5 Ups & 6 Downs From WWE Raw (Oct 3)

Downs…

6. Good Thing The Match Graphic Rules

If you were hoping to get a strong closing argument for the “I Quit” match between Finn Balor and Edge Monday night, you left Raw disappointed.

Judgment Day opened the show with Finn talking about how Edge was medically forced to quit 11 years ago, and how he returned, only to be beaten so bad at Extreme Rules that he’ll be forced to quit again. It was a very simple message, but it wasn’t the most compelling.

Edge wasn’t even present, as he was announced as being in Philadelphia doing promo work for the upcoming PLE. He did cut a pre-recorded promo saying that any “veil of a character” had disappeared and that this was the real him, an old, creaky wrestler who finds it more difficult to come back from each injury. He pledged to come out swinging on Saturday.

Overall, for a match that was made just last week when Edge returned at the end of Raw, the sell was Finn’s two-minute dedication to the PLE bout (he spent more time trying to sway AJ Styles) and Edge’s “I’m really old” promo.

It wasn’t bad, but they’re very lucky that Balor/Edge will probably actually rule as a match, because the match graphic is the selling point here, not a strong story told over the course of several weeks.