6 Ups & 6 Downs from WWE Raw (2 June - Results & Review)

For the past several weeks, WWE Raw has been operating in a strange limbo where the individual parts could easily be rated as “average,” “good,” or even “highly entertaining.” But taken together, the entire product doesn’t exactly inspire a tremendous feeling of goodwill and trust.

The problem with Raw has been that much of the show has been set on “repeat” for a while now, and even the components that are clicking are starting to wear thin. The competent wrestling that is immediately forgotten moments later (that fans will somehow still declare “awesome”) isn’t enough to carry the show. The lack of significant missteps – once a hallmark of a Vince McMahon-led WWE – isn’t enough to warrant a passing grade on its own.

As WWE steams toward Money in the Bank this weekend, Raw is at something of a crossroads: there are some very good premises and ingredients in play, and an optimist can see an opportunity for an entertaining summer if everything moves forward correctly. But there also is the potential for WWE to drag its collective feet, opt for incremental advancements, and continue much of what fans have seen since before WrestleMania. Raw doesn’t need to blow up its storylines or abandon its angles, but the ennui that is creeping into the product is demanding some kind of shakeup.

For now, Raw offered up the usual mixed bag, and that in itself is becoming tiresome.

Let’s get to it…