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

by Andy H Murray

1. The Silent Reunion

The Shield Backstage Reunion
WWE.com

Understated storytelling isn't exactly something WWE are known for these days, but they showed remarkable restraint with this week's full-on Shield reunion, closing the show with a brief, silent encounter between Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, and Roman Reigns.

'The Guy' was in his locker-room, licking his wounds from his beating earlier in the evening, when Ambrose quietly showed up to stand beside him. Rollins soon followed, and the trio dispersed after exchanging a set of knowing glances, setting the stage for a more grandiose coming together next week.

It still feels like WWE are pulling the trigger on this reunion too soon, but they did an outstanding job in piecing it together last night. It feels fresh, exciting, and important. All they've really done is place the trio's individual rivals together and force The Shield to reunite through mutual adversity, but sometimes, that's all it takes. This professional wrestling malarkey really isn't all that complicated...

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.