WWE Raw: 10 Things You Might Have Missed (April 14th)
Celebrating the 100th good episode of Raw!
Eight days after WrestleMania, WWE presented a new edition of Raw, and while the show of shows was a disappointment and the post-WrestleMania Raw was a complete disaster, this week was a total turnaround. Not only did the company make excellent use of its extremely talented roster with a trio of strong TV matches, but the booking itself felt a bit more sensible than usual.
Once again, Shane McMahon was in charge, with the excuse given that fans' demands on social media had prompted his continued hold on the slot. He booked the workrate heavy show, with matches such as Kevin Owens versus Cesaro, Charlotte versus Natalya, and AJ Styles versus Sami Zayn wowing the fans and leading to Shane actually coming off as a competent authority figure.
The show treated titles as important (except for the U.S. Title, of course), with men fighting hard simply for the right to contend for the World and Intercontinental Championships, Natalya nearly winning the Women's Championship, and tournament for a shot at the Tag Team Championship beginning. All in all, the company's priorities seemed to have shifted refreshingly.
Let's hope this trend continues. In the meantime, here are ten things you may have missed on last night's WWE Raw:
10. Recycling Lines
Last week, Roman Reigns's first crowd address after winning the WWE World Heavyweight Championship began with a very blunt statement. "I'm not a bad guy," Reigns started as the crowd booed viciously. "I'm not a good guy. I'm THE guy." The line was a like-it-or-not bit of bluster from the new champion, and if it sounded a bit heelish, that's because initially, it was.
Kevin Owens actually delivered the line first during one of his many pre-WrestleMania interviews last weekend, albeit with a slight difference that changed the meaning (He said, "I'm not a bad guy, I'm not a good guy, I'm just a guy."). Many Internet outlines seized on the fact that it was Owens who first delivered the bon mot, making Reigns seem even more like a corporate creation who was getting over at the expense of more talented stars.
This week, "The Prizefighter" interrupted Shane McMahon as the boy wonder laid out the evening's card, and JBL gave the former Intercontinental Champion a bit of nod. As Shane had just finished talking about new stars, Owens's music hit. JBL received him by saying, "He's not a new star, he's not an old star, but he is a huge star." The line belonged to Owens once more.