The Raw Exposé: Braun Strowman Knows Why The Steel Cage Stings (9-4-2017)

By: Keila Cash

Hello everyone and welcome to The Labor Day edition of The Raw Exposé. Tonight’s episode of Monday Night Raw emanated from the CenturyLink Center in Omaha, Nebraska. After John Cena ethered Roman Reigns on the mic last week, did Cena have another scorcher up his sleeve or did Reigns attend The Usos School of Promos in order to drop a cipher that would leave the wrestling world speechless? The answer to that question can be found throughout this blog. Without further ado, let’s dissect tonight’s show in no particular order.

·        John Cena defeated Jason Jordan with an AA in a very good match that kicked off Raw on a positive note. The announcers did a nice job drawing the parallels of Cena challenging Kurt Angle to a match on SmackDown 15 years ago with Jordan doing the same thing in order to make a name for himself in WWE.

·        The match started off with Jordan grounding Cena with some mat-based amateur wrestling, but the seasoned vet eventually picked up the pace after the commercial break.

·        The highlight of the match was Jordan delivering a pair of beautiful Northern Lights Suplexes to Cena. It was an amazing feat of strength that popped the crowd something fierce.

·        However, it wasn’t enough to put away Cena as he recovered to hit his finisher moments later. Cena pulled Jordan to his feet and praised him for a job well done before celebrating with the live crowd.

·        After the match was over, Reigns made his way to the ring to confront Cena which carried over into the next commercial break.

·        Reigns asked Cena why it took him 20 minutes to beat a rookie. Was it because Cena missed a step or did he simply string Jordan along until crushing his hopes and dreams like a fake ass bitch?

·        Cena told Reigns not to overwork his brain because it has a short attention span based on last week’s promo fail. Cena told him that all of his questions would be answered at No Mercy when he chops his ass down to size.

·        Cena didn’t respect Reigns because he never scratched and clawed his to the top. He was too arrogant to see that the fans didn’t believe he was the Big Dog running the yard in WWE.

·        Reigns challenged Cena to beat his ass on the spot. When Cena refused, Reigns re-affirmed his position that Cena was all-talk which is the reason he doesn’t respect him. Reigns dropped the mic and headed backstage as Cena smirked in the ring.

·        This was another strong promo exchange between Cena and Reigns. Reigns had to fight off the “What?” chants early on, but he did a nice job improvising when Cena called attention to his fly being open. He made a sly joke about his well-endowed package only for Cena to say that he didn’t have any balls. Reigns still has a ways to go when it comes to throwing shade on the spot, but he tried his best to hang with Cena which is an improvement from his brain freeze from last week.

·        Cesaro and Sheamus defeated Heath Slater and Rhyno when Sheamus nailed Rhyno with the Brogue Kick for the win. This was a nice maintenance win heading into their Raw Tag Team Championship match against Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose at No Mercy in a few weeks.

·        The Miz retained the Intercontinental Championship when he defeated Jeff Hardy with the Skull Crushing Finale in a good match. Things started off a bit slow, but the action picked up after the commercial break. Matt Hardy and The Miztourage was ejected from ringside midway through the match, but Maryse was more than willing to pick up the slack on her husband’s behalf.

·        Jeff went to the top rope to hit the Swanton Bomb, but Maryse squeezed Miz’s head which allowed him to roll out of the way at the last minute.

·        Miz went for his finisher, but Jeff countered in an attempt to hit the Twist of Fate. Miz countered the counter and hit the SCF for the win.

·        Miz and Jeff Hardy worked well together and I liked how Miz sidestepped Jeff’s signature spots throughout the match. It added an element of in-ring psychology which is refreshing to see in this day and age. This was a nice sampler of what both men can do if they are given a bigger stage to show up and show out.

·        I will say Enzo Amore giving the wrestlers of 205 Live cute nicknames is a smart way to make them more memorable to the audience. Cedric The Entertainer Alexander The Great is quite prestigious and verbose at the same time.

