7 Ups & 8 Downs From WWE Raw: In Your Face (Sep 14)

5. A Great Story, Sabotaged

This part of the show was infuriating, and perhaps the night's best example of rubbish writing ruining good wrestling.

Kevin Owens and Aleister Black were working a neat story-based clash. The bout was appropriately hard-hitting and brisk, with the duo laying into each other at a level matching their feud's heat. Black was particularly intense as he worked Owens' knee over, pulling some excellent selling out of the former 'Prizefighter,' who hobbled around as if his leg was about to fall off. A desperation Superkick appeared to hurt KO as much as Black. Prior to that, the limp stopped him from getting over the top rope for a dive, and his knee collapsed beneath his weight immediately after the Superkick too. Great stuff all-round.

And then RETRIBUTION screwed with the lights, Black got confused, and Owens hit a quickfire Stunner for the win. Cool.

Situations in which a distraction finish doesn't make the victim look like a total dumb*ss are rare. This wasn't one of them. Black went from laser-focused limb destroyer to hapless goober within a matter of seconds, his great work with Owens undone by the worst stable in wrestling. More on them later...