Not even Carlito's brand new colour scheme fooled audiences into feeling like this show-opener belonged that side of the WrestleMania start-time.
This was Raw fodder or less-than, yet Vince McMahon's massive love for his massive Tag Team Champions resulted in Big Show and Kane bantering off yet more midcarders that were still trying and failing to climb up the company's greasy pole.
In January, the Challengers had worked through the entire field in Raw's Elimination Chamber before running into unstoppable force John Cena. 'The Champ' was perhaps the only one man perceived to be stronger than both Champions, but it didn't prepare them for this 'Show Of Shows' squash. Buried in the middle of the card as a palette cleanser, this contest may not have felt as abrasive. As a curtain-raiser, it was punching above its weight.
Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett
