5 Ups & 6 Downs From Last Night's WWE Raw (Oct 2)

2. David Vs. Goliath

Opening Raw with an actual match rather than a repetitive in-ring talking segment is almost worth an 'Up' on its own, but regardless, Seth Rollins vs. Braun Strowman was a great TV bout.

They worked a textbook big man vs. little man format, but they did it well. Rollins plays a solid underdog, and Braun thrives when he's allowed to throw smaller, more athletic opponents around the ring, largely reducing them to hope spots throughout. He kept Seth under control for most of the bout, but 'The Kingslayer' had his moments too, with a late-match Blockbuster spawning an explosive one-count kickout from his opponent.

'The Monster Among Men' scored a necessary victory by crushing Rollins with a clothesline when he went for the ripcord knee, then downing him with the Powerslam. His post-match destruction of both Rollins and Dean Ambrose was a tad unnecessary, but the action before it was excellent, and an important step in WWE's attempts at rebuilding Braun following his defeat to Brock Lesnar. Two thumbs up.