6 Ups & 5 Downs From WWE Raw (3 June - Results & Review)
Alpha Academy's gaslighting continues, Sheamus/Kaiser shred each other, LWO and New Day/AOP flop.
Grading Monday Night Raw these days is becoming an increasingly difficult task.
A company that sells out arenas weekly and garners strong ratings should be judged to a high standard. But that high standard also means that what once was given a pass no longer should skate by. A decent match or logical plotline shouldn’t automatically merit positive marks.
At the same time, Raw post-draft has become a much less-entertaining show, most notably losing Cody Rhodes while CM Punk has mostly disappeared. The result is a show that at times feels like it’s flatlining. Matches have ranged from “decent” to “good” to the occasional “really good.” Backstage segments have been hit-or-miss, at times being dull, but also still managing to fire up crowds at key moments.
Monday’s program offered the full gamut of material, with Sheamus/Ludwig Kaiser earning honors of the night and Chad Gable’s maniacal descent being true high points. But Raw also featured impromptu matches, bland action, and a stable that has to outsource its own protection.
Raw has sunk to mediocre status, whether due to more critical grading, a downturn in quality, less entertaining segments, or a combination of all of the above. It’s far from unwatchable, but this is not the must-see program from two-plus months ago.
Let’s get to it…