·        Gran Metalik, Cedric Alexander, and Enzo Amore defeated Tony Nese, Drew Gulak, and Noam Dar when Enzo pinned Gulak with Eat Defeat in a solid match. Enzo is blatant when it comes to taking short cuts in order gain the upper hand. From making blind tags to thumbing Gulak in the eye in order to score the victory, Enzo’s work smarter, not harder mantra is coming up roses at the moment. It makes him come off as a snob, but the fans still eat up his shtick. Plus, the crowd reaction during Cruiserweight matches has improved since his debut a couple of weeks ago. We shall see if it sticks long-term. At least the purple brand is getting some much-needed attention for a change.

·        Bray Wyatt and Finn Bálor talked about demons, arrows, heroes, and rabbits. My reaction: Zzzzzzzzz…… I am over this feud. It needs to die at No Mercy. End of discussion.

·        Nia Jax and Emma defeated Alexa Bliss and Sasha Banks when Emma pinned Banks after Jax laid her out with a Running Leg Drop. The Raw Women’s Championship match is now a Fatal Four Way with Bliss defending her title against Banks, Jax, and Emma.

·        Jax laid out Emma with a Samoan Drop after the match was over to prove that she was the one to beat at No Mercy. The tag match was fine, but it lacked crowd heat until Bliss and Jax went toe-to-toe down the stretch.

·        Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose defeated Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows when Rollins rolled up Anderson for the win. Sheamus and Cesaro tried to provide the distraction, but their plan backfired. The match was fine, but Anderson and Gallows have been watered down to the point that I no longer care about them on an emotional level. Bullshit booking strikes again…

·        The Omaha crowd was more receptive towards the duo when they went after Sheamus and Cesaro for costing them the match. The beat down was short-lived as Sheamus nailed Anderson with a Brogue Kick while Cesaro provided the assist by helping his partner clothesline Gallows out of the ring. It was a bad night at the office for the Good Brothers.

·        Braun Strowman defeated The Big Show with a Running Powerslam in a very good Steel Cage Match. Once again, Strowman and Big Show delivered the goods in the main event spot. The action never dragged as the crowd was hooked from start to finish.

·        Big Show delivered an insane elbow drop from the top rope that elicited a “Holy Shit!” chant from the crowd. Strowman countered with a Superplex from the middle rope, but the crowd’s thirst for mayhem and destruction wasn’t quenched because the ring didn’t break due to double reinforcement. Therefore, the end of the match lacked sizzle when Strowman pinned Big Show with his finisher.

·        The delayed gratification took place after the match when Strowman grabbed the mic and told Brock Lesnar that he was looking at his future come No Mercy. Strowman was about to leave the cage when he changed his mind at the last minute. He grabbed Big Show and power slammed him through the steel cage as the crowd roared with the excitement as Raw went off the air with Braun Strowman posing triumphantly on the main stage.  

·        This was a hot way to end the show. Strowman built momentum heading into his Universal Championship match against Brock Lesnar at No Mercy while Big Show proved that he still has a lot left in the tank. Those “Please Retire” chants directed at the World’s Largest Athlete are a distant memory which is refreshing to see in 2017.

·        When he’s given something meaningful to do, Big Show goes above and beyond in order to make his opponent shine. He helped turn Strowman into a bad ass monster who should be feared, yet respected at the same time. Roman Reigns might be Strowman’s biggest rival, but Big Show laid the foundation towards making that happen by helping Strowman become a better performer in the ring. Kudos to the former strip mall entrepreneur for a job well done.

·        Overall, I thought tonight’s episode of Raw was decent at best. The show started off hot, but the 10:00 Lull Period of Death set in until the main event. However, the in-ring action ranged from solid to very good which prevented the show from hitting a brick wall.

·        The Omaha crowd was hot, but their excitement tapered off as the show went on. Fortunately, they were alive for the main event which enhanced the steel cage match between Braun Strowman and Big Show.

