6 Ups & 7 Downs From WWE Raw (April 19)

5. Wasting Riddle’s Potential

What do you think? Is this a one-week blip, or is WWE setting up Riddle for success?

Most likely, Riddle’s victory over Randy Orton on Monday night is setting up something – a rematch in which the Viper demolishes the Original Bro to establish dominance. But worse, WWE is continuing its moronic portrayal of Riddle as this idiotic goof rather than a somewhat aloof and laid-back but extremely skilled grappler. (The difference between NXT Matt Riddle and Raw Riddle is stark.)

It just makes it tough to even get invested in a victory, because you just have to assume WWE isn’t serious about him, otherwise they wouldn’t be sending him out there to act like an arse every week. His interaction with Orton backstage was yet another brainless segment that entertained no one.

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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.