7 Ups And 10 Downs From Last Night's WWE Raw (June 29th)
The Authority's B-team bores while Cena and Cesaro rock the house.
During the Monday Night Wars, ratings were broken down by the quarter-hour to determine which segments were working and which werent. If something was causing fans to flip channels to the competition, it probably wouldnt be seen on television again, at least not in the same form. That insane level of scrutiny was neurotic, but it also kept the writers and talent on their collective toes. Without that competition today, WWE Raw has fallen into some trappings that would have spelled doom 15 years ago: lengthy, boring opening promos, DQ finishes galore and main events that end without a conclusive finish and/or a group beatdown. Fans got some of that Monday night, but the show was bolstered by an incredible match in the middle of the program between John Cena and Cesaro. It also didnt hurt that the tremendous Kevin Owens was on commentary. But overall, Monday nights Raw produced some exciting moments aided by a red-hot crowd and other instances that leave you scratching your head. The build to Battleground, which is three weeks away, slowed down, as no new matches were announced and existing feuds were simply reinforced. That left Raw as a placeholder more than anything. So what flew high and what treaded water? Lets find out