10 Things We Learned From WWE Raw In The UK (May 8)

5. On The Level

The Miz Maryse Dean Ambrose
WWE.com

As has been the case since the start of 2017, the Cruiserweights were again the unsung heroes of Monday Night Raw as TJP cemented his recent heel turn with a cheap victory over Gentleman Jack Gallagher to earn a title shot against his frenemy and main division sh*t-stirrer Neville.

'The King of the Cruiserweights' was a riot on commentary as usual, putting over the questionable methods used by Perkins and even cheerleading his post-match assault on Gallagher before Austin Aries was able to make the save.

His incandescent rage with 'The Greatest Man That Ever Lived' highlighted his panic around a real threat to his title as he left it late to sidle up to TJP in a feigned interest in solidarity for his own gains.

Nuances such as these that he has applied to his character have been a weekly highlight on Raw, with potential contenders (and these three in particular) gaining significant ground as marionettes in a puppet show he's trying to keep control of. His superlative in-ring work only enhances the act further, and breeds the growing frustration amongst the potential pretenders to his throne.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett