5 Ups & 6 Downs From WWE Raw After WrestleMania 42 (Results & Review)

1. Jacob Fatu Levels Up

There's no doubt that going toe to toe with Roman Reigns on the mic and lining up a PLE main event vs. the 'OTC' at Backlash is a good thing for Jacob Fatu. Admittedly, there was a slight low energy feel to the main event segment involving Roman and The Usos before Jacob's music hit, but the most important thing is that WWE are putting Fatu in the main event picture after his win over Drew McIntyre at WrestleMania.

Obviously, he’s never beating Roman at Backlash (they ain't ending that World Heavyweight Title run this early!), but even getting this spot is a big deal for Jacob, and you just know Reigns will do everything in his power to make sure Fatu shines. It's in his best interests to go hell for leather with the 'Samoan Werewolf', and not just because Jacob is family.

Both Raw and SmackDown need some fresh stars near the top of the tree, and Fatu is someone WWE has been high on for a long time now. They're finally ready to take the training wheels off, and his United States Title hiccup from last year is yesterday's news. That definitive win over Drew in an "Unsanctioned" war has Jacob at boiling point.

Best of all, Reigns didn't do his usual chuckling or looking down on an opponent. No, he was all business and sold the threat Fatu poses to his newly won title. Some of the facial expressions Jimmy and Jey Uso shot off behind Roman were top tier too. They'll have something to say about all of this themselves.

Nice finish to the night, all things considered.

What did you think of this week's WWE Raw? For more wrestling, check out 6 Ups & 3 Downs From WWE WrestleMania 42 - Sunday (Results & Review) and 15 New Directions For WWE After WrestleMania 42!