in the weeks and months to come.

·       Overall, I thought tonight’s episode of Raw was solid. The show had its share of surprises with Kurt Angle being named the new Raw General Manager along with Emma making her long-awaited return, The Revival putting the tag team division on notice, and Finn Balor’s homecoming during the main event.

·       As always, the broadcast hit a lull during the third hour with the fans starting to get a bit restless with the exception of Cesaro and Sheamus getting serenaded by the crowd during their tag team match. It’s remarkable that The Celtic Warrior went from being on the fast track towards nowhere this time last year to being a beloved babyface due to his partnership with Cesaro. It’ quite the career resurrection.

·       The rest of the show was fine with the crowd being vocal in key spots. Some of their chants had merit, but the beach ball fiasco was the lowlight of the show because it diluted a competitive cruiserweight match between Neville and Mustafa Ali.

·       The Superstar Shakeup appears to be a take on the NFL Free Agency Period. There will probably be some trades involved to strengthen both rosters heading into the spring and summer months. The Raw roster is bloated and they need to unload some talent to SmackDown. SmackDown can’t afford to part with too many stars, but we shall see who debuts on the blue brand tomorrow night as the fallout from WrestleMania continues. With another PPV looming on the horizon for the red brand, it’s time to unload some of the excess baggage and become a more efficient show from a creative standpoint. We shall see how it all plays out next week.

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: Magna Carta Holy Grail - In Search of The Big Red Kryptonite Belt (A Brock Lesnar Story)

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. Philly would serve as the backdrop for the final episode of Raw before WrestleMania. It’s the calm before the storm. It’s the next to last exit before hitting the I4 towards Orlando. This long winding road leading up to the biggest show of the year is almost over.

It’s been a so-so build on television, but nothing beats the excitement of WM Week. It’s a celebration of all things professional wrestling leading up to the Granddaddy of them all. Was the WWE Hype Machine in full effect or did it suffer a major breakdown instead? The answer to that pressing question can be found throughout out this blog. Without further ado, let’s dissect tonight’s episode of Raw in no particular order.  

·        The opening segment featuring Bayley, Charlotte, Sasha Banks, and Nia Jax was fine, but the dialogue was rough in spots. Charlotte made the most sense by saying that Sasha was using Bayley in order to worm her way back in the Raw Women’s Championship picture. Sasha downplayed Charlotte’s claim by saying that there would be a time when business came before friendship and vowed to win the Women’s Title at WrestleMania.

·        Nia Jax made her way to the ring and chided the other ladies for acting like a bunch of high schoolers trading the belt back and forth like a game of hot potato. Things broke down into a brawl as Michael Cole tossed to commercial break.

·        It should be noted that the Women’s Title bout has been changed to a Fatal Four Way Elimination match. This will allow the action to flow more smoothly which should make the ending a bit more unpredictable. The division has been cold as of late, but the women are talented enough to pull off a good match at WrestleMania if they are given the time to do so. Bayley winning the championship at WM would have served as the perfect coronation, but WWE decided to pull the trigger on free television instead. It’s too late to put the genie back in the bottle and wish for a better result. That only happens in fairy tales produced by Disney. 

·        Bayley and Sasha Banks defeated Charlotte and Nia Jax when Bayley dropped Charlotte with the Bayley-to-Belly. The match was solid as Bayley ended her losing skid heading into Mania. The fans were into the action as well which helped repair some of the damage from the so-so opening segment which caused them to break out in an annoying CM Punk chant.

·        Bayley and Sasha Banks’ celebration was cut short when Nia Jax attacked them from behind. Jax laid out both ladies with the Samoan Drop before wiping out Charlotte with a running body avalanche. Jax picked up the Women’s Title belt as the crowd showered her with boos. This was an effective way to get heat on Jax heading into the Fatal Four Way Elimination match.

·        Sami Zayn will not only be fighting for a spot in the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WM, but his career is also on the line when he faces Kevin Owens in a No Disqualification match per the order of Stephanie McMahon. The bastardization of their “Last Match Ever” decree continues, but the match should be great nonetheless. Since the bout is No DQ, expect Owens’ former best friend to make a cameo appearance. *wink, wink*

·        Austin Aries made Noam Dar tap out the Last Chancery after nailing Dar with a wicked Discus Five Arm. This was a nice maintenance win for Aries heading into his Cruiserweight Championship match against Neville at WrestleMania.

