3 Ups & 9 Downs From WWE Raw (Jan 25)

Downs…

9. Who’s The Face Here?

Riddle WWE
WWE.com

Can we just admit that WWE doesn’t have the first idea of how to book a babyface? (Or just book in general.)

During the melee at the end of the VIP Lounge segment, Riddle snuck into the ring and nailed a Final Flash knee on MVP, then fled the ring before the rest of the Hurt Business could get to him. He then bragged about jumping Porter.

This isn’t to say that faces can never stoop to underhanded tactics, but this has been a theme with Riddle throughout this feud. He won his nontitle match against Bobby Lashley when the referee didn’t see him tap out, then rolled the United States Champion up. And he’s been doing these hit-and-run attacks for weeks now.

Maybe a “face” like Stone Cold Steve Austin, who told opponents “DTA” and warned them that he was going to strike, could get away with this style of attack, but the goofy, laid-back bro Riddle? It just doesn’t fit, and it doesn’t work, especially considering that Riddle has lost matches cleanly and then gotten beat down.

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Contributor

Scott is a former journalist and longtime wrestling fan who was smart enough to abandon WCW during the Monday Night Wars the same time as the Radicalz. He fondly remembers watching WrestleMania III, IV, V and VI and Saturday Night's Main Event, came back to wrestling during the Attitude Era, and has been a consumer of sports entertainment since then. He's written for WhatCulture for more than a decade, establishing the Ups and Downs articles for WWE Raw and WWE PPVs/PLEs and composing pieces on a variety of topics.