4 Ups And 9 Downs From WWE Raw (Aug 17)
RETRIBUTION, Raw Underground, poor wrestling drag go-home show down.
Uggh. Where to begin with Monday night’s episode of Raw?
Raw’s go-home show for SummerSlam gave us lacklustre wrestling, poor storylines and just a bad overall experience. You wouldn’t think the company was careening toward what’s supposedly their second-most important PPV of the year. Sure, there are a few noteworthy matches that feel like a big deal, but overall, this show just felt like a slog.
It’s really a shame, as the Golden Role Models and Asuka have been churning out fantastic work of late, and even Seth Rollins and Dominik Mysterio have managed to salvage the ridiculous eye-gouging rivalry after last week’s kendo stick beatdown. Throw in a revitalized Legend Killer in Randy Orton and you’d think you were watching a renaissance on Raw.
But those are not the best highlights, they’re the only highlights.
The Street Profits and Andrade & Angel Garza feud has centred on whether the heels can stay on the same page and a mystery over who poisoned Montez Ford. Riveting stuff. The Riott Squad can’t go a week without a breakup teased. Mickie James returned in the most forgettable way possible.
And of course, more Retribution and Raw Underground, with very little development or direction with either segment. Just more of the same continuing on, a hamster still running on its wheel but going nowhere.
With that said, let’s get to it…