7 Ups & 5 Downs From WWE Raw (8 Aug)

4. Dexter Lumis?!

Dexter Lumis' reintroduction to WWE came through a different form of storytelling on a show that desperately needs a different form of storytelling.

This was a rare example of show, don't tell, from the market leaders. Rather than beating you over the head with the night's goings-on, WWE scarcely acknowledged it.

A smashed-up car was shown in the background as Kevin Patrick interviewed Kevin Owens, which Doudrop and Nikki A.S.H. sold. The commentators did not shout and scream about it as they may have under Vince McMahon. Instead, they let the moment linger, encouraging the viewer to think about what was going on without holding hands.

Then, when Dexter Lumis emerged in an interconnected event, it was the same story. The former NXT star was unveiled as security escorted him away from ringside following the main event. WWE uploading a video titled "Dexter Lumis crashes Raw" after the show brought the subtlety hammer down, finally, but only on YouTube.

This is a most encouraging step forward. Not overexplaining things is the core tenet of all storytelling. After decades and decades of Vince McMahon treating his audience like braindead buffoons, this stuff might take WWE's core viewers a while to get used to, but will pay dividends in the end.