12 WWE Raw 25 Impulse Reactions
4. W.W.E Champion
Better than his tête-à-tête with Chris Jericho and far superior to the first go-around between the two, Elias' beatdown of John Cena was an unexpected highlight in a show desperately reaching for some.
On recent evidence, the feud won't end well for the former 'Drifter', but it's been exciting to watch him passing an acid test with crowds over the prior months and earn screen time with 'The Champ'. With both entered into Sunday's Royal Rumble, the story could be paid off in the form of an elimination to the NXT graduate, but that would at least afford him a better escape hatch than Baron Corbin received last summer.
Alternatively, the feud may stretch beyond the Rumble and Elias might even be permitted to go over. He's gotten over, at very least, with his Walk With Elias craic gaining new steam since some clever clogs noticed an ideal alliteration opportunity. Smashing his guitar over 'Big Match John's back came as a massive shock considering Cena's usual invincibility to midcarder attacks, so he'll at least take away a memorable visual from his time with one of the most celebrated performers in company history.
If nothing else, Cena's 2018 has thus far trumped his 2017. Long may the return of his selflessness continue.