·        Seth Rollins signed the Hold Harmless agreement which cleared WWE of all liability in the event Triple H seriously injured Rollins during their Non-Sanctioned Match at WrestleMania.

·        The promo work from HHH and Rollins was good, but the segment didn’t have a lot of heat to it. Hunter talked about how Rollins shouldn’t be ashamed about wanting to live the good life by trying to appease his haters. Rollins countered by saying that his biggest regret was joining Triple H three years ago. He sold a piece of his soul in order to get ahead and it worked for a while. However, Rollins lost his self-respect along the way and decided that he needed to find redemption in order to make things right.

·        After Rollins signed his named on the dotted line, Triple H kicked the table against Rollins’ bad knee.

·        Rollins countered with an enzuigiri and was about to nail The Game with a Pedigree, but Hunter went after the injured knee again.

·        HHH was about to drop Rollins with his finisher, but Rollins moved out of the way and tossed Triple H out of the ring.

·        The Game got back in the ring only for Rollins to whack him with the crutch as Hunter rolled out of the ring to fight another day.

·        I’m glad that Rollins finally grew a conscience, but it’s too late to right all his wrongs six days before WrestleMania. His contrition should’ve taken place seven months ago, but he decided to whine to Stephanie McMahon when he didn’t get his way. Rollins’ de facto babyface run has been lackluster which explains why his feud with Triple H is not tearing down the house from a heat standpoint. Their match at Mania should be very good, but I don’t know if the crowd is going to be invested from an emotional standpoint.

·        The Big Show participated in an over the top rope challenge featuring Jinder Mahal, Bo Dallas, and The Shining Stars. Big Show tossed them over the top rope with ease, but he was ambushed by The Golden Truth and Curtis Axel which allowed the eliminated wrestlers to return the favor by tossing him over the top rope.

·        Big Show delivered choke slams and knockout punches to everyone except for The Golden Truth because they got the hell out of dodge.

·        Braun Strowman came out and threatened to kick Big Show’s ass, but decided to wait until WrestleMania as the perplexing segment came to an end.

·        I think Big Show won the match, but the bell never rang. If this was WWE’s way to kill some time, mission accomplished! In all seriousness, this was a sleepy way to hype the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal. Outside of Big Show and Strowman, the wrestlers representing Raw are perceived as a bunch of chumps who have no chance at winning the big gold trophy.

·        Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson attacked Sheamus and Cesaro backstage as they sent a clear message that they were ready for their Triple Threat Match for the Raw Tag Team Championship at WrestleMania. The beat down was pretty vicious which plays into Gallows and Anderson’s wheelhouse. If they were booked liked legit badasses on a consistent basis, these ambush attacks would mean so much more in the grand scheme of things.

·        Neville and Jack Gallagher had a solid match as Neville took care of Gentleman Jack with a beautiful superplex from the top rope followed by the Rings of Saturn for the win via submission. Gallagher had a nice moment when he took flight with his umbrella and laid out Neville with a senton. However, the outcome of the match was pretty academic as The King of Cruiserweights took care of business heading into his Cruiserweight Title match against Austin Aries at WM.

·        Roman Reigns talked a big game, but The Undertaker has already dug the plot for his soul heading into their match at WrestleMania. Reigns sounded more heelish than usual by saying he didn’t give a damn about Brock Lesnar, Goldberg, John Cena, and Undertaker’s claim that they were the true Alpha Male in WWE. The ring was his yard and everybody inside the Wells Fargo Arena were in his house.

·        Taker shut down Reigns by telling him that he would Rest in Peace as he magically summoned the sound of thunder before dimming the lights.

·        The segment was short and sweet and didn’t overstay its welcome because Reigns and Taker are not known for being the greatest talkers in the world. Keeping things nice and simple was the way to go in this instance.

·        Big Cass’ Allen Iverson impersonation was pretty good.

·        Enzo Amore and Big Cass vs. Anderson and Gallows never got underway because Cesaro and Sheamus attacked the Tag Team Champs from behind with a ladder. However, Gallows and Anderson was the last tea, left standing as they knocked Enzo off the top rope with a ladder. This was a nice way to get out of the match without either team eating a pin 6 days before Mania.

·        The video package hyping Triple H vs. Seth Rollins did more to make me care about their match than their promo exchange from earlier tonight. That’s saying something…

·        Sami Zayn not only saved his career, but he’s going to WrestleMania as he defeated Kevin Owens via a roll-up thanks to an assist from Chris Jericho. Zayn and Owens had a nice match that survived the 10:30 Lull Period of Death as they put on a show for the Philly crowd. The action was hard-hitting throughout as the fans chanted “We Want Tables” down the stretch.

