6 Ups & 6 Downs From WWE Raw (27 April - Results & Review)

5. Penta Uses Wrestling As IC Scene Heats Up

WWE Raw Penta
WWE

Fans can easily make the case about how Rusev’s first year back with WWE has been mostly a waste, but he had a perfectly serviceable match against Intercontinental Champion Penta on Monday night.

Rusev controlled right at the bell, but Penta came back with some kicks, a dropkick, and a tope before he got into it with Ethan Page at ringside. Rusev countered a Mexican Destroyer with a backdrop and seemed to be on the verge of winning with a flurry, but Penta avoided the Accolade and then used a really smart wrestling move to pick up the win, feigning a springboard and then rolling up an off-balance Rusev.

That on its own was solid enough for an “up,” but afterward, Rusev began battering Penta. Page got in the ring and prepared to join in, but a stare from Rusev chased him off. Once Penta began a comeback, Rusev welcomed the assistance from Ethan, which triggered a dazzling Je’Von Evans save.

All of this points to a four-way feud and match for the IC title, which is perfectly fine if the action we’ve seen so far carries through.

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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.