3 Ups & 8 Downs From WWE Raw (Oct 11)

5. Not Really Selling A Title Match

Be honest: Did seeing either tag match end in a schmoz pitting opponents against each other make you want to see either title match at Crown Jewel more?

Sasha Banks, Bianca Belair and Becky Lynch are set to mix it up in a triple threat for the SmackDown Women’s Championship, but they were shoehorned into a tag match (Sasha and Bianca/Becky and Charlotte Flair) that started with a four-way brawl and ended in a melee, with Lynch standing tall.

The main event featured Big E and Drew McIntyre once against teaming up against a SmackDown tag team, this time the Usos. This one ended with E and McIntyre brawling to a count-out, then eventually Drew laying out the WWE Champion with a Claymore to stand tall. Because that’s how you raise the tension, apparently.

An argument can be made that actions speak louder than words, but these messes masquerading as matches didn’t sell you on either title match. The matches themselves were already made and already were pitting top stars against each other for a top prize. Having the wrestlers brawl a bunch doesn’t raise the stakes. It doesn’t sell the match more, and it doesn’t make it more personal or anything like that.

All this does is condition fans to not care when these matches happen, which is a dangerous road to travel. But that seems to be WWE’s destination these days.