·        Brock Lesnar’s reaction to Strowman calling him out should be interesting to watch next week. I don’t think a trip to Suplex City is going to stop the Monster Among Men from snatching the Big Red Kryptonite Belt. Their next encounter will be must-see, to say the least.

·        The rest of the No Mercy card is shaping up nicely. It appears that WWE is not playing around when it comes to having their ducks in a row heading into the NFL regular season. Can they keep it up through the end of the year? We shall find out soon enough. In any event, would behoove the E to step up their game to ensure that ratings don’t fall off a cliff as we enter the fall television season.

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

The Raw Exposé: Welcome to Monster Mash Monday Starring Braun Strowman & The Big Show (4-17-2017)

By: Keila Cash

Hello everyone and welcome to another installment of The Raw Exposé. Tonight’s episode of Monday Night Raw emanated from the Schottenstein Center in Columbus, Ohio. The Raw and SmackDown Live rosters were infused with fresh blood after the Superstar Shakeup last week. With the tables reset heading into the spring and summer months, did Raw’s first full week with a revamped roster pay dividends or did they experience a case of buyer’s remorse?

Elsewhere, Braun Strowman destroyed Roman Reigns in epic fashion last week. Did Reigns channel his inner John Cena by making a miraculous recovery or did the new Big Dog lick his wounds as Strowman continues his path of destruction? 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.

·         Braun Strowman kicked off Raw by gloating about how he put Roman Reigns out of commission after his classic backstage beatdown last week.

·         Kurt Angle burst Strowman’s bubble when he announced that Reigns would be well enough to face Strowman at Payback in two weeks. Strowman vowed that it would be Reigns’ funeral and demanded that Angle give him competition or else. Angle didn’t give him a clear answer which caused Strowman to storm backstage as the opening segment came to an end.

·         This was a good way to start the show. Strowman was smug and gleeful during his promo, but the crowd reaction was mixed. Logically, he should be booed out of the building but Reigns is a lightning rod when it comes to getting de facto heel heat. It’s refreshing that an actual heel gets booed for being an evil and irredeemable human being for a change.

·         I love Chris Jericho’ Lite Brite scarf. It’s so fetching.

·         Samoa Joe defeated Chris Jericho when he made Jericho tap out to the Coquina Clutch in a solid match. Jericho had a few hope spots, but the outcome was never in doubt because Joe wasn’t going to lose his first match on a random episode of Raw.

·         It won’t be business as usual when Samoa Joe faces Seth Rollins at Payback in two weeks. Joe reminded Rollins of his debut the night after the Royal Rumble. He wanted Rollins to remember his ligaments tearing apart in his knee. That was business, but things would get very personal at the PPV because Rollins defeated Triple H at WrestleMania and put Stephanie McMahon through a table as an added bonus.

·         Rollins told Joe that payback’s a bitch as the segment came to a short and sweet end.

·         I guess Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows vs. The Golden Truth is canceled as Strowman attacked Goldust and R-Truth backstage. Braun Smash! Braun Crush!

·         Big Cass’ Ohio State Buckeyes shout out didn’t go over too well with the Columbus crowd. Tough room. In all honesty, the joke was pretty lame.

·         Anderson and Gallows defeated Enzo Amore and Big Cass when Anderson pinned Enzo after dropping him knee first into the top turnbuckle. The finish was a little ugly as it appeared that the referee didn’t complete the three count. Enzo’s shoulders came up, but I never heard the ref’s hand hit the mat. Perhaps there was some kind of miscommunication, but the fans were not ready for the finish based on the tepid reaction after the match was over.

·         The match was fine, but Enzo playing the babyface in peril was tiresome in spots. Big Cass took control down the stretch and had the match won until the fluky finish. This was a case where both teams gained nothing by facing each other which is a shame considering the talent involved.

·         The Miz and Dean Ambrose’s feud from earlier this year has been re-ignited thanks to an explosive episode of Miz TV.  Miz talked about how he looked and acted like a WWE Superstar while Ambrose wore cheap clothes which afforded him multiple opportunities on SmackDown Live last year.

