5 Ups & 6 Downs From WWE Raw (25 May - Results & Review)
1. An Explosive IC Title Match
Two days removed from defending his Intercontinental Championship in a match of the night against Ethan Page, Penta raised the bar and put the title up against Je’Von Evans on Raw.
Penta and Evans had a fantastic match that pushed back on the deluge of dull television contests WWE had been offering up in recent months, relying on both men’s athleticism, unique offense and innovative counters to dazzle fans. Evans in particular looked great here, showing a bit of an edge, going for the OG Cutter early and then halting a mid-match strut alongside Penta to dropkick the champ.
When Evans went for a second rope-assisted hurricanrana, Penta countered with a Project Ciampa (double-knees backbreaker). That’s when things went into overdrive.
Penta attempted a Mexican Destroyer, which Evans countered with a thrust kick. Je’Von hit a springboard cutter on the apron for two. Another springboard got countered into a Penta Driver for two. Evans hit an avalanche Frankensteiner, but his OG Cutter was blocked with a thrust kick. Penta’s Mexican Destroyer was met with a knee strike, but Evans tried another OG Cutter and landed in a backstabber. The Mexican Destroyer finished it.
This was all action, a fast-paced battle that reminded fans that WWE wrestlers are perfectly capable of delivering the goods in the ring and can step outside the homogenized style that the company frequently offers.