6 Ups & 4 Downs From WWE Raw (Sept 19)

2. Interference, Distraction Finishes Aplenty

Johnny Gargano Austin Theory
WWE.com

A distraction finish on its own is not necessarily a bad thing. When done right, it can provide a simple out for a wrestler who needs to lose a match but also needs to maintain their credibility.

But when nearly every match on the Raw card includes outside interference or a distraction finish, that’s a big problem and a sign of lazy booking. Raw Monday night featured five matches, four of which had distraction finishes or interference that directly led to the outcome of the match. Only Brawling Brutes versus Street Profits had a clean finish.

It’s a bit surprising that WWE allowed this many rubbish finishes on an otherwise good episode. It wasn’t noticeable at first, but after Rhea Ripley, Dominik Mysterio and Seth Rollins all got involved in Judgment Day’s match with Rey Mysterio and Matt Riddle, it had become a bit cliché. The main event saw even more of these outside hijinks, making Raw a very distraction/interference heavy show.

Yes, the matches all had finishes, but you run the risk of alienating fans who want to see some kind of definitive endings, and nearly all could be run back because of outside influence.

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Contributor
Contributor

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 fondly remembers watching WrestleMania III, IV, V and VI and Saturday Night's Main Event, came back to wrestling during the Attitude Era, and has been a consumer of sports entertainment since then. He's written for WhatCulture for more than a decade, establishing the Ups and Downs articles for WWE Raw and WWE PPVs/PLEs and composing pieces on a variety of topics.