·         However, Ambrose was a blimp on this year’s WrestleMania card while Miz and Maryse were front and center. Miz called Ambrose lazy and complacent which has prevented him from breaking the glass ceiling in WWE.

·         Ambrose had a great rebuttal as he explained that his outward appearance didn’t matter because his heart said it all. His love for professional wrestling had no limits. He was willing to shed his blood, sweat, and tears in front of 20 or 100,000 people. After all, Ambrose defeated The Miz to win the Intercontinental Championship to kick off the year in style.

·         Maryse got in Ambrose’s face and called him a street rat. Aladdin reference for the win! She talked about how the man makes the championship and called Ambrose a boy which added insult to injury.

·         Ambrose told Maryse to hold his mic as he removed several items from his leather jacket before folding it up neatly. Miz went on a tirade about how Ambrose made the IC Title a joke while Ambrose chucked the jacket at Maryse before attacking Miz.

·         Maryse hit Ambrose from behind with the microphone which allowed Miz to set up the Skull Crushing Finale. Ambrose wiggled out of the move and was about to drop Miz with Dirty Deeds, but The Hollywood A-Lister made a quick escape as he and Maryse scurried up the ramp.

·         I am not a big fan of WWE revisiting this feud, but the mid-card scene is pretty light on star power. Until that situation is sorted out, Ambrose vs. Miz for the IC title is a fine placeholder. For now…

·         Kalisto first week on Raw resulted in him being tossed in a dumpster by Strowman. Sad times…

·         The Big Show body checked Strowman as he shoved him into the garage door backstage. Big Show vs. Strowman II is set for later tonight. Their first match was a pleasant surprise. Let’s hope lightning strikes twice.

·         TJ Perkins defeated Jack Gallagher with the Detonation Kick thanks to an assist from Neville. The first half of the match was good as it featured fluid action throughout. However, the heat cooled off considerably after the commercial break as the crowd reaction was lukewarm at best.

·         Jack Gallagher pulling a Mary Poppins liven things up as he laid out Perkins with a Thesz Press while falling gracefully to the floor with his umbrella.

·         However, things took quite the turn when TJP tossed Gallagher into Austin Aries while he was watching the match from ringside. Aries got up to confront TJP, but Neville yanked Aries off the ring apron which led to the aforementioned finish.

·         This was a nice way to forward the Neville-Aries feud while also giving TJP a chance to shine as a heel who is not above taking a short cut in order to pick up wins.

·         Alexa Bliss became the number one contender for the Raw Women’s Championship when she capitalized on Nia Jax’s handiwork by pinning Sasha Banks after Jax laid her out with a Samoan Drop. Bliss kicked Jax out of the ring and picked up the tainted, but completely legal win.

·         The Fatal Four Way match featuring Alexa Bliss, Sasha Banks, Mickie James, and Nia Jax was good. It featured solid action throughout and I loved the interaction between James and Banks. Bliss was the ultimate opportunist as she knew what battles to fight and which ones to run away from.

·         Jax’s power offense was impressive and relatively safe for a change. Jax needs more seasoning in the ring and WWE’s unique approach of having her learn on the job is exposing her weaknesses instead of accentuating her strengths as a badass who needs to do very little in order to get over. It worked for Strowman. Let’s hope the Powers That Be realizes that when it comes to the presentation of Jax in the future.

·         In any event, Bliss will be a nice foil for Bayley heading into Payback while the slow burn heel turn of Sasha Banks continues.

·         Finn Bálor made quick work of Curt Hawkins when he pinned Hawkins with the Coup De Grace. I’m glad that Bálor’s concussion scare wasn’t serious as he was back in the ring this week. If Bálor defeated Jinder Mahal in 30 seconds or less last week, that whole forearm to the head thing could’ve been avoided.

·         On a lighter note, Hawkins is aware that his sole purpose on Raw is to elevate people to the main event. Smart man.

·         Quick Synopsis of Bray Wyatt’s sermon to Randy Orton: There will be hell, fire, and brimstone. Here endeth the recap.

