4 Ups & 7 Downs From WWE Raw (Results & Review - 23 Oct)

UPS…

4. Ivar Now A God?

Norse mythology is an immensely popular genre, with a rich history that has permeated literature and film for generations. Unfortunately, that doesn’t automatically mean that WWE can throw together a vignette using Viking imagery and call it art.

Still, Monday’s video package was effective at one important thing: establishing Ivar as more than a tag team wrestler competing while his partner is out injured. During the video, Valhalla noted that the gods smile upon a great warrior, and that they can become a god themselves. She warned the rest of Raw to “tremble at the feet of the one, true warrior.”

The entire segment served as a means to make clear that Ivar is (for now) a solo act and a serious threat. Fortunately, there has been a body of work built up in recent weeks with the Viking crushing the New Day. Whether this now translates into Ivar being groomed to challenge Seth Rollins or Gunther (who has just beaten another heel monster in Bronson Reed) is an open question.

But seeing this video reinforced that fans can invest in Ivar, that his recent successes were not just for the sake of filling three hours in the mid-card. It appears that WWE is carrying on with this push, so fans can buy in.