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

1. Rusev's Slide Continues

Another week, another bland tag team match between Enzo Amore & Big Cass, and Rusev & Jinder Mahal. It was a Tornado Tag bout this time, but the all-action stipulation couldn't save it. As good as Rusev is, the three men around him just aren't on the same level, particularly Enzo and Jinder. The result was a bland, forgettable match that ended in the least satisfying way imaginable: the worst wrestler in the match (Enzo) pinning the best (Rusev).

Nothing about this feud has worked. WWE started on a bad note by once again painting Rusev as a sympathetic foil to Enzo & Cass' misbehaviour, and while the hotel room set-up was a little shady, it was hard to feel sorry for the faces at all. At best, Enzo came off as a mouthy little nuisance, and Cass was no better for sticking up for him.

The announcers played this match up like it was the "final battle," which is its one saving grace. Nobody wants to see this story continue, and its end is long overdue. It's a shame that it had to conclude with the wrongdoer going over the rightful victim, but that's Raw for you.

Enzo & Cass will keep doing their thing, but it's hard to see where Rusev goes from here. Just when it looked like he'd recovered from his John Cena/League of Nations-induced slump, along came Roman Reigns and Enzo Amore to knock him back down the ladder. He's one of the most talented guys in the company, but his momentum is in the doldrums, and there's some significant rebuilding to be done.