·         Chris Jericho putting The Drifter on The LIST made my night.

·         Jeff Hardy and Cesaro survived the 10:30 Lull Period of Death by having a competitive one-on-one match which saw Cesaro put on an uppercut party of the highest order.

·         The match was solid, but it was a bit one-note due to all the uppercuts. Hardy eventually got back on offense when he grazed Cesaro with Whisper in the Wind followed by a dropkick that sent the Swiss Superman tumbling out of the ring.

·         The ending came when both men countered out of their finishes with Hardy coming out on top with the Side Effect followed by the Swanton Bomb for the win.

·         The Hardy Boyz and Cesaro & Sheamus shook hands as a sign of mutual respect heading into their Raw Tag Team Championship match at Payback in two weeks. We shall see if the face vs. face dynamic holds up heading into the go-home show next week.

·         The Big Show vs. Braun Strowman had another classic battle that featured baseball slides, dropkicks, arm drags, powerslams, kip-ups, chokeslams, and knockout punches. However, the biggest spot of the match took place when Strowman delivered a superplex to Big Show that sent both men crashing down the canvas which caused the ring to implode. The referee flew out of the ring as the crowd popped with shock and elation.

·         The ring crew checked on all three men as various camera angles surveyed the damage. Amazingly, Strowman got up and declared himself the winner as Raw went off the air with the Monster among Men celebrating on the main stage.

·         The match was a total spectacle and I loved every minute of it. Big Show and Strowman worked well together and told a great story in the ring. Whoever laid out the match did a tremendous job teasing the superplex spot. The fans were on their feet, but their instant gratification was denied which made the actual moment even sweeter when it finally happened.

·         This was a great way to end the show and I must give kudos to WWE for spacing out the epic ring implosion moment over the years. Big Show has been a part of all of them and each time it feels special and out of the blue. It’s a trick that will never get old as long as it’s used sporadically. Tonight was no different.

·         Overall, I thought tonight’s episode of Monday Night Raw was solid. The show was verging on being so-so until the main event salvaged things. Plus, WWE showed restraint by keeping Roman Reigns off television this week. It would’ve been dumb for Reigns to show up fresh as a daisy after Strowman kicked his ass to the nth degree. Building anticipation for their rematch was the way to go and I fully expect the new Big Dog to show up on the go-home show next week. Perhaps he should bring a bulldozer for added protection against Strowman. Safety first!

·         Up until the main event, the Fatal Four Way Match featuring Sasha Banks. Alexa Bliss, Mickie James, and Nia Jax were in the running for match of the night honors. The ladies had a solid outing that might have been the best in-ring work I’ve seen in the Women’s Division since Bayley defeated Charlotte for the championship a little over two months ago. Bliss has one week to promote her match against the Hugger Extraordinaire. With her razor sharp mic work, I am confident in her capabilities to get the job done.

·         The rest of the show felt stagnant in spots. Due to Dash Wilder recovering from a broken jaw, The Revival’s push is on hold which causes a bit of stagnation in the Tag Team Division. The Hardy Boyz have to be the standard bearer until Top Guys make their triumphant return. Let’s hope the nostalgia doesn’t wear off between now and then.

·         After last week’s Superstar Shakeup, nothing really changed with the exception of Dean Ambrose and The Miz rekindling their feud from SmackDown Live and Bray Wyatt spewing nonsense on the TitanTron. Everything else is pretty much the same. Let’s hope the creative team shakes things up over the next couple of months because the broadcast seems a little wishy-washy outside of Strowman being an indestructible badass. Fingers crossed!

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! 

The Raw Exposé: The Braun Strowman is a Baaaaddddd Man Edition (2-20-2017)

By: Keila Cash 

Hello everyone and welcome to another installment of The Raw Exposé. Tonight’s episode of Monday Night Raw emanated from the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. With Fastlane a little under two weeks away, the Road to WrestleMania is starting to come into focus. Last week, Kevin Owens kicked Chris Jericho out of his professional and personal life in the literal sense by ruining the Festival of Friendship celebration. Was this Owens’ way of exorcising his demons heading into his Universal Championship match against Goldberg at Fastlane?

