10 Things We Learned From WWE Raw In The UK (May 8)
2. Big Fight Feel
Despite the comedy relied upon by both to sell the conflict on both SmackDown Live! and their new home on Monday Night Raw, The Miz and Dean Ambrose have managed to get their programme over by force of will, and will likely contest a super-heated battle over an Intercontinental Title well positioned as the show's top strap in the absence of Universal Champion Brock Lesnar.
For the last three weeks, their lingering discord has made for a show-long storyline, stretching both performers beyond their usual requirements in order to fill out swathes of Raw hours normally dedicated to pitiful undercard squabbles or nothing matches desperately low on consequence.
Ironically, their vignettes have been akin to the type of creative forces that over-indulged on mirth in order to establish the likes of Kurt Angle as a main event player during his meteoric ascension in 2000. He made pointed remarks during his Hall of Fame speech about performers not being too shy to be silly, especially if it can add strings to your bow.
Miz and Ambrose appear to have leapt upon that advice with aplomb, accepting stick-work responsibilities across numerous segments with widely varying degrees of credibility and critical success. It has all at least ultimately led to an important wrestling match over a title belt, which is literally all a viewer can hope for from such frivolities.