7 Ups And 5 Downs From Last Night's WWE Raw (Jan 30)

Downs...

5. The Rift That Never Heals

Just when it looked like Sheamus and Cesaro were finally gaining some cohesion, WWE decided to clip their wings. Karl Anderson & Luke Gallows were long overdue a reign as Raw Tag Team Champions after losing so many title shots in the past, but it has come at the cost of Raw's most compelling team. The Europeans quarrelled after being eliminated from the Royal Rumble, and it looks like their troubles are far from over.

Bayley attempted to keep the peace between the arguing duo last night, but Gallows, Anderson, and Charlotte predictably walked by to stir the pot. Neither the segment nor the match were objectively bad, but the implications are frustrating and it feels like Cesaro and Sheamus are going round in circles.

WWE have two options here: the duo either bury their personal issues all-together or they go their separate ways. Either choice results in a case of history repeating: if they go for the first, Sheamus and Cesaro are exactly where they were a week ago, and the second renders their whole "coming together" storyline pointless.

Quite why WWE opted to go down this route is anyone's guess. They've derailed the tag division's best ongoing storyline seemingly without good reason, and Sheamus and Cesaro have gained nothing from their short reign. However this pans out, the duo are back to square one, and it looks like the company don't have a clue what to do with them other than retreading old ground.

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Channel Manager
Channel Manager

Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.