Meanwhile, Bayley’s lifelong dream came true as she defeated Charlotte to become the new Raw Women’s Champion. Happy ending aside, will the win feel hollow if The Queen regains the title at Fastlane to become a five-time champ? Will Bayley end Charlotte’s PPV Winning Streak and avoid coming down with a bad case of Sasha Banks Syndrome when it comes to losing the belt during a special event on the WWE Network? Some of the answers to these questions can be found throughout this blog while the rest will be revealed in due time. Without further ado, let’s dissect tonight’s episode of Raw in no particular order.

·        Kevin Owens wore his finest corporate suit and warned Goldberg that he would outlast and outsmart the WCW Legend during their Universal Championship at Fastlane in a couple of weeks. Owens vowed to ruin Goldberg’s narrative of being a superhero to children by keeping the title around his shoulder heading into WrestleMania. As for Owens’ attack on Chris Jericho, KO dropped the mic and headed backstage as the opening segment came to an end.

·        For the first time in months, Owens was unanimously booed. He got the right amount heat as he chalked up Goldberg’s 86 second victory over Brock Lesnar at Survivor as pure luck because Lesnar underestimated Goldberg. Owens wouldn’t make the same mistake because he knows how to play the game better than anyone else. I guess he took tips from Triple H.

·        In any event, Owens was confident heading into Fastlane. Jericho was nowhere to be found, but I expect that to change during Owens’ Universal Title match against Goldberg. Just a hunch.

·        The theory of a Triple Threat Match featuring Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows vs. Cesaro & Sheamus vs. Enzo Amore & Big Cass was nullified when Big Cass pinned Cesaro with the East River Crossing as he and Enzo became the number one contenders for the Raw Tag Team Championship.

·        Cesaro was in control until he tried to swing Big Cass. Enzo hopped on Cesaro’s back which gave Cass enough time to hit his finisher for the win. Enzo and Cass will go on to Face Anderson and Gallows for the Tag Team Titles at Fastlane.

·        Enzo got a little too cocky when he poked fun of Cesaro’s Swiss Superman moniker by saying that he was loaded with kryptonite. Sheamus nailed Enzo with a Brogue Kick as the fans chanted “Thank You, Sheamus.” I don’t think that was supposed to be the desired reaction, but Enzo had it coming. I wonder if this is leading to Enzo and Cass turning heel or Enzo getting a little too comfortable for his own good because he has backup in the form of his seven foot best friend. The fact that the crowd turned on Enzo spoke volumes about the latter scenario possibly coming to fruition.

·        Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn will take place for the 25^th time later tonight. I’m sure they will have a great match, but WWE has completed pissed on the “Final Match” stipulation from Battleground last July.

·        The Brian Kendrick vs. Akira Tozawa never got underway as Kendrick nailed Tozawa with a clothesline. Kendrick rammed Tozawa’s neck into the exposed turnbuckle before putting him in the Captain’s Hook. This was in response to Tozawa rejecting Kendrick’s offer to mentor him during a backstage segment on 205 Live last week. Kendrick noted that the Japanese star learned his first lesson in respect. This was a nice way to add heat to their feud even though The Wizard of Odd was faintly cheered in his home state.

·        It was Déjà vu all of again as Roman Reigns faced Anderson and Gallows in a 2-on-1 handicap match. Like last week, the match ended via Disqualification when Reigns nailed Gallows with a steel chair shot to the gut. Reigns delivered several chair shots to Gallows’ back until Anderson intervened. He got drilled with a series of clotheslines in the corner until Gallows made the save.

·        Gallows was in control until Reigns nailed him with a Superman Punch. Anderson tried to save his partner, but Reigns destroyed him with a wicked Spear from midair. It was a sick spot that popped the crowd. That was the highlight of an otherwise ho-hum match.

