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

3. Oh, What Could Have Been

Chad Gable could have taken an epic beatdown in his hometown, an almost-comical thrashing that would have left him incapacitated, maybe even hauled away in an ambulance.

Instead, he and Braun Strowman had a decent little match that showcased Gable’s talents, as he managed to pull off a bridging German suplex at one point. However, he really never stood a chance after a boot after a missed moonsault and quickly fell to a powerbomb.

The angle to set up the match last week was several times better than the delivery, which was so formulaic and bare minimum that you can’t help but be disappointed. Maybe this is a function of this new WWE era: We’ve come to expect better things from Raw and SmackDown, so when stuff falls short like this, it’s a pretty big letdown.

If this situation had unfolded three months ago, we’d be breathing a sigh of relief that Gable wasn’t absolutely embarrassed in his hometown in an unfunny, unproductive way. But Monday, we were left feeling disappointed.