5 Biggest Winners & Losers From WWE Raw (19 Sept)
TJ Perkins, where are thou?
Unicorns, chicken’s teeth, and Baron Corbin smiling: all these things are more common than an exciting go-home show in WWE’s New Era. The rise of the WWE Network and the subsequently diminished need to sell PPVs has left the company with little incentive to produce must-see television on the last pre-PPV stop, and last night’s Raw was no exception.
Though not as laborious as the turgid slog served-up before SummerSlam, WWE’s pre-Clash of Champions Raw was pedestrian and devoid of meaningful story progression. The matches were fine, but it felt like nobody got out of third gear last night. That’s a problem, but it’s what fans have come to expect from WWE go-home shows at this point, and it’s unlikely to change any time soon.
Fortunately, Clash is shaping-up to be an excellent show. Kevin Owens vs. Seth Rollins, TJ Perkins vs. Brian Kendrick, and Charlotte vs. Sasha Banks vs. Bayley all have show-stealing potential. Outside of Nia Jax vs. Alicia Fox and the Tag Team Title match (with its lacklustre build), it’s hard to imagine the PPV failing to deliver. Clash could’ve benefited from a stronger final Raw, sure, but in terms of wresting, the red brand is in great shape at the moment.
As usual, this week’s Raw saw several wrestlers climb the ladder, while others fell further behind. Heading into Sunday’s Clash of Champions and going beyond straightforward match results, here are the 5 biggest winners and losers from WWE Raw.