·        On the Brightside, Anderson and Gallows didn’t eat the pin for a second week in a row.

·        The New Day’s Triple-Encrypted Ice Cream Blueprint just got hacked by Lana. It’s a Russian Conspiracy!

·        Crisis averted! Big E and Kingston pinned Jinder Mahal with the Midnight Hour while Xavier Woods retrieved the tablet from Lana that contained the Ice Cream Blueprint and smashed it to bits. The match itself was decent at best.

·        Once again, the WWE Production Team top themselves with a classy video tribute to George “The Animal” Steele who passed away this past Friday.

·        Quick Side Note: Who knew Kevin Hart was a noted Wrestling Historian. I give David Arquette a pass because he is a noted fan who will live in infamy for winning the WCW Championship on an episode of Thunder 17 years ago. Yes, that actually happened.

·        The Cruiserweight Championship contract signing between Neville and Gentleman Jack Gallagher was very good. Neville tried to browbeat Gallagher by telling him that his gentlemanly ways were not a true representation of actual British Brawlers. Neville claimed that real Brits are ugly and rough around the edges. The people were laughing at Gallagher instead of with him and vowed to prove that point by beating him at Fastlane. Gallagher made a nice comeback as he defended his prim and proper ways. He didn’t like the fact that Neville’s proclamation of being the King of the Cruiserweights made him better than anyone else.

·        Neville tossed the table upside down and asked Gallagher what he planned to do about it before shoving Gallagher. Gentleman Jack responded by head-butting Neville out of the ring. It appeared that Gallagher knocked himself loopy. If that’s the case, he needs to retire that move because it’s a concussion waiting to happen.

·        Thanks for coming, Sarah Pierce! Nia Jax laid out Pierce with the Samoan Drop for the quick and decisive win.

·        After much consideration, Bayley decided not to relinquish the Raw Women’s Championship after Stephanie McMahon tried to guilt trip her into doing so. Stephanie talked about Bayley being a role model to young girls and should do the right thing by giving up a title she didn’t win fair and square. She claimed that Sasha Banks did all the work and that’s not how championships should be won.

·        Bayley was about to do the unthinkable when Banks made her way to the ring to talk some sense into her best friend. Stephanie tried to stir the pot by saying that Banks only wanted Bayley to keep the championship because she could beat her more easily than Charlotte. Stephanie encouraged Bayley to the do the right thing by forfeiting the title.

·        Bayley teased handing the belt to Stephanie, but she said hell no because she earned the title fair and square. Besides, Bayley already beat Charlotte three times which made the outcome almost academic.

·        Charlotte came out to invoke her automatic rematch clause and will face Bayley for the Raw Women’s Championship at Fastlane. Banks challenged Charlotte to a match since her knee was healed up and Charlotte accepted. However, she wanted to make sure that Banks left the arena in a wheelchair as the segment came to an end.

·        This was a good segment that played into the wholesomeness of Bayley’s character. Bayley always talks about doing the right thing, but sometimes it comes at a price. Stephanie tried her best to manipulate her, but it was too no avail as Bayley stood her ground as the new Raw Women’s Champion. The crowd did a great job as they were solidly behind their home state girl.

·        Plus, Sasha Banks avoided a verbal beat down by Stephanie McMahon. That is a miracle in of itself.

·        Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte was a solid match that featured Charlotte working on Banks’ neck throughout. Banks got back on offense when she nailed a Charlotte with a Bulldog followed by the double knees on the outside.

·        Dana Brooke ran down to the ring to interfere, but Bayley cut her off at the pass. The distraction allowed Banks to lock Charlotte in The Bank Statement for the win.

·        For the second week in a row, Samoa Joe attacked Sami Zayn from behind after Zayn talked about Joe during a backstage interview prior to his match against Kevin Owens. Joe kicked Zayn’s ass from pillar to post before landing a sick Running Senton on Zayn from the outside.

·        Joe tossed Zayn back in the ring as Owens licked his chops in the proverbial sense.

