6 Ups & 5 Downs From Last Night's WWE Raw (Nov 20)

1. Anything But This

Triple H Stephanie McMahon
WWE.com

Last night's opening segment wasn't entirely awful, as it delivered logical continuations for a number of stories established at Survivor Series, with Stephanie McMahon and Triple H butting heads with Kurt Angle, Jason Jordan, and Braun Strowman.

Furthering those relationships make sense, but Raw's opener means more than that. It was a foreboding callback to the dismal days when The Authority ruled WWE's flagship show, crushing the hopes and dreams of any babyface who got in their way, and rendering huge chunks of the product totally unwatchable. 'The Game' and Steph were at the heart of this, and it looks very much like they're slotting back into the same destructive roles.

McMahon is the most toxic television character in WWE history, and her husband isn't much better. Nothing good ever comes of her appearances. She's a fine performer, but Stephanie rarely returns the heat she takes away from full-time roster members, with comeuppance an alien concept. Unfortunately for us, it looks like the nepotistic duo are set to once again dominate Raw over the coming months, furthering the themes established at Survivor Series.

It's enough to make you sick.

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Channel Manager

Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.