It took less than fifteen minutes for Jonathan Coachman to completely tear apart the fabric of logic and reason during last night’s episode of Raw. That must be a new record.
As soon as the acting General Manager of Raw, Baron Corbin, announced that he would be facing Finn Bálor in the fourth of their best of fifty-three match series, I knew we were in trouble. Corbin ostensibly had the benefit of preparing for this match all week, whereas Bálor did not.
I have questions. Why did the General Manager spend all week preparing for a match when he should be focused on booking a three-hour show (his first, no less)? Wouldn’t Bálor already have the ‘Lone Wolf’ scouted, considering how often they’ve faced one another in recent months? WHAT THE HELL WAS COACHMAN BABBLING ON ABOUT DURING THIS MATCH?!
At first he seemed to acknowledge that Corbin’s plan was ingenious. Then he suddenly changed his mind and decided that Bálor had the advantage because he had faced Corbin previously (thankfully Corey pointed out the obvious loophole in this theory). Just as it seemed that we had reached the bottom of this nonsensical rabbit hole, with a snap of his fingers, the ‘Thanos of WWE commentary’ finally destroyed all semblance of reality. He claimed that the interim Raw GM should in fact be winning because he’s entitled to make whatever rules he wants.
I’m starting to realise that the only real loser in this never-ending feud is us.
But fortunately there was more to this episode of Raw than the opening segment. And my far more optimistic colleagues at WrestleTalk are here to take you through it. You know the deal by now: we gather four of our passionate writers and ask each of them to run through their single best and worst moment from last night’s Raw. Then we invite you to share your take on the show with us.
So, let’s get started with the good. I’m betting Coachman’s mind-numbing commentary won’t feature.
What Was Your Favourite Moment From Raw?
Sean Patrick Eckmann
Kevin Owens vs. Seth Rollins. I have never appreciated Kevin Owens as much as I do after tonight. He got huge pops out of the Toronto crowd on the mic and immediately turned them into boos, like an alchemist of words. Owens and Rollins put on a fantastic match, with Owens embracing the Attitude Era again with a freaking Stone Cold Stunner! I hold Rollins as the best champion right now, because he can get absolutely anyone over in the ring. He let Owens shine, which KO desperately needed after a series of squashes by Braun. And Owens’ “I quit” leaves things open to any direction in the upcoming weeks.
Ashley D’Altilio
Kevin Owens vs. Seth Rollins wins it tonight. Owens’ promo was so passionate that it made me believe he could have been leaving with a title by the end of the night. Their chemistry and wrestling styles mesh well, and they are both obviously talented in the ring. How about that stunner? K.O. hit it just right and Rollins sold it perfectly. That entire sequence was simply incredible. Owens’ flip off the top rope was exciting and I hope we see more of it in the future. It was the best match of the night by a landslide, and left us wondering what will happen next week after Owens said “I quit”.
Nate Craver
Seth Rollins vs. Kevin Owens. It was great to see Kevin Owens back to being an actual wrestler. He’s so versatile. He’s probably the only person on the roster who could have pulled off the program with Braun Strowman the way he was asked to do it. He did the ‘scared guy’ routine awesomely, but that’s not how he should be booked. He looked great in the match against Rollins and the ending sequence of the match was great. The crowd was popping for near falls. He looked good even in the loss. I’m left wanting to see what’s next for KO after the “I quit” moment.
Zack Tabb
My favorite part of Raw was the Intercontinental title match between Seth Rollins and Kevin Owens. After months of KO being treated like a joke, they’ve finally decided to book him as a credible threat again. Despite him “quitting” WWE after the match, this could be the beginning of something great for Kevin.
What Was The Worst Part Of Last Night’s Episode?
Sean Patrick Eckmann
Braun Strowman’s heel turn. Another character is sacrificed at the Altar of Roman Reigns. The respectful rivalry between Braun and Roman has been really great, in my opinion, over the last few weeks. I love the idea of Braun as an honorable character, man enough to tell you to your face when he’s going to give you a fight. He shouldn’t need Dolph and Drew, he should be calling out the Shield for having nothing but numbers. Strowman is so naturally over as an in-between babyface, and turning him heel for the purpose of making Roman an underdog AGAIN is so frustrating.
Ashley D’Altilio
Yikes, B-Team vs. The Revival. The Revival is becoming just another victim of the main roster’s booking, so their storyline with the B-Team seems a bit outstretched and boring to me at this point. Their non-title match tonight was pointless, and frankly just a reason for The Revival to win a match without winning the titles or seeming like compulsive losers. I’m ready to see a new feud for the B-Team or see them pass the titles over so we aren’t seeing the same match every week. …Surprise! The same match is on the card next week, too.
Nate Craver
While it was great to see Trish Stratus back in a WWE ring, I didn’t love the Elias and Trish segment. They did get some good one-liners in on each other. The crowd was pumped for Trish, but I’m just left wondering if this was the best way to use either talent involved. It felt like Elias got the verbal upper hand and after the slap, he just disappeared Renee Young style. When was the last time Elias was in an actual match? He’s too talented to not be in a feud of some kind. AND… shouldn’t WWE be using women to put over Evolution, not reminding us of the endless bikini matches we saw during Trish’s time in WWE? I would have rather seen Trish come out to even the odds against Alexa, Alicia and Mickie. She could have cut a promo after that match instead of interrupting Elias.
Zack Tabb
My least favorite part of Raw was Bobby Lashley vs the Ascension. Lashley has been nothing but boring since his return, and it’s a shame to see him single-handedly destroy a tag team that used to be so great.
How Would You Rate The Show Overall? (From best to worst: In Awe, Cor, AvRAWge, Poor and Bore)
Sean Patrick Eckmann
There were some fantastic moments on Raw (Rollins/Owens, Stratus/Elias, Natalya’s win) and some lackluster ones (Lashley/Ascension, B-Team/Revival) but the ending left a sour taste in my mouth. This gets a high AveRAWge.
Ashley D’Altilio
Poor.
Nate Craver
AvRAWge at best. I though KO and Rollins was great. The Revival seem to be getting a push, which is needed. However, none of the women’s segments stood out to me. Balor/Corbin and Lashley/Ascension were just there. We got an apparent heel turn, but not the turn everybody’s been waiting on and a grouping which does not make a lot of sense to me in Braun, McIntyre and Ziggler.
Zack Tabb
I’d say AvRAWge. Nothing too exciting happened outside of the Intercontinental title match, but nothing atrocious happened either.
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