With a largely well-received SummerSlam now slowly dissipating like a 49-hour-long fever dream, it’s time to clamber back aboard the Monday night Raw express as we collectively barrel towards Hell In A Cell. Unfortunately, much like the fictional Snowpiercer, the Raw train can occasionally feel like it’s trapped on an endless loop, doomed to forever careen through a desolate wasteland of ice, snow and Michael Cole’s catchphrases.
But every pay-per-view brings with it an opportunity at a new dawn. And with SummerSlam delivering new Raw Women’s and Universal Champions, will this altered dynamic mark an improved era for Monday nights?
In the first of a new series of weekly features looking at both Raw and Smackdown Live, we canvassed four of our WrestleTalk writers to get their impressions of last night’s show, with each asked to share only their one favourite and one least enjoyable moment.
As such, this is not intended to be a full review of Raw. Instead we hope to give you a quick recap of the moments that we considered most memorable, for better or worse.
With that said, let’s kick things off with the good!
What was your favourite moment from Raw?
Sean Patrick Eckmann
The opening. I’ll be honest, the beginning of last night’s show is the most I’ve ever liked Roman Reigns. Though I’ll still complain about his move set (I get so tired of spears), Raw‘s opening made me really enjoy Roman’s character. Giving Finn Bálor a well-deserved title shot was great sportsmanship, and really showed what an active title, held by a confident babyface who respects other talent, brings to the red brand. It was refreshing, and even though I felt like the Shield reunion was an unclear, heelish move for three apparent faces to pull, last night’s opening gave me hope in Roman Reigns as a confident top man, that I would enjoy going forward.
Pete Quinnell
I mean do I need to say it? Considering the Shield were quite possibly my favourite part of every episode of Raw at the time when I was most into wrestling, seeing the reunion was an outstanding moment for me. Hearing the music, the gear, the familiar sight of the three of them brawling and delivering a triple powerbomb through the announce table was something that gave me the warm fuzzy feels. On top of that, I’m genuinely curious as to where this angle goes, and what’s in store for future weeks, which makes me want to watch future episodes. This was an exceptional end to the show.
Ashley D’Altilio
The main event was hands-down the greatest moment of the show. I tend to like the smaller segments, and Rousey’s angle with Stephanie was a close second, but the show ended with such a pop that nothing else could beat it. Bálor and Reigns held an insane match together, with two completely different wrestling styles. Their chemistry is fantastic and they really compliment one another. Braun coming out towards the end to cash in truly put the nail in the coffin, or so I thought; the addition of the Shield protecting Reigns and beating on Strowman made this segment unforgettable. This is what wrestling should be all the time.
Brian Farrell
Sierra Hotel India Echo Lima Delta – The Shield. To keep it simple, I like this move. It creates some heels, or anti-faces on Raw, it can revive the tag team division on Raw, and this can allow people like Balor to step up as a top babyface. This makes Raw interesting, and that’s what it needs to be. I’ve seen a lot of people down on this and I don’t see it, this is the REAL Shield, and it makes me want to tune into Raw to see Dean and Seth’s explanation. I would have preferred for Bálor to win via Braun distraction, but I’m happy to settle for this.
What was the worst part of last night’s episode?
Sean Patrick Eckmann
Authors of Pain vs. Titus Worldwide. Yet another in the endless series of AoP vs. TWW matches, they become more pointless every week. There is no substance to a feud here. No attempts at a storyline. Just the same match week after week. Does this get AoP over by showing them in the same match again and again? Does this get TWW over by having them struggle with the same team again and again? Do these matches have any point? No, no, and no.
Pete Quinnell
Most of everything that wasn’t the main event was fairly poor, excluding the Ambrose/Ziggler match. If I had to pick one thing that was my least favourite (which I do, hence the article), I’d have to say the Stephanie McMahon Show. Oh sorry, I mean Ronda’s crowning ceremony. The faux feel-good moment of the faces of the women’s division standing tall alongside Ronda while the heels grovelled in the corner when the faces clearly did not want to be there (just observe the looks on Sasha and Bayley’s faces) was just an awkward sight. Rousey dedicating her win to the rest of the women’s division is not the Ronda people want to see. Even McMahon getting physical with Ronda again wasn’t enough to save this segment, and pretty much everything about this fell flat.
Ashley D’Altilio
The booking and storyline with Sasha Banks, Bayley, Ember Moon and the Riott Squad has bored me for too long now. I feel as though all I see every week is a different mix-up of a match between the two groups, and the 50/50 booking has grown stale on me. What has this all been for if they never had a match at SummerSlam? Why give them nothing for the pay-per-view, then continue their feud the night after? Their match last night was nothing we haven’t seen before, and it is completely two-dimensional. It was forgettable and simply did nothing for me. The show would have been better without it.
Brian Farrell
Authors of Pain vs. Titus Worldwide: WOW! What a huge and exciting match! The creativity! The shock! Who would have expected this level of competition on Raw? Everyone. In the most basic of matches, the Authors of Pain got a too-little-too-late victory, and I’m starting to think that these two teams have had more matches than SummerSlam had hours. It’s gone from a squash rivalry, to filler, to just flat out insulting. Neither team is gaining anything from the multitude of matches. Authors of Pain were, as Oli puts it, an “open goal” that WWE managed to kick into their own net. They haven’t looked dominating, they don’t have Ellering to talk for them, and have not done anything meaningful on the main roster to give them momentum. They are the tag team equivalent of Bobby Lashley – all three big men who have gone from exciting to boring. I just don’t see what WWE thinks they are doing. I’m so done with these matches.
How would you rate the show overall? (From best to worst: In Awe, Cor, AvRAWge, Poor and Bore)
Sean Patrick Eckmann
A low AvRAWge. A strong introduction and first few matches started the night out right, especially with Roman’s character. It sadly turned stale, with no new feuds and no real development to existing ones.
Pete Quinnell
AvRAWge. The ending of the show left things on a very high note and that will carry over to next week. And while the show was book-ended by solid showings in the opening promo, the Dean/Dolph match and the main event and following angle, everything else was mediocre at best.
Ashley D’Altilio
Cor. My rating would have been even higher had it not been for the stale 50/50 booked matches we were handed for the entire middle of the show. The Rousey segment and the end of the night simply left me too excited to rate it anything lower.
Brian Farrell
A low AvRAWge. A good opening and closing prevented this from becoming one of the worst Raws in recent memory. Dean and Dolph was also good, but more than two-thirds of the show was a chore.
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