5 Ups & 4 Downs From WWE Raw (18 Mar - Results & Review)
Cody torches The Rock, Jey and Jimmy square off, #DIY punches their ticket, Zayn has doubters.
WWE has entered that strange period on the Road to WrestleMania where major matches have come together, the card is taking shape, and stories are steaming toward their conclusion in Philadelphia next month… but even at the height of the excitement, they inexplicably hit a valley, a dip in the road.
It’s understandable as the company is building a two-night event, with twice as many matches as a normal PLE, with a build that stretches back to the Royal Rumble, and even further in some cases. Sometimes, that leads stories to flame out temporarily, or get stuck in a holding pattern as they circle the ring waiting for their opportunity to land the plane.
That doesn’t mean that Monday Night Raw was dull or bad by any stretch. Plenty happened to advance matches for the big show, but some of the developments could have easily been repeats from previous weeks, or they underdelivered. With just two more episodes of Raw until WrestleMania XL, this is that unsweet spot where things tend to lag before the hard sell begins.
No one bothered to tell Cody Rhodes that though, as the American Nightmare managed to follow The Rock’s stellar performance last week with his own memorable mic work Monday night, once again showing that he’s the guy to take up the mantle for WWE. Everything else was a distant second this week.
Let’s get to it…