5 Ups & 8 Downs From WWE Raw (March 1)

by Scott Carlson

1. Lashley’s Dream Realized

Bobby Lashley
WWE

Although he portrays a reviled heel, Bobby Lashley deserved what he got on Monday night: a spotlight moment as he demolished The Miz to become the new WWE Champion for the first time in his career.

For the past few months, few wrestlers on Raw have been better booked than Lashley. Sure, he was stuck in a one-sided feud with Riddle, but at least he was on the better end of that rivalry. He was constantly putting others in their place, looking strong in the ring, and well-dressed outside of it. He was looking and acting the part of a champion long before he was elevated to world championship material.

Monday’s win, which came after numerous false starts that themselves came after a week’s delay, was a sweet moment for him and had to be a significant personal accomplishment, both in character and in real life.

And at this stage, looking at the roster, there are few superstars besides Drew McIntyre who could carry this title credibly at this time. Lashley is certainly one of them.

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Scott is a former journalist and longtime wrestling fan who was smart enough to abandon WCW during the Monday Night Wars the same time as the Radicalz. He fortunately became a fan in time for WrestleMania III and came back as a fan after a long high school hiatus before WM XIV. Monday nights in the Carlson household are reserved for viewing Raw -- for better or worse.