10 Things We Learned From Post-Payback WWE Raw (May 1)
9. Casualties Of War
It's 2017 and WWE are actually allowing performers to sell injuries. A new wave of logic has swept through the company in recent months, with physical excesses finally taking more than the requisite six days or 24 hours to recover from.
Despite the endless need for content in the current output-heavy regime, the company should be praised for showing patience in recent months. Chris Jericho was left off television for weeks in the aftermath of his brutal assault by Kevin Owens, The Big Show has not been seen since Braun Strowman planted him through the ring, and Roman Reigns has taken his second leave of absence in as many months thanks to another brutal kicking from the 'Mountain of a Man'.
Strowman himself was also shelved this week, which represented a brave gamble on the company's part in light of the former Wyatt Family member's dominance on virtually every show he's been on since his idiotic post-WrestleMania backdown from Brock Lesnar.
Kurt Angle's announcement that the pair were recuperating from the damage sustained in their brutal contest that closed Sunday's Payback pay-per-view gave a solid enough understanding of their current plight before an interruption from Bray Wyatt trampled on the likely announcement that the two would clash one final time.