WWE Raw: 10 Things You Might Have Missed (July 25)
Kevin Owens had Finn Balor down for the count more than once on Raw...
Defying what was said by SmackDown GM Daniel Bryan during the WWE Draft, Monday Night Raw actually kicked off the 'new era' of programming by focusing on actual, solid wrestling. Few could have seen that one coming, it seemed (due to Bryan's comments) that Raw would continue contrasting 'Sports Entertainment' with SmackDown's emphasis on the in-ring product.
Not only were fans gifted two lengthy Fatal-4-Way bouts, there was also a corker between Roman Reigns and the debuting Finn Balor, as well as a storming WWE Women's Title classic between Charlotte and Sasha Banks. There's no doubt about it, Raw was a straight ahead wrestling show.
The three hours actually whizzed past, meaning it may have been difficult for some to pick out select little nuances from the show. Maybe some just couldn't take in everything that happened, or - probably more likely - elected to skip elements of the program altogether (such as those squash matches).
Funny fan signs, subtle foreshadowing and outright lies were all part of the new Monday Night Raw.
Let's look at 10 things you may have overlooked...
10. Sasha Banks Was The Last One Featured In The New Intro
WWE were always going to debut new introduction video packages for Raw and SmackDown after the Draft. It just makes perfect sense to give each show a unique identity, but also a fresh feel to tout the fact that things are supposed to be different now. Overall, Raw's new intro was a success.
'Enemies' by Shinedown was chosen as the new music, and it fit nicely. Virtually everybody on the Raw roster was given some time to shine in the new video, although it was notable who was shown last. No performer stayed on screen for longer than a second or two, but it was Sasha Banks who appeared right before the new Raw logo dominated the screen.
This was a true 'blink and you'll miss it' moment, but those with eagle-eyes will have noticed Banks posing with the word 'Boss' right behind her. In some way, this foreshadowed what was about to happen, a massive WWE Women's Title victory for Sasha.
If nothing else, the fact she appears just before the logo puts her over as one of the biggest names on the show.