3 Ups & 7 Downs From WWE Raw (31 Oct)

Triple H dresses up as Vince McMahon for Halloween on a flat Crown Jewel go-home show...

by Michael Sidgwick
Alpha Academy
WWE

The 'Papa H' era of WWE has hit something of a snag-uh.

The Bloodline storyline remains great, gaping plot hole aside. Each warring member could simply watch the television show back to clarify the various misunderstandings that have led them to this point. It's different to something like the Elite saga of early 2020 which, on Dynamite at least, was elegantly constructed so that a replay wouldn't have solved anything. This Bloodline programme requires a lot of suspension of disbelief, but happily, is so good that most are willing.

It's a joy to watch Sami Zayn slowly rediscover his inner genius babyface, it's even more of a joy to watch WWE talent in love with performing, and Roman Reigns remains so good at conveying menace that - for now - the corpsing isn't affecting the quite brilliant dynamic.

Beyond that, the gains made over the past few months are fading. Kevin Owens has cooled off. Matt Riddle is an obnoxious and frivolous goof again. Johnny Gargano is such an irritating brat that it feels as though this is exactly how he'd be booked if Vince McMahon were still in charge. Also, there's a sobering note of irony to the old "What will Tony Khan do when he runs out of pops?" take, since Triple H has gone return mad, and is more mad on these returns than his audience.

Did this week's Raw represent a return to something promising...?

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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 current Undisputed WWE 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!