20 Reasons Why Last Night's WWE Raw Reunion Was An Absolute Mess

Raw 26.

by Andy H Murray
Seth Rollins dork
WWE

So what was actually good on the RAW Reunion, an ineffective and quite grim nostalgia show that must have convinced not a living soul to tune back in next week?

John Cena revelled in the fickle nature of WWE fans by being universally over and reprising his Doctor of Thuganomics schtick. Having a laugh at DUI—hey, nobody actually died, it’s fine—was perhaps ill-advised, but it least constituted a joke. The Revival lost, but weren’t framed as totally hapless dorks, like last year.

Mick Foley put over the Fiend in a decent segment executed in something approaching a forward-thinking spirit. His enforced use of the Mandible Claw—Foley isn’t cleared to bump—was an unintentional symbol of this whole nostalgia bullsh*t eating itself, but no less powerful.

The 24/7 stuff Wasn’t Bad. The Stooges actually belong in this universe of fools, which helped. They weren’t decrepit old men going head to head with, for example, one of the most decorated main event-level talents in the entire company.

Erm.

Steve Austin received a massive pop? That was nice to hear. Braun Strowman looked like his old self, a hoot of a destroyer, which might, might indicate a brighter future for the Monster Among Men.

Erm…

20. No...

Seth Rollins dork
WWE

Ricochet didn’t appear. Ricochet, a genuinely phenomenal athlete who, booked correctly (or at all!) might boast a slim chance of getting over with the casual fans who tuned in to see some old faces.

Also, Becky Lynch, the top star in the company, received about a minute of screen time. She got over as a confident, swaggering talker. Natalya cut the promo to build their feud.

Baron Corbin nor Lacey Evans appeared. Both have dominated WWE TV in the post-WrestleMania 35 season. This was mind-boggling. If not for a casual audience who WWE thinks gravitates towards statuesque talkers more than good pro wrestlers, who was that for?

The shrinking hardcore audience that objectively were not at all interested? Did WWE overbook them to the point of disaster for our benefit?

Thank you! Thank you so much!

Channel Manager
Channel Manager

Andy has been with WhatCulture for six years and is currently WhatCulture's Senior Wrestling Reporter. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and surefire Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!