4 Ups & 8 Downs From WWE Raw (Aug 23)

Ups...

4. A Big Beefy Tag

As contrived as the setup was, Damian Priest, Sheamus, Drew McIntyre, and Bobby Lashley worked a decent tag match near the top of the show.

This was competitive and well-conceived enough to finish on the positive side of the ledger. Priest, whom the announcers claimed was "getting his first taste of having a target on his back," felt like he belonged with these main-eventers. He was a complementary piece as the face-in-peril and helped build to a pop-worthy McIntyre hot tag after finally levelling Sheamus to a good reaction, having already bested the Irishman at SummerSlam.

Watching McIntyre, Sheamus, and Lashley interacting with this fresh opponent/partner was the highlight here, though each man worked well to generate drama. A top-rope White Noise failed to get the pin for Sheamus. When this happened, Bobby walked out on his partner, leaving the former United States Champion to succumb to the Claymore and take the L.

This set up a backstage confrontation later on, in which Sheamus vs. Lashley was booked for next week. That should be suitably brutish.