·        The referee checked to see if Zayn was able to compete. Zayn gave the all clear as the ref rang the bell. Owens went on the attack and finished Zayn off with the Popup Powerbomb for the win. This was a one-sided match that made sense because Joe has an ax to grind with Zayn and Owens needed a dominant win heading into his Universal Championship match against Goldberg at Fastlane.

·        Also, the audience was spared from seeing Zayn and Owens have a good match that would have felt hollow with KO still getting the win by hook or crook. This was the best case scenario, all things considered.

·        Mick Foley stood up to Stephanie McMahon, but at what cost? It appeared that Stephanie was about to put a hit out on Foley for bucking her authority. Foley’s days as Raw General Manager are numbered.

·        Brock Lesnar mean mugging in front the camera during Paul Heyman’s promo was creepy as hell. Heyman did a great job explaining why he was impressed with Kevin Owens, but Lesnar didn’t share the same sentiment. Lesnar wants Goldberg to win the Universal Title at Fastlane and walk into WrestleMania with the Big Red Kryptonite Belt so he can take it from him. Sounds easy enough. However, will The Beast make the same mistake thrice? We shall find out soon enough.

·        Braun Strowman and The Big Show had a shockingly good main event match. It was two big dudes going at it. The match featured power and incredible agility by Strowman. The fans were a little lukewarm towards the match at first, but the near falls and Big Show threatening to deliver a Superplex from the top rope got them on their feet down the stretch.

·        Big Show had Strowman dead to rites by nailing him with the knockout punch, but Strowman kicked out at two. Moments later, Strowman dropped Big Show with a Powerslam for another near fall.

·        The World’s Largest Athlete tried to chokeslam Strowman for the second time, but the big man countered with another Powerslam for the win.

·        After the match was over, Roman Reigns made his way down to the ring and nailed Strowman with a pair of Superman Punches. Reigns was in position to lay him out with a spear, but Strowman countered with a dropkick to Reigns’ knees. He followed things up with an emphatic Running Powerslam and left Reigns lying in the prone positon for the third week in a row as Raw went off the air.

·        Strowman continues to be portrayed as a dominant force that cannot be stopped. Reigns has failed to gain the upper hand which makes their match at Fastlane all the more interesting in terms of how the outcome is booked. Strowman should not lose the match via pin fall because it would derail his push something fierce. A count out or DQ victory is a more favorable option. Reigns should get some of his heat back, but pinning Strowman outright would be a dumb call. Let both men beat the hell out of each other and call it draw.

·        For the first time in years, a homegrown monster from the WWE Production Factory is thriving. Let’s hope the company is not using him as a means to prop up Reigns heading into WrestleMania. That would suck in the worst possible way.

·        Overall, I thought tonight’s episode of Raw was adequate. For the second week in a row, the third hour saved the show because the first two hours were a drag. The Los Angeles market is usually treated to a fun event, but tonight seemed a little off. It lacked a certain spark that was apparent back in October when Sasha Banks won the Raw Women’s Championship from Charlotte for the second time. Just like that show, the follow-up was key in terms of consistency.

·        The trend continued tonight as the broadcast felt lifeless until Bayley came out during the third hour. From there, the show ended on a high note but I question WWE’s thought process because the third-hour rating is traditionally weak. If the first two hours sucked, why should fans stick around until the end? Give them an incentive to stick around and they will keep the channel locked on USA Network. If not, fans will continue to DVR their way through life. I can’t blame them because the show was a bore until the last hour or so.

·        Here’s hoping the energy picks up next week as Goldberg will appear on the go-home show before Fastlane. He should cut a great promo on Kevin Owens if he is allowed to speak in his own voice.

·        Also, Seth Rollins will update fans on his knee injury and confirm whether or not he is missing another WrestleMania after Samoa Joe’s attack a few weeks ago.

·        Most importantly, WWE needs to string together a strong show from top to bottom with minimum fluff because the past couple of weeks have been a chore to get through. The Road to WrestleMania needs to kick into high gear. Stat!

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!