7 Ups & 10 Downs From WWE Raw (Sep 27)

1. Huge Win For Big E

If ever you could say that a win validated a wrestler’s standing, you could easily point to Big E’s successful title defense.

E defeated Bobby Lashley in a steel cage match to retain the WWE Championship, and as Corey Graves said, silenced most of his critics for how he initially won the title – by cashing in the Money in the Bank briefcase on a wounded Lashley.

The match itself was what you’d expect from two talented, athletic big men, as they hit each other with bombs for a solid 20 minutes before E finally put Lashley down with a Super Big Ending off the ropes for the win. That effectively ended the rivalry between Lashley and Big E, and it gave the champ some juice and validity.

And that came just in time too, as Drew McIntyre walked out as E’s next challenger, which was a smart move, since Drew couldn’t compete for the title as long as Lashley was champ but now can vie for the strap.

Buckle up, folks.