·        Things got interesting when Samoa Joe made his way to the ring. However, Jericho saved the day when he attacked Joe from behind with a steel chair. KO knocked Y2J off the ring apron, but the distraction allowed Zayn to pick up the win.

·        Owens tried to attack Zayn after the match was over, but Jericho made the save by hitting Owens in the back with a steel chair. He shooed his former best friend out of the ring and put him on The List of Jericho heading into their match at WrestleMania. This was a great way to promote Jericho vs. Owens while Joe is on the outside looking in heading into the biggest show of the year. One would think The Destroyer would have a high profile match at Mania, but it looks like he will be Triple’s H heavy instead.

·        Paul Heyman did a masterful job hyping the Universal Championship match featuring Brock Lesnar vs. Goldberg at WrestleMania. Heyman respected Goldberg for being a real-life superhero and legit badass, but he was about to take a trip to Suplex City where he checks in as Champ, but he won’t check out as Champ. WrestleMania 33 would mark the death of a Superhero and the beginning of a new era with Lesnar as the new Universal Champion.

·        Goldberg made his way to the main stage and decided to bring some Mania flavor to Philly by running down the ramp and spearing Lesnar onto the floor. Heyman was in absolute shock as Raw went off the air with Goldberg standing tall while his client was licking his wounds from the main stage.

·        This was a great way to end the show. Heyman was awesome on the mic. Goldberg kept things short and sweet by giving fans a taste of what they can expect at WrestleMania when he nailed Lesnar with a wicked spear.

·        Lesnar vs. Goldberg has to last longer than 1:26. If they are going on last, it needs to be an epic battle that grabs the fans’ attention. If this is Goldberg’s last hurrah, he needs to go out in a blaze of glory. A 10-12 minute match would do the trick, but his stamina might hamper things. If he can surpass the five-minute benchmark, everything else should be gravy.

·        It will be interesting to see if Lesnar is going to work extra stiff during the match. The Beast is known for getting a little rough in the ring and I don’t know if Goldberg can withstand the punishment. In any event, the match should be a spectacle with a raucous crowd cheering on Lesnar for the most part. Here’s hoping the match exceeds expectations. Fingers crossed!

·        Overall, I thought tonight’s episode of Monday Night Raw was decent. The in-ring action was a bit better this week, but I thought WWE did a nice job bookending the top of each hour with a money segment hyping the key matches at WrestleMania. The results were mixed, but I thought the Roman Reigns-Undertaker and Brock Lesnar-Goldberg segments did the best job in terms of making WrestleMania feel like a must-see event.

·        The Women’s segment that kicked off the show was okay, but the division has been hampered by the hot potato booking of the Raw Women’s Championship as of late. Bayley is less over since winning the title in Las Vegas last month and the haphazard booking of her character hasn’t helped matters either. Patience is a virtue and I wished the company showed more restraint by letting Charlotte’s PPV winning streak end at WM. It’s too late to re-write history, but the Fatal Four Way Elimination Match featuring Bayley, Charlotte, Sasha Banks, and Nia Jax should be good despite the lack of heat heading into the title bout.

·        Triple H and Seth Rollins are in the same boat as their feud has fallen below expectations. This is a match that has been built up for well over a year, but it doesn’t feel like an epic encounter because Rollins’ character has taken a hit in the credibility department in recent months. He came off as a spoiled brat who didn’t get his way until he had an epiphany from the clear blue sky that he was a total jackass during his unholy alliance with Triple H.

·        If Rollins was presented as a likable babyface sooner, he would be more over with the crowd. Sadly, he is playing behind the eight ball heading into his Non-Sanctioned match against HHH at Mania. Let’s hope Rollins has a virtuoso performance without seriously hurting himself.

·        Everything else on the WM card was given some shine, but it will be interesting to see how many of the matches end up on the Kickoff Show. Neville vs. Austin Aries for the Cruiserweight Championship has been bumped to the pre-show. It wouldn’t be surprising to see three more matches suffer the same fate once everything is timed out. We shall see how it all plays out over the next few days.

·        The Road to WrestleMania is almost over. The journey has been bumpy at times, but the final destination should offer some interesting surprises come Sunday. SmackDown Live will put the final exclamation point on things during their go-home show tomorrow night. Let’s hope the blue brand takes care of business heading into the biggest show of the year.

On that note, this wraps up 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!