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

Ups...

3. Simple, Effective Booking Enhanced By The Performance

Brock Lesnar Brawl
WWE

The build to Brock Lesnar Vs. Bobby Lashley was kept simple without being too generic.

Brock failed to turn up as scheduled for a sit-down face-to-face booked to promote their fight. He does what he wants, and what he wanted to do was make an unplanned trip to the ring complete, weirdly, with his entrance pyro. Bobby Lashley looked a bit of a mug just sat there none the wiser as Brock rampaged to the ring, but it was a weird production choice more than it was something that damaged his character.

Snark aside, the resulting pull-apart was well done; Lesnar orchestrated a booming response by taking Lashley off his feet, the brawl looked worthy of separating, and Lesnar breaking free and flying at Lashley, while a tried-and-true device in such an angle, is never not rousing in that it makes you feel like a bloodthirsty jock every time.

Such segments are meant to turn you into the Just Bleed UFC guy, and if it wasn't quite that red-hot, everybody involved, Triple H included, did a grand job of convincing fans that the fight had totally consumed both men.

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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!